Synopsis
* Join an ambitious and newly uplifted People, Culture and Safety team
* Lead a high impact people partnering model across Team Melbourne
* $195K - $220K TRP (negotiable, dependent on experience)
About The Role
The Head of People Partnering & Workplace Relations is a critical enterprise leader who sets the benchmark for people support is delivered at the City of Melbourne. You will lead a high-impact, tiered people partnering model, ensuring Advisers, Business Partners and Senior Business Partners and the Volunteer Programs Lead work as a cohesive, high-performing team that delivers timely, consistent and exceptional support to the organisation.
This role is both operationally strong and strategically influential. You will guide leaders through day-to-day people matters, organisational change, performance and capability uplift, while stewarding complex ER/IR matters with sound judgement, composure and credibility.
The role has direct accountability for the organisational approach to volunteer engagement through leadership of the Volunteer Programs Lead. This ensures volunteers across CoM are supported within a safe, inclusive, well-governed framework - strengthening community engagement, enhancing service delivery, and embedding CoM's commitment to an empowered, values-driven volunteering culture.
You will coach, challenge and enable leaders, building their confidence, capability and accountability. Your will ensure that high-risk and complex matters are managed lawfully, respectfully and with psychologically safety at the forefront.
Impact
* Lead a tiered People Partnering model that delivers timely, high-quality and consistent support across the organisation.
* Strengthen organisational confidence in people advice by improving service standards, reducing rework and creating clear, reliable escalation pathways.
* Drive successful enterprise agreement negotiations that achieve fair, sustainable and strategically aligned outcomes.
* Proactively manage workplace relations risk through early intervention, disciplined governance and evidence-based advice.
* Provide authoritative leadership on complex ER/IR cases, ensuring matters are managed lawfully, fairly and with care for all involved.
* Build strong, trusted relationships with executives, people leaders and employee representatives, enabling constructive and respectful industrial engagement.
* Enable leaders to confidently manage performance, conduct, conflict, change and wellbeing — building capability rather than dependency.
* Lead the Volunteer Programs Lead to deliver consistent governance, safe systems, reliable data, and inclusive practices across all volunteer programs.
* Strengthen the volunteering experience across CoM by supporting better processes, improved capability for volunteer supervisors, and alignment to legislative and organisational requirements.
* Create a People Partnering & Workplace Relations function recognised for its strategic value, professionalism and practical impact on culture, safety and organisational performance.
Who We Are. How We Make a Difference.
People, Culture and Safety (PCS) exists to empower our people, leaders and volunteers to be safe, capable and inspired, so the city can flourish today and into 2050. We champion physical, psychological and cultural safety; build a values driven, high performance organisation; and uplift capability and leadership grounded in courage, care and accountability.
By transforming the employee experience, embedding inclusion and belonging, and using data to guide evidence-based decisions, PCS supports Team Melbourne and the city itself to connect and thrive.
Why join Team Melbourne?
Located on the traditional lands of the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation, Melbourne is globally recognised as one of the most liveable, diverse, and dynamic cities.
At the
heart
of it all is the
City of Melbourne
– a passionate, purpose-driven organisation where your work truly matters. As part of
Team Melbourne
, you'll help deliver what's most important to the people who live, work, study, visit and invest in our great city.
We're proud champions of diversity, committed to continuous improvement, and driven by a shared vision for a vibrant and sustainable future.
This is more than just a role – it's your chance to
make a real impact
, contribute to something bigger, and shape Melbourne's future alongside a collaborative and forward-thinking team.
About You
This is an amazing opportunity for an experienced people leader, to add value in a for purpose environment – you will bring:
* Extensive experience leading people partnering and workplace relations functions within a large, complex organisation.
* Highly developed ER/IR expertise, including end-to-end leadership of enterprise agreement negotiations, multi-stakeholder bargaining and dispute resolution.
* Demonstrated experience representing organisations in Fair Work Commission proceedings, including conciliations, mediations and hearings.
* Strong capability in managing high-risk, complex and sensitive employee matters, including misconduct, performance, grievance, industrial action and organisational change.
* A proven ability to uplift service models, improving responsiveness, consistency and quality of people support across an enterprise.
* Exceptional relationship-building skills, with the credibility to act as a trusted adviser to executives, directors and senior leaders.
* The ability to balance risk, pragmatism and care, applying sound judgement in fast-moving and high-pressure environments.
* Experience leading and developing high-performing people partnering teams, with clear accountabilities, escalation pathways and standards.
Benefits Of Working With Us
* Attractive remuneration & benefits: Excellent pay package with a range of exciting benefits. Flexible working, study assistance & other great corporate discounts.
* Excellent leave entitlements: Enjoy up to 20 weeks of fully paid parental leave for primary carers, in addition to the government-funded parental leave, with no waiting period to access.
* Career progression: Career development support and opportunities to learn new skills within a creative and exciting environment.
* Work-life balance and hybrid working: We support flexible hours, alternative work arrangements, and hybrid work-from-home options.
How To Apply
We'd love to hear how you can make an impact in this role As part of your application, you will be required to:
* Attach your updated resume
* Include a cover letter (max one page) outlining your relevant experience and why you're a great fit for this role.
Submit your application no later than 11:45pm on
Sunday, February 1, 2026.
A few important things to note – don't miss out
* Applications must be submitted online. Unfortunately, we can't accept applications via email, so please be sure to apply through the official job link provided.
* Apply early This role may close sooner than the listed closing date if we find the right candidate — so don't wait to get your application in.
* We are a child safe organisation. The City of Melbourne has a zero tolerance for child abuse. All employees undergo thorough safety screening, including a Police Check and, for most roles, a Working with Children Check.
Need more info?
Refer to the position description below or contact Jo Giannini – Chief People Officer,
Inclusion matters
We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds, people with disabilities, LGBTIQA+ individuals, and people of all ages and faith backgrounds.
We provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to support all applicants. If you require any adjustments, please let us know via the application prompts or inform our Careers team if you're contacted for an interview.