Industrial Relations

About our role:

The Industrial Relations Project Manager will lead the end-to-end planning, execution, and delivery of strategic programs that strengthen industrial relations and compliance across the organization. Reporting to the National Industrial Relations Manager within the Human Resources – IR division, this role ensures alignment with regulatory frameworks, organizational policies, and strategic objectives while driving operational efficiency and embedding cultural, process, and systems change.

You will work collaboratively with cross-functional teams while managing stakeholder engagement, governance, risk, and reporting. Operating with a high degree of autonomy and significant judgement, you will oversee compliance with the Fair Work Act, enterprise agreements, and other industrial instruments. In addition, you will design and implement training and communication strategies, monitor project progress, and maintain audit readiness and policy alignment.

Responsibilities include:

• Lead the end-to-end planning and delivery of the Industrial Relations and Compliance Programs.
• Develop and lead stakeholder engagement ensuring organizational readiness for the programs.
• Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, budgets, and resource allocations.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams including HR, Legal, Operations, external consultants and unions.
• Ensure compliance with Fair Work Act, enterprise agreement and other relevant industrial instruments.
• Monitor and report on project progress, risks, and outcomes to senior leadership.
• Support the business to embed cultural, process and systems changes directed at compliance.
• Oversee documentation, audit readiness, and policy alignment.
• Support the development and implementation of training and communication strategies.
  

About you:

This role requires a strategic and proactive leader with deep expertise in organizational change and project management, particularly within industrial relations, HR, or compliance. Candidates must have:

• a Bachelor's degree in Project Management, Industrial Relations, Law, or HR.
• 5–7 years' experience in change management or project management within IR, HR, or compliance environments.
• strong technical knowledge of Australian industrial relations legislation and regulatory requirements.
• proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects with high attention to detail and organizational skills.
• proficiency in project management tools and methodologies, and extensive experience with governance, risk, and compliance frameworks.
• excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and change management skills, with a high EQ.
• a strategic mindset, focused on risk management, continuous improvement, and best practice.

Your success will come from your ability to deliver expert advice, drive compliance, facilitate training, and embed lasting change across the business. 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 role is perfect for professionals eager to leverage their expertise in industrial relations, compliance, and change management while driving meaningful outcomes for a leading dairy business. If you're motivated to make an impact and committed to growing your career, we'd love to hear from you

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