Senior Manager – People Partnering

Company Description

Fairness feels good

Make a real impact at AFCA. Where fairness drives every decision. Help us deliver world-class, independent complaints resolution for Australians. As a not-for-profit and progressive financial ombudsman, we're championing positive change. Achieving our purpose takes progressive thinking, accountability and resilience. At AFCA, our inclusive leadership values every voice. We offer our people flexible work options, thoughtful benefits and opportunities to deepen expertise. Flourish in a diverse, caring culture. Feel the difference of belonging to an organisation intentionally designed to put people first.

Job Description

As a Senior Manager - People Partnering at AFCA, you'll play a key role in shaping how we bring our people strategy to life. Reporting to the Head of People Partnering & Operations, you'll lead a small team of People Partners and work closely with senior leaders to drive business outcomes through culture, capability, and transformation.

You'll use people insights and data to inform practical people plans, support leaders to build capability, and help create a culture where fairness, accountability, and performance thrive. This role offers the chance to influence at both strategic and operational levels, working across the employee lifecycle and partnering with Centres of Excellence to deliver impact.

In this role you will:

• Partner with senior leaders to align people strategy with business objectives.
• Lead and coach your team, building capability and career growth.
• Provide strategic coaching to leaders, uplifting performance and leadership effectiveness.
• Support cultural transformation and organisational design initiatives.
• Oversee cyclical people processes: engagement, performance, talent, and succession.
• Act as a key escalation point for complex employee relations and case management matters.

Join us on a 12-month max term contract, based in either our Melbourne or Sydney CBD office.

Qualifications

We're looking for an experienced HR professional who brings both strategic thinking and hands-on delivery. You'll have:

• A tertiary qualification in Human Resources or related discipline.
• Extensive HR business partnering or people partnering experience in fast-paced organisations.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Proven capability in coaching leaders and uplifting leadership effectiveness.
• Experience leading cultural transformation and organisational change.
• Solid working knowledge of the Fair Work Act, NES, and Modern Awards.
• Expertise in workforce planning, organisational design, and complex ER matter including investigations.
• Leadership experience in building and mentoring high-performing HR teams.

Additional Information

• BOSS Best Places to Work 2024 – credited for its culture, engagement and flexible working arrangements.
• Most Inclusive Workplace 2024 – Australian HR Institute (AHRI) Awards.
• Employer of Choice Public Sector and NFP – Australian HR Awards 2023
• Silver AWEI Accreditation 2025 – Recognised for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion.
• Accredited Family Friendly Workplace – Supporting work-life balance and inclusivity.
• Hybrid working – Flexible arrangements with state-of-the-art offices designed for collaboration and wellbeing.
• Inclusive leave options – Flexible public holidays, 20 weeks paid parental leave, gender affirmation leave, women's health leave, and paid time off over Christmas.
• Financial benefits – Not-for-profit salary packaging to boost take-home pay.
• Locations – A team of over 1,200 dedicated professionals based in modern Melbourne and Sydney CBD offices.

To apply

If you're passionate about fairness and believe your skills align with this role, we encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every single criterion.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. If you require any accessibility support during the recruitment process, please reach out to our team at

AFCA is a 2025 Circle Back Initiative Employer - we are committed to responding to every applicant.