Workplace Relations Manager

About Us

For more than 40 years, ACESGroup has been at the forefront of security innovation, combining operational excellence with in-house developed technology to set new standards in safety, service, and performance.

We are a leading national provider of integrated security services, protecting a diverse portfolio of public and private facilities. Our personnel keep communities safe across commercial buildings, public precincts, aviation facilities, education institutes, parklands, technology precincts, and major sporting and entertainment venues.

Our technology-first approach ensures every team member is supported by intelligent systems that simplify reporting, enhance communication, and strengthen safety outcomes.

At ACESGroup, we do not just offer jobs: we build long-term careers within a company that is redefining what security looks like in a digital world.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Workplace Relations Manager to take a senior, hands-on role within our People function, with a particular focus on industrial relations, employee relations, performance management and workplace compliance.

Based at our Redfern Services Support Centre, you will work closely with senior leaders and operational managers across the organisation, providing practical and commercially focused HR and IR advice in a fast-paced, highly operational environment.

This is a senior role that combines strategic workplace relations expertise with direct, hands-on delivery. You will provide high-level advice and contribute to workplace relations strategy, while also personally managing the detailed work required to progress matters and deliver outcomes.

You will take ownership of matters from initial assessment through to resolution. This includes personally conducting workplace investigations, managing performance, conduct and disciplinary processes, preparing correspondence and documentation, reviewing evidence, interpreting enterprise agreements and other industrial instruments, advising and coaching managers, engaging directly with employees and representatives, and ensuring matters are progressed and followed through.

The scope of the role is broad and varied. On any given day, you may be managing a performance or conduct matter, preparing documentation for a disciplinary process, conducting an investigation, advising a manager on an award or enterprise agreement issue, responding to an employee grievance or workplace claim, supporting organisational change, or preparing for a Fair Work Commission matter. You will also have meaningful involvement in enterprise bargaining, industrial disputes, consultation and broader workplace relations strategy.

Success in this role requires someone who can move comfortably between the strategic and the operational. You may be advising senior leadership on a complex industrial issue one moment and then personally preparing the documentation, conducting the meetings and managing the process required to bring that matter to resolution.

This is an opportunity for an experienced ER/IR practitioner who thrives on being close to the business and taking ownership of matters from start to finish. You will have the autonomy to provide senior-level advice while remaining directly involved in the work, giving you genuine influence over workplace outcomes across the organisation.

 Key Responsibilities

In this role, you will:

• Act as the organisation’s senior subject matter expert on employee relations, industrial relations and workplace relations matters;
• Provide strategic, practical and commercially focused advice to executives, senior leaders and operational managers on complex and high-risk ER/IR matters;
• Personally manage complex performance, misconduct, disciplinary, grievance and termination matters from initial assessment through to resolution, ensuring procedural fairness and appropriate risk management;
• Personally conduct and manage workplace investigations, including preparing allegations, gathering and assessing evidence, conducting interviews, making findings and recommendations, and preparing outcome documentation;
• Prepare clear, professional and defensible workplace relations documentation, including meeting correspondence, allegations, warnings, performance documentation, investigation findings, outcome letters, termination documentation and other employment-related correspondence;
• Interpret and provide practical advice on enterprise agreements, modern awards, employment contracts, workplace policies, the Fair Work Act, National Employment Standards and other applicable workplace legislation;
• Lead and support enterprise agreement activity, including bargaining preparation, negotiation, consultation, interpretation and implementation;
• Manage industrial disputes and workplace claims from initial assessment through to resolution, including developing and implementing appropriate response strategies;
• Represent and support the organisation in Fair Work Commission and other employment-related proceedings, including preparing documentation and working with external legal advisers where appropriate;
• Advise on and support workforce change, restructures, redeployment and organisational change, including managing associated consultation and industrial obligations;
• Identify emerging employee and industrial relations risks and provide proactive, practical advice on appropriate mitigation strategies;
• Monitor workplace relations developments and legislative change and translate these into practical requirements, processes and actions for the organisation;
• Develop and review employment policies, procedures, frameworks and documentation to support consistent and defensible workplace practices;
• Coach and support leaders to confidently manage performance, conduct, difficult conversations and employee relations matters; and
• Partner with the broader People, Operations, Safety and business leadership teams to strengthen workplace relations capability and consistency across ACESGroup.

