People + Culture Manager

What a Typical Week Looks Like
No two weeks are the same, but you can expect to be:

• Partnering with agency leaders on team development, performance, engagement, and day-to-day people needs
• Overseeing the full employee lifecycle – onboarding, probation reviews, performance reviews, learning & development, rewards & recognition, and offboarding
• Managing day-to-day people operations including employment contracts, programs and policies, HR documentation, and employer-sponsored visa processes
• Building and running initiatives that strengthen culture and retention – engagement surveys, wellbeing programs, internal comms, and employer branding support
• Collaborating closely with the global recruiting and resourcing teams to ensure consistent support across the talent lifecycle
• Telling stories through HR data – spotting trends, flagging risks, and surfacing opportunities for action

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced HR professional to genuinely shape culture, people practices, and the employee experience for our Sydney office. Reporting directly to the Managing Director and our Global Chief People Officer, this role balances strategic HR advisory with hands-on operational support in a chaotic,THA creative environment.

You will be the go-to People + Culture partner for Sydney – reading situations quickly, identifying themes before they become issues, and rethinking how traditional HR operates in a non-traditional environment. You believe in a people-centric approach: treating employees like adults and creating policies and programs with humans at the center, not for the sake of compliance.

HR Business Partnering

• Provide effective HR business partner support to all departments
• Communicate HR programs and policies to employees in a consistent, accurate, and accessible way
• Offer counsel, guidance, and support to leaders and employees on employee relations, performance management, employment law compliance, policy interpretation, compensation, and benefits
• Navigate complex employee relations matters in line with the Fair Work Act, National Employment Standards, and company values – maintaining a calm, balanced, and neutral approach

Talent + Development

• Partner with leaders to understand team development and training needs, then find the right tools, resources, and programming
• Provide guidance on talent management strategies that motivate and challenge all team members – from high performers to those needing additional support – to drive development, engagement, and accountability
• Work with leaders to build growth plans for their people: understanding reporting structures, identifying skills, and mapping out next steps within the agency or the wider network

People Operations 

• Maintain accurate employee records and HRIS data, with particular attention to new hires, leaves, terminations, team changes, and department transitions
• Ensure adherence with Fair Work legislation, workplace policies, Modern Awards, and National Employment Standards
• Manage compliant, up-to-date HR processes and documentation including employment contracts, org charts, salary reviews, and employer-sponsored visa processes
• Support payroll-adjacent processes – including employee changes, leave data, and coordination with the Finance team on statutory deductions and superannuation
• Coordinate workers compensation and return-to-work processes where required

Culture + Engagement

• Build and lead people initiatives that strengthen culture and retention – including engagement surveys, wellbeing programs, rewards and recognition schemes, and internal communications
• Provide effective support during the rollout of employee engagement and other talent programs for the Sydney office
• Find ways to connect with people across the agency, get involved in a range of initiatives, and prioritise building genuine rapport and trust at all levels

HR Analytics + Insight

• Use HR data to tell meaningful stories – analysing trends in headcount, turnover, engagement, and performance to surface insights that inform business decisions
• Keep a close eye on all data and information flows across the employee lifecycle to ensure they are communicated and acted on in a timely manner
• Manage market salary data – including submitting data for the annual ACA salary survey

You’ll Thrive in This Role If You…

• Thrive in fast-paced, creative environments where priorities shift and no two days are the same
• Enjoy both the strategic and operational sides of HR – and can shift between them fluidly
• Can work proactively and autonomously as a team of one
• Act with calm, emotional intelligence, communicating confidently and clearly even in ambiguous situations
• Take a proactive, practical, and solutions-focused approach to decision-making
• Can balance employee needs with business priorities – and know when to hold firm on both
• Are highly organised with strong attention to detail and consistent follow-through
• Understand how strong people practices directly support agency performance, retention, and long-term growth

Preferred Qualifications + Experience

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in HR, Business, or a related discipline – or equivalent professional experience
• 5+ years of HR experience in a generalist HR or People + Culture role, ideally within a creative agency or non-traditional workplace
• Strong knowledge of the Fair Work Act, National Employment Standards, Modern Awards, and Australian employment law compliance
• Proven experience across HR operational areas including benefits administration, learning and development, payroll coordination, people analytics, or immigration and mobility
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively at all levels of the business
• High level of discretion and trustworthiness with sensitive and confidential information
• Experience with HRIS or HCM systems – Workday experience is a bonus
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Gmail, and Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Forms)
• Some periodic evening and/or weekend work may occasionally be required
• Some domestic/international travel may be required