| SES BAND 1 | NATIONAL LEADERSHIP ROLE |
SYDNEY, MELBOURNE OR CANBERRA
OUR CLIENT
The Federal Court of Australia Entity is the administrative organisation that employs staff under the Public Service Act 1999 (Cth) to provide support to one or more of the following courts or tribunal: the Federal Court of Australia (FCA), the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Divisions 1 and 2) (FCFCOA), and the National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT).
The Chief Executive Office and Principal Registrar of the Federal Court of Australia Entity and is responsible for the delivery of corporate services to the FCA, FCFCOA and NNTT. Corporate Services includes financial management, information technology, human resources management, property and facilities management, risk management, contract administration, communications and information management systems.
The Branch Head, People & Payroll sits within the Corporate Services Division, delivering core enabling services across people, payroll and corporate operations. The role leads a multidisciplinary function covering workforce strategy, employee relations, payroll, people data, WHS, recruitment and organisational psychology, supporting national operations and organisational performance.
THE OPPORTUNITY
| Lead People & Payroll Functions | Drive Workforce Strategy | Advise at Executive Level |
The Branch Head, People and Payroll leads the Entity’s workforce strategy and core people functions, including Strategic Workforce Management, Employee Relations, Payroll, People Data, WHS, Recruitment and Organisational Psychology. The role ensures high-quality HR services, robust governance, and evidence-driven workforce planning. It provides authoritative advice to senior leaders, strengthens organisational capability, and supports a safe, inclusive and high-performing workplace.
This is a Senior Executive Service (SES Band 1) role responsible for leading the People and Payroll Branch across a complex, national organisation. The role combines strategic leadership with operational accountability across workforce strategy, employment governance, payroll, people data and organisational capability.
You will provide authoritative advice to senior leaders while ensuring the delivery of high-quality, compliant and data-driven people services.
THE ROLE
Reporting to the Executive Director, Corporate Services, this role leads a national function responsible for people, payroll and workforce management.
Key responsibilities include:
* Leading the People and Payroll Branch across all core functions
* Driving enterprise workforce strategy, planning and capability development
* Overseeing payroll, HR systems and people data governance
* Providing expert advice on workforce, employment and culture matters
* Leading organisational design and workforce reform initiatives
* Ensuring compliance with APS employment frameworks, IR and WHS
* Managing resources, performance, risk and capability across the branch
* Building strong relationships with senior leaders, unions and external stakeholders
ABOUT YOU
You are an experienced senior HR leader with strong exposure to payroll and workforce systems in a complex environment.
You will demonstrate:
* Proven experience leading multidisciplinary people functions at scale
* Strong strategic capability across workforce planning and organisational design
* Deep understanding of APS or comparable employment frameworks, IR and WHS
* Experience overseeing payroll, HR systems and workforce data
* Highly developed stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
* Sound judgement and ability to manage sensitive and high-risk matters
* Experience operating in complex, regulated or government environments is highly regarded
* Must be an Australian citizen and able to obtain and maintain an NV1 security clearance.
WHY THIS ROLE
* Lead a critical national people and payroll function
* Influence workforce strategy across a complex judicial environment
* Work closely with senior executive leadership
* Drive meaningful organisational and workforce reform
HOW TO APPLY
To apply, please follow the link and submit your application via the Federal Court of Australia Entity’s careers portal: https://fcajobs.nga.net.au/?jati=C4699E5A-C146-9437-A605-ECD8A2EA1C6E
As part of your application, you will be required to:
* Complete the online application form
* Submit a current resume
* Provide a cover letter addressing the selection criteria
For a confidential discussion or to request a copy of the Position Description, please contact Helen on 0438 620 *** or email *****@csexecgroup.com.
Applications close Friday 15 May 2026 at 11:59pm (AEST)