Industrial Relations Specialist

About our role:

This role will play a pivotal part in providing expert industrial relations advice and driving compliance across national IR projects. Working within the Human Resources – IR division, you'll manage stakeholder engagement, audits, and educational initiatives to ensure enterprise agreement and award compliance throughout the business.

The scope of your work spans cross-functional teams, including site management, HR partners, payroll, and union representatives, requiring strong collaboration and communication skills. You'll operate with high autonomy and significant judgement, influencing operational decisions and regulatory outcomes. 

Responsibilities include:

• Provide specialist IR advice for enterprise agreement interpretation and application to the project and broader human resources team. 
• Develop and implement the audit framework for all waged instruments across the Lactalis business.
• Manage the audit process for all waged workers at Lactalis, including coverage, classification and entitlements.
• Provide advice on IR compliance including recommendations for pay rules, calculation of entitlements in accordance with the Fair Work Act and best practice guidelines.
• Provide strategic IR advice for EA negotiations with a focus on future compliance and efficiency
• Provide IR and compliance advice for continuous improvement and ongoing compliance.
• Manage stakeholder engagement with sites, management and union representatives
• ·Develop and deliver training and educational resources directed at uplifting the capability of the human resource managers and site leadership for industrial relations and compliance.

About you:

The Industrial Relations Specialist role requires a blend of leadership, technical expertise, and strategic thinking. Candidates must have:

• a Bachelor's degree in Law or Human Resources (a postgraduate qualification in Law is highly regarded).
• 5–7 years' professional experience in Industrial Relations or Workplace Law.
• strong technical skills in interpreting and applying complex industrial instruments and enterprise agreements, as well as managing multifaceted projects with high autonomy and significant judgement.
• excellent stakeholder management, clear communication, and strategic thinking.
• clear and confident communication, along with strong organizational and planning abilities.
• a strategic mindset focused on continuous improvement and best practice.
• a proactive, pragmatic, and transparent approach to challenges and decision-making.
• commitment to the values of ambition, engagement, and simplicity.
• dedication to excellence, accountability, and collaborative problem-solving.

Success in this role will come from your ability to deliver expert industrial relations advice, oversee compliance audits, facilitate training, and contribute to enterprise agreement negotiations. You approach your work with initiative, practicality, and openness, consistently demonstrating ambition, engagement, and simplicity. Your dedication to high standards, accountability, and collaborative problem-solving will help achieve positive results for both the business and its people.

This opportunity is ideal for someone seeking to establish a solid career foundation while making a meaningful contribution to a leading dairy organization. If you're passionate about creating impact and keen to develop professionally, we encourage you to apply

Our story:

Ours is a STORY of a family business created by the Besnier Family in 1933 and is today the worlds' No. 1 dairy company. We are 85,000 loyal team members working across 100 countries and together we create the #LactalisExperience.​

Lactalis Australia's iconic and heritage brands are our PASSION, providing quality and nutritious products for all Australians. We are humble, proud and resilient. We care for our employees, land, farmers and consumers, which is our driving purpose to ensure a responsible and sustainable dairy industry. ​

We take pride in developing our internal talent and encourage entrepreneurship by bringing together pragmatic and tenacious personalities. Our accountability ensures we have ownership within our roles and with our EXPERTISE and dairy "know how", sets us apart.

Lactalis is a supporter of reducing barriers that exist due to traditional working practices and therefore flexible work arrangements will be considered for this role.

We are an equal opportunity employer and we encourage applications from people regardless of gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs or ability.

If you are ready to join the #LactalisExperience Apply now