People and Culture Manager

About the Carlton Football Club

The Carlton Football Club is one of Australia's oldest and most prominent sport institutions. Founded in 1864, the Club's headquarters and training facilities are located in Carlton at IKON Park, our traditional home ground. Our IKON Park redevelopment is now complete, and we are proud of our state-of-the-art facilities that supports our high-performance environment.

We are passionate about our contribution to the Community and foster an inclusive and welcoming culture where our values are at the core of who we are and what we do.

About the Role

Reporting to the General Manager – People, Culture and Community, the People and Culture Manager is a versatile HR generalist dedicated to supporting the Club's most valuable asset – its people.

This role partners with leaders to drive employee engagement and foster a values-led, high-performance culture. Working closely with the General Manager – People, Culture and Community and the Head of People, Culture and Inclusion, the People and Culture Manager will assist to develop, implement, and embed the Club's people plan in alignment with the Club's strategic objectives.

As a key contact for leaders and staff within their portfolio, the role ensures People & Culture (P&C) strategies are integrated across the Club, compliant with legislation, and aligned with stakeholder priorities. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong employee relations and case management experience, providing expert business partnering to senior leaders and staff, building leadership capability, and championing a high-performance environment.

Collaboration with the Head of People, Culture and Inclusion and the People and Culture Advisor is central to this role, supporting all aspects of the P&C lifecycle—including talent acquisition, learning and development, health and wellbeing, employee relations, performance management, work health and safety, and cultural development initiatives.

The ideal candidate will be values-driven, able to balance service, cost, and risk, and comfortable working hands-on within a small and supportive team.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with stakeholders at all levels across the Club.
• Provide expert management advice and coaching to leaders, enhancing leadership capability in line with Club policies, procedures, and legislative requirements.
• Coach individuals and teams to drive engagement, foster a positive culture, and elevate performance, ensuring alignment between Club values, leadership, and conduct.
• Collaborate with internal departments to identify opportunities and design initiatives that improve engagement, performance, and workplace culture.
• Deliver core People & Culture processes within your portfolio, including performance and remuneration reviews, recruitment and onboarding.
• Partner with the General Manager – People, Culture and Community, and the Head of People, Culture and Inclusion to develop, implement, and embed strategic initiatives aligned with the People and Culture Plan and the Club's broader strategic objectives.
• Respond to challenges with agility and pragmatism, shaping effective and practical solutions.
• Champion a positive, approachable, and consultative People & Culture presence throughout the business.
• Support leaders in managing sensitive employee relations matters in accordance with legislative requirements and policies, including performance management, misconduct, grievances, and change management processes.
• If/when required, support the General Manager – People, Culture and Community and the Club's Head of Integrity in managing integrity related matters.
• Lead best practice processes and support hiring managers in coordinating all facets of recruitment activities for your portfolio, including assessment, selection, and appointment processes.
• Support the development and delivery of various OD/L&D initiatives across the Club, including supporting key deliverables as part of the People and Culture plan.
• Develop leadership as a key capability and differentiator for the business.
• Ability to facilitate internal training and focus groups to garner staff input and feedback as required.
• Identify key issues within departments and collaborate with leadership to create and implement tailored solutions that improve engagement and performance.
• Support the implementation of initiatives to address key priorities and focus areas identified through annual engagement survey within portfolio.
• Collaborate with the P&C team to support the development and delivery of projects aligned to the annual People Plan and Club strategic directives.
• Support the delivery of health and wellbeing initiatives across the Club in accordance with the Club's Thrive Together EVP.
• Contribute to the continuous review, development, and enhancement of people-related policies and procedures.
• Support the annual compliance cycle by coordinating mandatory learning modules, AFL education requirements, and ensuring accurate documentation and records management.
• Support the delivery of a range of Club staff events.
• Support the P&C Advisor in the delivery of operational P&C requirements when required.

Experience, Skills and Attributes

• Tertiary qualifications in Human Resources or a related business discipline.
• Demonstrated experience (3-5 years) in partnering with Senior Leaders in a People and Culture Manager or equivalent HR role.
• Proven ability to influence, advise and drive strategic people initiatives.
• Strong generalist P&C experience and knowledge of P&C practices including but not limited to employee relations and case management, recruitment and selection, performance management, organisational development, talent planning, change management, remuneration and OH&S.
• Experience providing support and guidance to senior leaders on people related matters and initiatives.
• Comprehensive understanding and application of industrial frameworks and instruments and experience in managing complex employee relations matters.
• HR systems knowledge (Employment Hero, Culture Amp, SafeTrac) desirable.
• An understanding of the sport and entertainment sector is desirable, but not essential.
• Excellent relationship management capability with demonstrated ability to become a trusted confidante.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines, get involved in the detail and be 'hands on' when required.
• A high level of maturity, always acting with integrity.
• A clear and strong focus on values in day-to-day P&C operations.
• Demonstrated capability in providing excellent internal customer service.
• Ability to guide and coach for outcomes.
• Sound influencing and negotiation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information.

Benefits and Culture

Carlton's values underpin how the Club operates, describing how our people work together, interact and behave. The Club is passionate about its culture, focused on cultivating a unique sense of belonging and connection. In addition, we offer our people flexible working, learning and development opportunities, as well as employee benefits such as membership, café and retail discounts, alongside working in a world-class sporting amenity.

How to Apply

Please submit your current resume and cover letter addressed to the General Manager – People, Culture and Community by 5:00pm Friday 7 November.

The Carlton Football Club is an equal opportunity employer and a place who welcomes all. We encourage people with diverse experiences and backgrounds to apply. This includes, but is not limited to, those from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, and LGBTQIA+ communities. We are committed to fostering a workplace environment which is inclusive, safe, and flexible. All applicants will be considered based on the relevance of their abilities to the role and their alignment with our Club Values.

The Carlton Football Club is committed to providing a welcoming environment where the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our programs, services, activities, events, and the broader community, will always be our first priority. All staff must hold (or be willing to obtain) a current Victorian Working With Children Check as part of their employment with the Club.