Senior Manager Industrial Relations - Contract
- Location:
- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Posted:
- 24th February 2026
- Advertiser:
- Hays - ANZ - 2982715
- 12 month contract
- Immediate Start
- Education sector
Your new company
An established education institute is seeking a seasoned Senior Manager, Industrial Relations, to lead a high‑performing team and drive effective workplace relations strategies. This organisation is undergoing continuous development and requires a strong leader to shape policy, support people leaders, and influence organisational outcomes.
Your new role
As Senior Manager, Industrial Relations, you will lead a team responsible for delivering high‑quality workplace relations advice, ensuring consistent application of enterprise agreements, policies, and industrial instruments. Working with senior leadership, you will develop and implement strategies that support prevention, early intervention, and effective resolution of workplace relations issues.
- Lead the resolution of workplace relations matters, managing your own caseload and acting as an escalation point.
- Provide strategic and operational industrial relations advice to senior leaders.
- Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the organisation, including HR, legal, and operational teams.
- Partner in union engagement and represent the organisation when required.
- Oversee the development, review and improvement of workplace relations policies, frameworks, and systems.
- Lead, develop and mentor a team of workplace relations specialists to foster high performance.
- Contribute to talent management, workforce planning, and organisational capability uplift.
- Manage ad‑hoc projects aligned with workplace relations and organisational strategy.
What you'll need to succeed
- Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline, or equivalent experience.
- Extensive experience in workplace relations, industrial relations, HR strategy, or related specialist functions within a complex environment.
- Strong capability in managing complex cases, conducting investigations, and preparing high‑quality reports.
- Proven leadership experience, including mentoring, coaching, and performance development of staff.
- Excellent communication, negotiation and mediation skills.
- Sound judgement, resilience, and the ability to navigate complex industrial settings.
- Demonstrated ability to build productive internal and external stakeholder relationships.
What you'll get in return
- A senior leadership role with strategic influence across the organisation.
- Opportunity to shape workplace relations practices and drive improvement initiatives.
- Supportive leadership, professional development opportunities, and a collaborative culture.
What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or email jessica.collinson@hays.com.au.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion on your career.