 About You

You are a highly experienced ER/IR practitioner with the technical expertise, confidence and judgement to operate effectively at a senior level, while remaining genuinely hands-on in the delivery of workplace relations matters.

You are comfortable stepping into complex, sensitive and sometimes contentious workplace situations, quickly identifying the key legal, industrial, operational and people considerations and providing clear, practical advice on the best path forward. You are confident making recommendations, constructively challenging where required and navigating matters where there may not be a simple or risk-free solution.

Importantly, you are a practitioner, not just an adviser. You take ownership of matters and are prepared to personally do the work required to achieve the outcome. Whether conducting an investigation, preparing detailed correspondence, managing a disciplinary process, interpreting an enterprise agreement, or preparing for a Fair Work Commission matter, you are comfortable managing the detail as well as the broader strategy.

You are pragmatic, commercially minded and solutions-focused. You communicate with credibility across all levels of an organisation, can manage multiple competing and time-sensitive matters, and understand that effective workplace relations is about finding fair, legally sound and workable solutions that support both the organisation and its people.

 Skills, Experience & Qualifications

To succeed in this role, you will bring:

• Significant experience in a senior Employee Relations, Industrial Relations or Workplace Relations role within a complex operational environment;
• Deep practical knowledge of Australian employment and industrial relations legislation, including the Fair Work Act, National Employment Standards, modern awards and enterprise agreements;
• Extensive hands-on experience personally managing complex performance, misconduct, disciplinary, grievance and termination matters from commencement through to resolution;
• Strong workplace investigation capability, including developing allegations, gathering and assessing evidence, conducting interviews, making findings and preparing clear and defensible investigation and outcome documentation;
• Demonstrated experience interpreting and practically applying enterprise agreements, modern awards, employment contracts and other industrial instruments;
• Demonstrated experience in enterprise bargaining, industrial disputes and Fair Work Commission matters, including the preparation of supporting documentation and submissions;
• Highly developed written capability, with experience preparing professional, accurate and defensible workplace relations correspondence and documentation;
• Strong influencing, negotiation and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence and credibility to advise and constructively challenge senior and executive leaders where required;
• Sound commercial judgement and the ability to balance legal and industrial risk, procedural fairness, employee considerations and operational requirements;
• The ability to independently manage multiple complex, sensitive and time-critical matters while maintaining attention to detail, confidentiality and appropriate follow-through;
• A practical, solutions-focused approach and the ability to translate complex workplace relations requirements into clear and workable advice for operational leaders; and
• Tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Employment Law or a related discipline, or equivalent significant professional experience.

Experience working within a large, geographically dispersed, operational, or highly regulated workforce will be highly regarded.

Why Join ACESGroup?

At ACESGroup, this is not a back-office advisory role. You will be close to the business, working directly with the leaders responsible for our operations and playing an active role in shaping workplace relations outcomes across the organisation.

You will:

• Hold a senior specialist role with genuine autonomy, accountability and organisational visibility;
• Work across a diverse and challenging portfolio of ER/IR matters within a large national operational workforce;
• Partner directly with executives, senior leaders and operational managers, with the opportunity to influence decisions and workplace outcomes;
• Have meaningful involvement in industrial strategy, enterprise bargaining, workplace change and complex employee and industrial relations matters;
• Have the scope to apply your expertise, exercise professional judgement and personally drive matters through to resolution;
• Join an organisation that is continuing to strengthen and invest in its workplace relations and broader People capability; and
• Build your career within a diverse Australian business operating across some of the country’s leading venues, precincts and facilities.
  
  

How to Apply

If you are ready to join a progressive and forward-thinking team within a company that truly values your contribution, click APPLY NOW!  You can also get in touch with our Recruitment Team on (02) •••• •711 for a confidential discussion.

ACESGroup is the 2022 and 2023 recipient of the Australian Security Industry Awards for Excellence in Gender Diversity.

We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce inclusion and diversity. Successful applicants will be subject to relevant background, police, medical, and reference checks.

ACESGroup does not accept referrals from recruitment agencies.

ABN: 16 002 990 794 | ACN: 002 990 794 | M/L: 40••••913 | ASIAL Member: 003749 | RTO: 90024 | VIC: PSBL 813-398-30S
Australian Concert and Entertainment Security Pty Limited, trading as ACESGroup, Affirm Training, Alleviate Event Administration and Logistics, Event Force, Avert Risk Management, Assure Safety Services, Secured and Secure Domain.