Manager Industrial Relations

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Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the north-east of Melbourne and statewide. We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our goal to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives. 

About Workplace Relations

The Workplace Relations team is a specialist centre of expertise that leads the governance and compliance of workplace relations obligations.  It includes risk management advisory services on all things related to the employment relationship including HR systems design, HR policy and processes, interpretation of employment entitlements and provision of case management support services for Austin Health Managers and employees on workplace employment related issues. 

About the role 

You will have accountability for designing, implementing and operating an enterprise-wide governance framework for workplace relations and pay compliance obligations, partnering closely with HR Systems, Payroll, HR Operations, Enterprise Risk, and Legal to ensure compliance obligations are translated into effective controls, monitored over time, and remediated where issues emerge. You will be a trusted advisor to senior leaders, HR People Partners and the broader People & Culture team, and engage constructively with unions and employee representatives.

About you 

To be successful in this role, you'll bring with you:

• Demonstrated experience as a seasoned industrial relations professional, operating in a unionised environment with a large complex workforce.
• Strong working knowledge of Australia’s industrial relations system.
• Experience managing the investigation and resolution of difficult, complex or high-profile industrial relations issues within a large organisation.
• Demonstrated experience establishing and operating compliance governance frameworks and controls, including leading remediation activity.
• Proven ability to engage, build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.

Our benefits 

Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day. Our people also receive a variety of rewarding benefits, including: 

• Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging, for living expenses, meals, and holiday accommodation. 
• A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounted fitness memberships and special offers on health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program. 
• Onsite childcare at Austin Hospital, easy access via public transport and car parking options. 
• Mentoring and career development opportunities. 

Work with us! 

We are committed to cultural safety and health equity for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People. We celebrate, value, and include people of all backgrounds, genders, identities, cultures, bodies, and abilities. We welcome and support applications from talented people identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, people with disability, neurodiverse people, LGBTQIA+ and people of all ages and cultures. 

If you feel this role is right for you, we encourage your early application. Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. What matters most is your passion, your drive and your willingness to learn and contribute. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place prior to the closing date. This means we reserve the right to close a job ad prior to the advertised closing date. 

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory National Police Check and if required, a Working With Children Check. Austin Health is a child safe organisation, committed to upholding the rights, safety, and wellbeing of children and young people in line with Child Safe Standards. If you require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, you are welcome to reach out to the hiring manager: Gus Lancaster, Director Workplace Relations at Gus.Lancaster@austin.org.au

Interested in finding out more about this opportunity? Read the position description for further details. 

Application closing date: Sunday 4 October 2026