Senior People and Culture Advisor

Overview

Whittens is an Australian owned and operated multidisciplined civil construction company with national presence and over 24 years' experience. We partner with major Infrastructure, Mining, Oil and Gas and Defence clients, delivering large scale and technically complex concrete construction, roadworks, earthworks, NPI and piping works projects. Our mission, as an agile and people-centric business, is to be the market leader in civil contracting, achieving sustainable growth through high performing people who safely deliver successful project outcomes for our clients.

Due to growth, we are currently recruiting a Senior People and Culture Advisor to join our team.

Are you a seasoned HR professional who thrives on building strong relationships and making things happen?

Reporting to the Head of People and Culture, the Senior People and Culture Advisor will be our 'go-to' expert for all employment and industrial relations matters nationwide, with a core focus on our East Coast Operations. This is a hands-on role for a self-starter with the confidence to navigate complex workplace matters, the drive to deliver HR excellence, and the enthusiasm to spend time on the ground connecting with our people.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Operational Leaders to provide best-practice HR/IR advice across the full spectrum of employment and industrial relations matters.
• Act as the primary point of contact for industrial matters, including Enterprise Agreement negotiation and interpretation, and managing union access across sites.
• Coach and upskill Operational Leaders on best-practice approaches to managing employee and industrial matters.
• Manage and resolve HR/IR issues, including grievances, disciplinary matters, investigations, and hearings.
• Drive cultural change through the execution and delivery of strategic HR initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with legislative requirements and proactively mitigate associated risks.
• Work closely with the Head of People and Culture on HR cyclical activities, including performance review cycles, remuneration reviews, and bonus schemes.
• Contribute to the Employee Value Proposition to ensure Whittens remains a great place to work.
• Review and update HR policies and procedures; lead initiatives that enhance employee engagement and well-being.
• Support Pre-Contracts by compiling HR management plans and providing relevant HR/ER/IR information for tenders.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience in a similar role within a comparable industry.
• Strong and proven expertise in Industrial and Employment Relations — essential.
• A proactive, self-starter with a hands-on approach to supporting Operations.
• Tertiary qualifications in Human Resources or a related field — preferred.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to partner effectively, influence stakeholders, and drive engagement.
• Highly organised, with outstanding time management and planning capabilities.

What Whittens Offer

• Generous and competitive salary package paid weekly
• High-Performing and collaborative HR team
• Work amongst engaged leaders
• Safety being at the forefront of everything we do
• Novated Lease options
• Employment Assistance Programme
• Flexible work conditions
• Long term permanent role and the opportunity to work on a range of projects across Australia

Whittens is committed to workplace diversity. We support women in civil construction, champion Indigenous partnerships and encourage people of all cultural backgrounds to apply.

Please note that this role is being sourced through Whittens directly and we will not accept applications via external recruitment agencies.

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Human Resources

Industries

• Construction

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