The People and Culture Senior Manager provides expert advice and delivers people-focused HR strategies and initiatives for the Pacific Labour Mobility Support Program (PLMSP), partnering with the Senior Leadership Team. The role manages a regional team covering recruitment and talent acquisition, business partnering, and learning and development. It is full-time through to September 2028, with possible extension subject to project requirements and funding. The preferred location is Brisbane, Australia.
About the program: The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme enables workers from 9 Pacific Island Countries and Timor-Leste to work in priority sectors in Australia. PLMSP, delivered by Palladium on behalf of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), supports labour sending countries through capacity building, skills development and training for PALM workers, support for returning workers and their families, information systems, monitoring, evaluation, research and learning, and communications.
Key responsibilities:
- Manage the recruitment and business partnering function and provide strategic HR advice that supports culture, development and staff retention.
- Implement HR cyclical activities (performance and salary reviews, wellbeing activities, compliance audits) in line with Palladium and DFAT policies.
- Support managers on performance, lead sensitive employee relations cases and investigations, and manage the L&D function including development and succession planning.
- Manage the HR and personnel budget, lead HR risk reporting, and support DFAT policy compliance including fraud, corruption and safeguarding.
- Ensure HR systems are inclusive, accessible and culturally responsive, and manage the full employee life cycle.
- Work with Palladium corporate HR on policies, process improvement and corporate initiatives.
Essential experience and qualifications:
- Tertiary qualification in Human Resources or Business, or AHRI-level qualification or certification.
- Minimum 10 years' experience leading an HR function.
- Experience or knowledge of employment in an overseas context, preferably Pacific countries and Timor-Leste.
- Experience as a project HR leader, including project HR set-up, in an agile and adaptive environment.
- Strong generalist HR experience including employee relations, recruitment, team management, coaching and mentoring, with the ability to coach at SLT level.
The successful candidate must complete a police check and due diligence checks as part of Palladium's child-safe commitments.
Closing date: Sunday 18th October 2026 11:59 pm AEST
HOW TO APPLY:
Apply online through the Palladium careers website by clicking the "Apply Now" button. Submit your CV and a cover letter responding to the three application questions (maximum 300 words each). Applications that do not meet this requirement will not be considered. Valid work rights in Australia are required; visa sponsorship is not available. Closing date: 18 October 2026, 11:59 pm AEST.