Senior P&C Business Partner

UGL; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

16 weeks parental leave

Hybrid working environment

Discounts to retailers

Individual development plan

Salary continuance insurance

Counselling services

Wellness program with cash rewards

Job summary

UGL Limited is seeking a Senior People & Culture Business Partner for its Projects Division. You will partner with project directors to deliver strategic HR and IR outcomes across regional energy and infrastructure works.

Reporting to the P&C Lead, you will influence senior stakeholders, manage complex ER/IR matters, and support workforce planning, change and governance across geographically dispersed project sites.

Qualifications

• Significant experience as a Senior HR Generalist or Senior People & Culture partner.
• Experience supporting large-scale projects in construction, energy or infrastructure.
• Strong knowledge of Australian employment, ER and IR frameworks.
• Proven ability to manage complex ER/IR matters in unionised environments.
• Experience with enterprise agreements and workforce relations issues.
• Excellent stakeholder management and credibility with senior leaders.
• Willingness to travel regularly to regional project locations.

Responsibilities

• Partner with project leaders to deliver strategic People & Culture initiatives.
• Advise on complex employee relations and industrial relations matters, including investigations.
• Support project mobilisation, workforce planning and resource needs across divisions.
• Coach leaders on employment law, enterprise agreements and modern awards.
• Drive retention, engagement and talent management to support delivery.
• Lead organizational change, restructures and redeployment activities.
• Ensure compliance with policies, instruments and legislative requirements.

Skills

Senior HR Generalist

Relations specialist

Industrial relations

Stakeholder management

Employee lifecycle

Change management

Travel to regional sites

Education

HR / Business / Psychology degree

Job description

UGL Projects Division

National Role Support the People Strategy Behind Australia's Critical Infrastructure and Energy Projects UGL is seeking an experienced and commercially focused Senior People & Culture Business Partner to support our Projects Division across a diverse portfolio of Energy, Transmission, Utilities and Major Infrastructure Projects. Operating as a trusted advisor to project and operational leaders, you will partner closely with the business to deliver strategic and operational people outcomes across the full employee lifecycle. This role requires a strong background in employee relations, industrial relations and generalist People & Culture practices, coupled with experience supporting project-based workforces operating in complex and geographically dispersed environments. The successful candidate will be comfortable travelling to regional and remote project locations as required and thrive in a fast‑paced environment where stakeholder management, workforce planning, industrial relations and employee engagement are critical to project success.

About the Role

Reporting to the P&C Lead – UGL Projects, you will provide expert people leadership and support across multiple projects and business units within UGL's Projects Division. Working closely with operational leaders, project directors and functional teams, you will drive workforce initiatives that support safe, productive and engaged project teams while ensuring compliance with relevant legislative, industrial and organisational requirements. This is a highly visible role requiring a practical, hands‑on approach combined with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and manage complex workforce challenges across multiple project environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with project and operational leaders across the Projects Division to deliver strategic and operational People & Culture initiatives.
• Provide expert advice and support on complex employee relations and industrial relations matters, including investigations, disciplinary processes, grievances, performance management and dispute resolution.
• Support project mobilisation, workforce planning and resource requirements across Energy, Transmission, Utilities and Major Projects.
• Coach and support leaders on people management practices, employment legislation, enterprise agreements, modern awards and workplace obligations.
• Drive workforce retention, engagement and talent management initiatives to support project delivery outcomes.
• Partner with leaders to manage organisational change, restructures, workforce transitions and redeployment activities.
• Support enterprise bargaining preparation and implementation activities as required.
• Ensure compliance with legislative requirements, company policies and industrial instruments across project operations.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of People & Culture strategies aligned to the operational objectives of the Projects Division.
• Support workforce reporting, people metrics and workforce insights to inform business decision‑making.
• Collaborate with broader P&C Centres of Excellence including Talent Acquisition, Learning & Development, Remuneration and Diversity & Inclusion.
• Develop strong relationships with project stakeholders, operational leaders, client representatives and employee representatives across multiple locations.
• Undertake regular travel to regional project sites to maintain strong workforce engagement and provide on-the-ground support to leaders and employees.

About You

• Significant experience in a Senior HR Generalist or Senior People & Culture Business Partner position.
• Demonstrated experience supporting large‑scale projects within construction, engineering, infrastructure, utilities, transmission, energy, resources or industrial sectors.
• Strong working knowledge of Australian employment legislation, employee relations and industrial relations frameworks.
• Proven capability managing complex ER and IR matters in unionised and blue‑collar environments.
• Experience working with enterprise agreements, industrial instruments and workforce relations issues.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills with the ability to build credibility quickly.
• Experience supporting geographically dispersed and project-based workforces.
• Excellent investigation, conflict resolution and case management capabilities.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational delivery in a dynamic project environment.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly to regional and remote project locations.
• Tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Business, Psychology or a related discipline.

What we offer

• 16 weeks paid parental leave for the primary carer.
• Hybrid working environment.
• Discounts to 100’s of high street retailers to include supermarkets, department stores, motoring & petrol, home & gardens, families & babies, education & books, computers, electronics, travel, entertainment, + more.
• Individual development plan for career progression and ongoing training.
• Complimentary salary continuance insurance, confidential counselling services for you and your family and a wellness program that rewards you with cash for exercise!

About Us

UGL is a well-known and respected for providing end-to-end engineering, construction and maintenance services within rail and transport, communications and technology systems, oil and gas, power, renewables and resources, water and defence markets. UGL partners with some of the world’s largest blue‑chip companies and government agencies, private enterprises and public institutions. We are a member of the CIMIC Group of companies.

At UGL, we value diversity – in the backgrounds, ideas, work styles and perspectives of our team. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and strongly encourage people with disability, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people, mature aged workers and people from culturally diverse backgrounds to apply.

Please note that relevant screening checks will be conducted as part of the recruitment process. These may include a national criminal history check and for you to complete a pre-employment medical questionnaire.