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Workplace Relations Partner
- Adelaide (Head Office), SA, Australia, 5000
- Professional Services
- Permanent Full-Time
It's an exciting time to join Uniting Communities. With a new organisational strategy recently launched and a newly established People Experience team, we're reimagining how we partner with leaders, support our workforce, and create positive workplace experiences.
We're seeking an accomplished Workplace Relations Partner to play a pivotal role in this next chapter.
This is more than an opportunity to provide expert employee and industrial relations advice. It's an opportunity to influence how workplace challenges are navigated, strengthen leadership capability and help shape a proactive, contemporary approach to Workplace Relations across one of South Australia's leading not-for-profit organisations.
If you thrive on complex challenges, enjoy influencing outcomes and want your expertise to make a genuine difference, we'd love to hear from you.
Why Join Us?
At Uniting Communities, we believe that how we support our people is fundamental to the difference we make in our communities.
As we bring our new strategy to life, we're strengthening how our People & Assurance function partners with the organisation, with a focus on leadership capability, meaningful workforce experiences and contemporary people practices.
This is an opportunity to:
- Shape something new: Play an influential role in establishing and evolving Workplace Relations practices within our newly formed People Experience team.
- Make an organisational impact: Partner with leaders across a diverse and complex organisation, influencing significant workplace decisions and outcomes.
- Apply your specialist expertise: Take ownership of complex and challenging employee and industrial relations matters where your judgement and experience will make a difference.
- Drive proactive change: Help move Workplace Relations beyond reactive case management towards early intervention, prevention and continuous improvement.
- Build leadership capability: Empower leaders to navigate workplace challenges confidently, fairly and effectively.
- Be part of a supportive team: Work alongside an experienced Workplace Relations Manager as part of our collaborative People Experience team.
You'll also enjoy the benefits of working for a purpose-driven South Australian organisation, including salary packaging opportunities to increase your take-home pay.
About the Role
Reporting to the Workplace Relations Manager, and supported by our Workplace Relations Coordinator, you'll be a trusted specialist partner to leaders across Uniting Communities.
As a senior Workplace Relations practitioner, you'll bring the confidence, expertise and professional judgement to independently lead complex employment matters, navigate industrial challenges and provide practical advice that balances organisational needs, employee experience, and workplace risk.
Importantly, this role is about more than resolving individual matters. You'll help identify emerging risks, influence organisational approaches, and strengthen the capability of our leaders to create fair, respectful, and productive workplaces.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Leading complex employee relations matters, including workplace investigations, performance, conduct, grievances and sensitive employment decisions
- Providing expert interpretation and advice on employment legislation, enterprise agreements, modern awards and industrial obligations
- Contributing specialist expertise to enterprise bargaining, union engagement, industrial disputes and negotiations
- Partnering with leaders through organisational change, consultation, restructures and complex workforce decisions
- Coaching and influencing leaders to strengthen their confidence, judgement and accountability in managing people matters
- Identifying emerging industrial and employment risks and recommending practical, proactive solutions
- Using workplace relations insights to influence organisational policies, frameworks and continuous improvement initiatives
You'll have the opportunity to work across a broad and diverse service environment, where no two days are the same and your expertise will directly contribute to organisational outcomes.
About You
We're looking for a confident, credible and solutions-focused Workplace Relations professional who brings both technical depth and the ability to influence.
You're someone who can navigate complexity, challenge thinking constructively, and build trusted relationships with leaders. You understand that effective Workplace Relations isn't simply about managing risk or applying legislation. It's about using sound judgement to achieve fair, practical, and sustainable outcomes.
To be successful, you'll bring:
- Considerable specialist experience in employee and industrial relations within a complex organisational environment
- Strong contemporary knowledge of Australian employment legislation, modern awards, enterprise agreements and industrial relations practices
- Demonstrated experience independently managing complex employee relations matters, investigations and organisational change
- Sound professional judgement and the confidence to provide clear, balanced and risk-informed recommendations
- Highly developed relationship-building, coaching and influencing skills, including the ability to constructively challenge senior leaders
- A proactive mindset, with the ability to identify broader workplace issues and contribute to improvements in organisational practice
- Relevant tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Employment Relations, Industrial Relations, Law or a related discipline, or equivalent significant professional experience
Experience with enterprise bargaining, union engagement or working in complex, highly regulated environments will be highly regarded.
A National Police Check and current unrestricted South Australian Driver's Licence are required.
About Uniting Communities
Uniting Communities is a leading South Australian not-for-profit organisation supporting more than 80,000 people annually. We are committed to creating inclusive communities where every person feels respected, valued and empowered to live their best life.
Ready to Apply?
If you're ready to take your Workplace Relations expertise beyond traditional advisory work and help shape the future of People Experience at Uniting Communities, this could be your next opportunity.
Join us at an exciting time of organisational change, where your expertise, perspective and influence will help strengthen how we support our leaders, our people and the communities we serve.
Apply today and be part of shaping what's next at Uniting Communities.
Uniting Communities is an equal opportunity employer committed to a safe, inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.