People And Culture Manager

Lead People. Shape Culture. Make a Difference.

Are you ready to lead the People and Culture function of one of North Queensland's leading aged care organisations while enjoying an exceptional lifestyle?

At Good Shepherd Lodge Ltd, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As a respected not-for-profit aged care provider, we're committed to delivering exceptional care to older Australians while creating a workplace where our employees feel valued, supported and empowered to thrive.

We're seeking an experienced People & Culture Manager to join our Executive Leadership Team and play a pivotal role in shaping our workforce, strengthening organisational culture and driving strategic people initiatives across our residential aged care, retirement living, home care and allied health services.

Based in Mackay, you'll enjoy the best of both worlds—an outstanding career and an enviable lifestyle. Surrounded by stunning beaches, national parks and the Whitsunday Islands, Mackay offers affordable living, excellent schools, a welcoming community and endless opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, all without the congestion of a capital city.

About the Role

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, you will lead the People and Culture function across the organisation and provide strategic and operational leadership in all aspects of human resources, industrial relations and workforce capability.

As a trusted advisor to the Executive Team, you will help shape organisational strategy while ensuring our people practices support exceptional care outcomes and compliance with the Aged Care Quality Standards.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement the organisation's People and Culture strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Provide expert advice to the Executive Team on workforce planning, organisational design, culture and change management.
• Lead initiatives that enhance employee engagement, wellbeing, leadership capability and retention.

Workforce Planning & Talent

• Lead workforce planning, recruitment and onboarding across the organisation.
• Develop innovative attraction and retention strategies to address workforce shortages.
• Drive succession planning and leadership development.
• Monitor workforce trends including vacancies, turnover and recruitment performance.

Industrial Relations & Enterprise Bargaining

• Provide expert advice on the Fair Work Act, Modern Awards and Enterprise Agreements.
• Lead enterprise bargaining strategy, negotiations and implementation for our two Agreements
• Build productive relationships with unions and employee representatives.
• Represent the organisation in Fair Work Commission matters and industrial disputes.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with industrial legislation and employment obligations.

Employee Relations

• Coach and support leaders in managing employee relations matters.
• Lead complex workplace investigations, grievance management and workplace mediation.
• Manage performance, disciplinary and termination processes while ensuring procedural fairness and natural justice.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure compliance with employment legislation, industrial instruments and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain contemporary HR policies and governance frameworks.
• Support workforce compliance for accreditation and audit activities.

Learning & Organisational Development

• Lead leadership development and organisational capability initiatives.
• Oversee mandatory training compliance and professional development programs.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning across the organisation.

Culture & Wellbeing

• Champion initiatives that promote a positive, inclusive and values-driven workplace culture.
• Lead employee engagement surveys and action planning.
• Drive wellbeing initiatives and psychosocial risk management.

Workforce Reporting

• Oversee HR systems, workforce analytics and reporting.
• Prepare Executive and Board reports on workforce performance, recruitment, turnover, absenteeism, training compliance, workers' compensation and industrial relations.
• Use workforce data to identify trends, risks and opportunities.

About You

You are an experienced and commercially minded HR leader who enjoys influencing organisational outcomes through people.

You will bring:

• Demonstrated experience in a senior Human Resources or People & Culture leadership role.
• Significant experience in industrial relations, employee relations and enterprise bargaining.
• Strong knowledge of the Fair Work Act, Modern Awards and employment legislation.
• Experience leading complex workplace investigations and managing disciplinary processes.
• Proven ability to coach and influence senior leaders.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management abilities.
• Tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business or a related discipline.

Experience within aged care, health or another highly regulated industry will be highly regarded.

Why Join Good Shepherd Lodge?

At Good Shepherd Lodge you'll have the opportunity to make a genuine impact on both our workforce and the lives of older Australians.

We offer:

• Executive leadership position reporting directly to the CEO.
• Opportunity to lead organisational strategy and culture.
• Competitive remuneration package.
• Supportive Executive Leadership Team.
• Meaningful work in a respected not-for-profit organisation.
• Professional development opportunities.
• The opportunity to live and work in beautiful Mackay.

If you're passionate about developing great leaders, building high-performing teams and creating exceptional employee experiences, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply now and help us build a workplace where every person is valued, every contribution matters, and together we make a meaningful difference every day.