About Flinders

Our bold vision, captured in our Strategic Plan: making a Difference: The 2025 Agenda, is to be internationally recognised as a world leader in research, an innovator in contemporary education, and the source of Australia’s most enterprising graduates.

To realise this ambition, we recently made a significant organisation change to a six College structure with a professional staff and services alignment.

We recognise the key to our success is exceptional people and we’re seeking an outstanding individual to join the team of our transformed university.

Employment Type:
Fixed Term (Fixed Term)

Position Summary
Fixed-term, full-time available until 30 November 2021

Compensation Grade:
Higher Education Officer Level 8

Salary Range:
$98,466 - $109,009 pa

Reporting to:
Associate Director, Business Partnering

People and Culture

Under broad direction, the position provides a high level People and Culture (P&C) business partnering service to senior management, supervisors and staff in an allocated University College and/or Portfolios, on a broad range of issues.

This includes, but is not limited to; case management including performance management and employee relations matters, workforce planning and recruitment, position classification/re-classification, organisational restructure and change management, training and development of staff and policy development and review. The position will provide strategic support on P&C matters to College/Portfolio leadership teams.

The position has direct supervision of a People and Culture Coordinator.

Key Position Responsibilities

The People & Culture Business Partner will be accountable for:

1. Working in partnership with senior University managers in the allocated College/Portfolios to provide strategic advice and consultancy services on all aspects of P&C and industrial relations matters.
2. Building effective relationships across the allocated College/Portfolios and attending forums/meetings/committees where necessary in order to provide strategic P&C advice.
3. Working with College/Portfolio leadership to ensure that appropriate Performance Review and Development processes are in place for all staff.
4. Undertaking high-level/complex case management in accordance with University policies and legislative requirements in order to achieve outcomes that are both industrially sound and appropriate. Casework activities may include:
   • providing advice and support to managers regarding the management of unsatisfactory performance and/or misconduct issues in the workplace;
   • facilitating the resolution of complaints or disputes;
   • conducting both informal and formal investigations;
   • writing formal reports with recommendations to senior University managers up to, and including the Vice-Chancellor, regarding the resolution of a matter; and
   • implementing disciplinary action as appropriate in consultation with the Associate Director, Business Partnering.
5. Contributing to the University’s business and workforce planning initiatives by:
   • providing strategic advice in the planning, implementation and evaluation of significant change management initiatives such as formal reviews and restructuring within the allocated College/Portfolios;
   • providing advice/options with respect to future recruitment and/or staff retirement initiatives;
   • managing redundancies and/or redeployment activities as required;
   • involvement in high level recruitment activities as required; and
   • negotiating and corresponding with union representatives on a broad range of employee relations matters and representing the University in external forums as required.
6. Effective co-ordination of University academic promotion rounds and/or other similar University-wide processes, including the provision of executive support to University committees and working parties where required.
7. Planning, developing and delivering a range of University-wide training programs and information sessions on a range of matters relevant to effective people and culture practices.
8. Supervision of a People and Culture Coordinator.
9. Working in close collaboration with other P&C Business Partners to ensure consistency of service and leave coverage. Business Partners will be required to change College/Portfolios allocations from time to time.
10. Represent the P&C Division on relevant projects as required and to promote and communicate P&C policies, processes and to proactively drive business improvements in P&C service delivery and initiatives.
11. Any other responsibilities in line with the level of the role as assigned by the Supervisor and/or the University.

Key Position Capabilities

• A relevant tertiary qualification with experience working in a Human Resources (HR) role at a senior advisory level, and/or, extensive relevant experience in HR at a senior advisory/business partner level.
• Extensive professional knowledge/experience of:
  • contemporary HR management policies and practices including change management;
  • industrial agreements e.g. awards and enterprise agreements; legislative requirements as applicable to the workplace;
  • HR/ER case management.
• Demonstrated ability to work at a strategic level in partnership with senior managers including the ability to work with a high level of initiative and decision-making.
• Demonstrated experience in the independent and effective management of significant industrial matters including conflict resolution and/or performance management.
• Demonstrated high level problem solving, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee classification and re-classification processes and organisational change processes.
• Demonstrated high level oral communication skills including well developed presentation skills and the ability to liaise effectively with a diverse range of people both internal and external to the organisation.
• Demonstrated evidence of well-developed organisational and time management skills.
• Demonstrated high level written communication skills including the ability to independently prepare effective briefing papers, reports and recommendations to senior University managers to a high professional standard.
• Demonstrated strong commitment to customer service and ability to form high level partnerships with senior clients.
• Demonstrated competency in use of the Microsoft Office suite of applications, internet and email.
• Post-graduate qualifications in HR or a related area (desirable).
• Experience and/or a demonstrated understanding of the current issues facing the higher education sector.

For application enquiries please contact: Mrs Michelle Gill

Information for Applicants:

You are required to provide a suitability statement of no more than three pages, addressing the key capabilities of the position as outlined above. In addition, you are required to upload your CV.

A valid National Police Certificate which is satisfactory to the University will also be required before the successful applicant can commence in this position.

We are seeking to increase the diversity to improve equal opportunity outcomes for employees, and therefore we encourage female applicants, people with a disability and/or from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders descent to apply.

Please note, late applications and applications sent via agencies will not be accepted.

Applications Close 11:59 pm:

21 Jun 2021