Senior Industrial Relations Specialist

Murrumbidgee Local Health District; Murrumbidgee Council; On-site; AUD 154,000 - 183,000; Full time

Job summary

Murrumbidgee Local Health District is seeking a Senior Industrial Relations Specialist to provide expert strategic guidance on employment and industrial relations across MLHD. You will support Directors and General Managers, interpret Awards, and represent MLHD in negotiations with unions and tribunals.

This permanent full-time role requires strong stakeholder engagement, investigative capability, travel across MLHD locations, and a relevant law/IR qualification.

Qualifications

• Proven strategic employment and industrial relations advisory experience.
• Extensive knowledge of NSW Industrial Relations system and relevant tribunals.
• Experience leading negotiations and workplace investigations.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice on employment and industrial relations matters.
• Advise Directors and General Managers on complex issues.
• Manage consultations and negotiations with industrial organisations.
• Advocate across NSW tribunals and commissions.
• Lead dispute resolution with employees and groups.
• Prepare reports and recommendations on sensitive issues.
• Deliver education programs on industrial and employee relations.
• Travel across MLHD locations as required.

Skills

Strategic employment advice

Industrial relations expertise

Negotiation leadership

Workplace investigations

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Analytical problem-solving

Legal knowledge

Travel readiness

Education

Law / Employment Law / Industrial Relations or HR degree

Job description

Requisition ID: REQ689913
Local Health District / Agency: Murrumbidgee Local Health District
Position Classification: Health Manager - Level 4
Remuneration: $153,559.00 - $182,954.00 per annum (+ super + 17.5% leave loading where applicable)
Employment Type: Permanent Full - Time
Hours Per Week: 38
Location: Murrumbidgee Local Health District - location negotiable
Closing Date: 28th September 2026

Are you an experienced industrial relations professional looking for a senior, strategic role within a large and diverse health organisation?

The Senior Industrial Relations Specialist is a senior member of the People and Culture Leadership team, providing expert advice, strategic guidance and operational support on a wide range of employment and industrial relations matters. This includes employment legislation, Award interpretation, policy development, and the resolution of complex employee relations issues and disputes.

You will build and maintain a cooperative industrial relations environment across Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) through strong stakeholder relationships and a hands‑on, constructive approach to resolving issues. The role provides expert advice and guidance to Directors and General Managers on the most complex and sensitive matters, including reportable conduct and matters requiring external notification, and represents MLHD in negotiations and advocacy with industrial associations, Tribunals, Courts and the Industrial Relations Commission.

Key Accountabilities

• Manage consultation, negotiation and liaison with industrial organisations regarding workplace change, dispute resolution, collective agreements and individual employee matters.
• Work within the NSW Industrial Relations system and undertake advocacy across a range of tribunals and commissions, including the Industrial Relations Commission, NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Anti-Discrimination NSW and the Australian Human Rights Commission.
• Work constructively with people to negotiate and resolve complex and emotive issues, providing innovative and lateral solutions to industrial relations and employment-related matters.
• Lead consultation, negotiation and dispute resolution processes with employees, employee organisations and representative groups, working with legal counsel to represent the organisation before commissions and tribunals.
• Prepare comprehensive reports and recommendations on complex and sensitive employee relations issues.
• Formulate, develop and deliver education programs on industrial and employee relations to build manager and staff capability across MLHD.
• Identify emerging industrial relations issues and lead strategies to prevent, minimise or resolve disputes.
• National Police Check.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Law/Employment Law/Industrial Relations/Human Resources and/or equivalent detailed practical experience in managing HR/industrial relations issues in a large diverse service industry organisation. An unrestricted practising certificate in NSW would be highly regarded.
• Capacity and willingness, including a current driver's licence, to travel throughout MLHD locations, which may include overnight stays in regional/remote areas.

Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated experience in providing high-quality strategic employment and industrial relations advice, together with operational capacity to manage industrial matters on behalf of MLHD.
• Demonstrated sound knowledge of the NSW Industrial Relations system, with extensive knowledge and experience in employment law, including conducting proceedings before the Industrial Relations Commission or other relevant Tribunals and Commissions.
• Proven experience in leading and managing employment and industrial negotiations, including workplace disputes, grievances and conducting investigations, as well as providing sound advice on related matters within a complex organisatio
• Demonstrated experience in conducting workplace investigations.
• Demonstrated high level communication, interpersonal, analytical and problem‑solving skills, including the ability to respond creatively to issues raised and perform under pressure in potentially contentious situations.
• Demonstrated ability to apply positive and constructive influencing and relationship development skills to a diverse range of stakeholders to achieve results through consensus, commitment, cooperation and teamwork.
• Demonstrated capability to actively work with and support the HR team, working collectively as a workplace relations team.
• Computer literacy, including databases, spreadsheets, word processing and other applications used in the Windows environment.

MLHD welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds and is committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and the LGBTIQ+ community.

If you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, you can access recruitment application support through the Stepping Up initiative.