Senior People & Performance Advisor

RealNZ; Wānaka; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

RealNZ staff rates & experiences

Medical insurance

Breakfast provided

Season pass to Cardrona x Treble Cone

Supportive People & Performance team

Purpose-driven conservation work

Job summary

RealNZ is seeking a Senior People & Performance Advisor to partner with leaders across the business, navigating complex employee relations and guiding people decisions with sound judgement.

You will influence change, support workforce planning and recruitment, apply NZ employment laws and immigration processes, and share expertise across the People & Performance team to raise the quality of advice.

Qualifications

• Substantial HR advisory experience at a senior level.
• Ownership of complex investigations and disciplinary matters, plus performance management.
• Experience supporting New Zealand immigration processes.
• Strong understanding of New Zealand employment legislation and applying it pragmatically.
• Ability to build trusted relationships and influence leaders at different levels, including sensitive situations.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex employee relations matters, including investigations, disciplinary processes and performance management.
• Coach and influence leaders to strengthen their confidence and accountability for people decisions.
• Guide organisational change from planning to consultation and implementation.
• Partner with leaders on workforce planning, recruitment and people priorities for operational needs and long-term goals.
• Provide practical advice on NZ employment legislation and immigration processes.
• Identify emerging people trends and risks and translate into recommendations and action.
• Drive improvements to people practices and processes for practical impact.
• Share expertise across the People & Performance team to ensure high-quality, consistent advice.

Skills

Senior HR advisory

Employee relations

Influence leaders

Change management

NZ employment legislation

Job description

Senior People & Performance Advisor

Bring your expertise. Influence our leaders. Shape better people outcomes. We're looking for a Senior People & Performance Advisor who brings sound judgement, commercial understanding and the confidence to guide leaders through complex people challenges.

About The Role

You'll be a trusted partner to leaders across multiple business areas, combining hands‑on advice with a wider view of business priorities, people risks and opportunities.

You'll Play a Key Role In

• Leading complex employee relations matters, including investigations, disciplinary processes and performance management, with sound judgement and a fair, considered approach.
• Coaching and influencing leaders, strengthening their confidence, capability and accountability for people decisions.
• Guiding organisational change, from early planning and advice through consultation and implementation.
• Partnering with leaders on workforce planning, recruitment and people priorities that support operational needs and longer‑term goals.
• Providing practical advice on New Zealand employment legislation and immigration processes, recognising when specialist input is needed.
• Identifying emerging people trends and risks, and translating these into recommendations and action.
• Driving improvements to people practices and processes that make a practical difference for leaders and teams.
• Sharing your expertise across the People & Performance team and contributing to consistent, high‑quality advice across the business.

What You'll Bring

You're an experienced advisor who can see the bigger picture while staying close to the detail. You build credibility quickly, hold constructive conversations and know when to support, challenge or elevate.

You'll Bring

• Substantial HR advisory experience, with demonstrated success operating at a senior level and independently managing a varied portfolio.
• Strong employee relations expertise, including ownership of complex investigations, disciplinary matters, performance management and organisational change.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships and influence leaders at different levels, including when advice is challenging or decisions are sensitive.
• Experience supporting a geographically dispersed, multi‑site or operationally complex business.
• A strong understanding of New Zealand employment legislation and the ability to apply it pragmatically.
• Experience supporting New Zealand immigration processes.
• Commercial judgement, with the ability to balance employee experience, operational priorities and business risk.
• Confidence working through ambiguity, managing competing demands and making well‑considered recommendations.
• A collaborative approach and a willingness to share knowledge and build capability in others.

What's in it for you?

• RealNZ adventures at unbeatable staff rates, or free on selected experiences — from Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound to Walter Peak’s Gourmet BBQ.
• Medical insurance cover.
• Breakfast provided.
• A free Cardrona x Treble Cone season pass.
• A supportive, close‑knit People & Performance team that values your expertise and ideas.
• The opportunity to contribute to a business that helps people connect with nature and conservation.

Real People. Real Places. Real Experiences. Welcome To RealNZ. When's the best time to join the Real whānau? Now's good. We're the conservation business that's enabled by tourism. Through unforgettable experiences, we're helping people fall in love with Aotearoa and inspiring them to leave our places better than they found them. From secluded islands and scenic fiords to snow‑capped maunga, our people and places make working at RealNZ something special. That variety brings complexity, opportunity and plenty of purpose to the work we do.

At RealNZ, we're committed to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Guided by our values of Pono (Keep it real) and He waka eke noa (We're all in this together), we embrace and celebrate the unique perspectives and experiences that make our team stronger. Everyone is welcome here.

Ready to bring your experience to RealNZ?

We'll be interviewing candidates as applications come in and may close the role early if we find the right person.