Senior Manager, Industrial & Employment Relations

Ministry of Education; Wellington; On-site; NZD 166,000 - 248,000; Full time

Job summary

Ministry of Education in Wellington seeks a strategic and influential Manager, Industrial and Employment Relations to lead the development and delivery of the organisation's industrial and employment relations strategy, ensuring a future-focused approach to workplace relations.

You will chair end-to-end collective bargaining, build trusted relationships with unions and senior leaders, provide expert advice on high-risk matters, and drive policy development.

Qualifications

• Significant senior-level experience in industrial relations, employment relations, employment law, or human resources.
• Extensive experience leading collective bargaining and union negotiations in large and complex organisations.
• Deep knowledge of New Zealand employment legislation and its practical application.
• Experience managing high-risk employment relations matters and organisational risk.
• Proven people leadership experience, including developing and coaching teams to achieve excellent outcomes.
• Outstanding influencing, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Strong organisational and political awareness, with the ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and confidence operating at executive level.

Responsibilities

• Leading end-to-end strategy, preparation, and delivery of collective bargaining negotiations.
• Building and maintaining constructive relationships with unions, sector stakeholders, and senior leaders.
• Providing expert advice on complex employment and industrial relations matters.
• Leading the resolution of significant employment disputes and high-risk workplace issues.
• Overseeing the Ministry's remuneration and reward strategy and frameworks.
• Leading integrity and code of conduct programmes across the organisation.
• Driving the development, review, and implementation of people policies.
• Providing strategic leadership to your team, fostering capability, collaboration, and high performance.
• Using insights and data to identify workforce risks and opportunities and inform organisational decision-making.
• Contributing to the Ministry's strategic priorities through strong stakeholder engagement and effective leadership.

Job description

Ministry of Education in Wellington seeks a strategic and influential Manager, Industrial and Employment Relations to lead the development and delivery of the organisation's industrial and employment relations strategy, ensuring a future-focused approach to workplace relations.

You will chair end-to-end collective bargaining, build trusted relationships with unions and senior leaders, provide expert advice on high-risk matters, and drive policy development.