Human Resources Manager

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

Job summary

Stellar Recruitment is partnering with a Canterbury-based contractor to appoint a Generalist HR Manager. You will lead HR across a growing workforce, advising leaders, managing the full employee lifecycle, and integrating payroll, compliance, and development initiatives.

You will work directly with senior management, implement robust HR policies, support recruitment and onboarding, and drive safety, wellbeing, and performance across the business.

Qualifications

• Experience in a Generalist HR leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of NZ employment legislation and HR best practice.
• Ability to manage payroll and HRIS with accuracy.
• Develop practical HR policies, procedures, and documentation.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and workforce planning.
• Understanding of workplace health and safety requirements and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Manage the employee lifecycle from onboarding through 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, workforce planning, and talent retention initiatives.
• Maintain training, compliance, and competency programmes.
• Coordinate health and safety processes, including incident reporting and certification compliance.

Skills

Generalist HR leadership

NZ employment law

Payroll & HRIS

HR policy development

Recruitment & onboarding

Workplace health & safety

Stakeholder relationships

Commercial awareness

Tools

HRIS

Job description

Lead and support people initiatives across a growing business, partnering with leaders to foster a positive, compliant, and high-performing workplace.

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 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, 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
• Apply sound judgement, commercial awareness, and strong organisational skills

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.