HR Manager

Stellar Recruitment; Canterbury; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Standalone HR Manager

Direct access decision makers

Lead apprenticeship programs

Leadership development

EVP initiatives

Job summary

Stellar Recruitment's client is seeking a Generalist HR Manager to lead the HR function across a growing workforce in the South Island, delivering end-to-end HR from recruitment to offboarding, payroll, and policy development.

You will partner with directors, influence people decisions, and drive health and safety, training, and workforce planning, with travel across the South Island a few times per year.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a generalist HR function.
• Strong knowledge of NZ employment legislation.
• Payroll management experience.
• Experience in recruitment and workforce planning.
• Ability to travel South Island 2–4 times per year.
• NZ resident or citizen preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end employee lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding.
• Oversee payroll, HR administration, and records.
• Develop HR policies, procedures, and employment documentation.
• Support leaders with employee relations and performance management.
• Drive recruitment and workforce planning across the South Island.
• Maintain training, compliance, and competency programmes.
• Coordinate health and safety processes and training requirements.

Skills

HR leadership

NZ employment law

Payroll

HRIS

HR policies

Recruitment

Workforce planning

HSE

Stakeholder relationships

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR

Tools

Payroll software

MS Excel

HRIS systems

Job description

Benefits

• Standalone HR Manager role with genuine ownership and autonomy
• Direct access to decision makers and the ability to influence change
• Lead apprenticeship, leadership development, and EVP initiatives
• Supportive leadership team that will trust you to get on with the job

Our client

Our client is one of the South Island's leading commercial building services contractors, delivering plumbing, mechanical, maintenance and specialist services across some of the region's largest and most complex construction projects. Working across the South Island, their team has built a reputation for technical excellence, quality workmanship and long-standing client relationships. The business employs more than 80 tradespeople and has been involved in significant projects across healthcare, hospitality, education, defence and commercial sectors. As the organisation continues to grow, they are seeking an experienced HR Manager to strengthen their people practices, support leaders, and help create an engaging and high-performing workplace.

About the Role:

As a Generalist HR Manager, you will lead and support the HR function across a growing and diverse workforce. This is a hands‑on autonomous position covering the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, training, payroll, compliance, and offboarding.

Working closely with the Director and senior management team, you will provide practical advice, coaching, and support that strengthens leadership capability and promotes positive outcomes for the business and its people. You will play a key role in maintaining effective HR practices, supporting operational requirements, and driving continuous improvement across the employee experience.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the employee lifecycle, from onboarding through to offboarding
• Oversee payroll, HR administration, and employee records
• Develop and maintain HR policies, procedures, and employment documentation
• Support leaders with employee relations, performance management, and people matters
• Drive recruitment across the South Island, workforce planning, and talent retention initiatives
• Maintain training, compliance, and competency programmes
• Coordinate health and safety processes, including incident reporting, training requirements, and certification compliance

Skills and Experience:

• Demonstrate experience in a Generalist HR leadership role
• Possess strong knowledge of NZ employment legislation and HR best practice
• Manage payroll and HRIS systems with accuracy and confidence
• Develop practical HR policies, procedures, and employment documentation
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and workforce planning activities
• Demonstrate an understanding of workplace health and safety requirements, compliance obligations, and employee wellbeing initiatives
• Build trusted relationships across all levels of the business
• Available to travel across the South Island two-four times per year

You will be joining a well-established and highly respected South Island business with an outstanding reputation for quality, technical expertise, and project delivery. This is an opportunity to take ownership of an established HR function, work closely with key decision-makers, and make a genuine impact across a growing organisation.

Please note, only NZ Residents or Citizens will be considered for this permanent position.