Senior Employee Relations Specialist

Peoplecorp; Adelaide; Hybrid; AUD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Career development opportunities

Competitive salary package

Job summary

Peoplecorp is seeking a Senior Employee Relations Specialist to join a newly formed national ER team in Adelaide, with a flexible hybrid arrangement. You will manage a high-volume caseload spanning conduct matters through to complex investigations, interpreting awards and enterprise agreements while engaging with unions.

In this role you will shape ER practice, contribute to policy templates and coach junior colleagues, delivering pragmatic solutions in a purpose-led organisation.

Qualifications

• Extensive employee relations expertise and a track record in case management.
• Experience in regulated, unionised environments is valued.
• Ability to coach and develop junior team members.
• Strong stakeholder management and pragmatic judgement.

Responsibilities

• Manage a high-volume caseload ranging from minor conduct matters to complex investigations.
• Lead and mentor developing advisors; contribute to ER policy templates.
• Interpret awards and enterprise agreements; engage with unions and stakeholders.
• Attend sites in person for serious matters; navigate and assess risk in investigations.
• Shape ER practice by developing processes that define ER for the organisation.

Skills

Employee relations

Case management

Unions negotiations

Risk assessment

Investigations

Policy development

Coaching

Job description

THE ORGANISATION Our client is a leading national not-for-profit provider of health and community care, supporting people across hospitals, residential aged care and home care services. With a significant presence in South Australia and a purpose-driven culture built on compassion and respect, the organisation is investing in its people function by establishing a dedicated Employee Relations team. This is a genuine centre of excellence in the making, designed to free up business partners to focus on partnering while ER specialists own the technical work. It's an exciting time to join, with a new structure taking shape and real appetite for fresh ideas and better ways of working.

THE ROLE Reporting to the Employee Relations Manager, you will join a newly formed national ER team as one of two Senior ER Specialists, working alongside a supportive group of peers and mentoring a team of developing advisors. Based in Adelaide with a flexible hybrid arrangement, you will manage a diverse, high-volume caseload spanning minor conduct matters through to complex investigations, contentious issues and senior-level exits. Your matters will come from across the national business, giving you broad exposure to hospital, aged care and home care settings, and you will attend sites in person when more serious matters call for it. You will interpret awards and multiple enterprise agreements, engage confidently with unions, and navigate claims including General Protections matters. Beyond casework, you will play a key role in shaping how the new function operates, contributing to policy, templates and processes that will define ER for the organisation for years to come.

THE CRITERIA To be successful in this role, you will bring strong, specialist employee relations expertise with a deep understanding of formal case management, including the reasoning behind each step, sound risk assessment and the ability to weigh evidence rigorously in investigations. Experience within a regulated and unionised environment is highly valued, and while a health or aged care background is welcome, it is not essential for the right person. You will be confident holding your ground with unions and stakeholders, comfortable balancing a fast-paced workload with pragmatic judgement, and energised by the chance to build something new rather than simply maintain it. A natural coach, you will enjoy developing junior team members and bringing clarity and calm to a changing environment. In return, you will be rewarded with a highly competitive salary package, flexible working and outstanding exposure within a purpose-led organisation.

At Peoplecorp, we are dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in every recruitment process. We believe that a rich variety of perspectives drives innovation and success. We actively seek candidates from all backgrounds and encourage individuals of all races, genders, abilities, and experiences to apply.