People and Culture Manager

Degree C has grown to become Tasmania’s leading multi-trade company. Now, we’re making an important investment in the people behind it.

For the first time, we’re appointing a dedicated People & Culture Manager to help shape how we support, develop and engage our people across the business.

With over 320 employees across Tasmania, this is an opportunity to establish a dedicated People & Culture function from the ground up. Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with our senior leadership team, you’ll have the support and autonomy to look at where we are today, identify where we can do better, and put the strategies, systems and foundations in place to take us forward.

This is a role with both strategic influence and hands-on responsibility. You won’t be stepping into a finished P&C framework – you’ll have the opportunity to help create it.

About Degree C

For more than 60 years, Degree C has built a strong reputation across Tasmania. Today, we employ people across our Ulverstone, Launceston and Hobart operations, bringing together a diverse workforce across trades, projects, service, administration, technical and corporate roles.

As Tasmania’s leading multi-trade company, our continued success relies on having great people, strong leaders and a workplace where our teams are supported to do their best work.

We’ve reached a point where our approach to People & Culture needs to evolve with the business – and this appointment is an important part of that next chapter.

About the Role

As our People & Culture Manager, you’ll take responsibility for P&C across our statewide workforce, providing trusted advice to the CEO, senior leaders, managers and employees.

There is plenty to build.

Our P&C strategy, leadership development, workforce and succession planning, performance frameworks, employee engagement, recruitment practices, systems and policies all present opportunities for improvement and greater structure.

You won’t be expected to change everything overnight. Your first priority will be understanding our business and our people, building relationships across the organisation and determining where your experience can make the greatest difference.

From there, you’ll have the backing of the CEO and senior leadership team to develop and implement a practical P&C approach that works for Degree C.

What Your Day Might Look Like

One of the things that will make this role interesting is its breadth. A typical day might see you:

• Meet with the CEO to discuss workforce priorities and provide advice on a people matter.

• Support a manager through a performance or employee relations issue.

• Spend time with one of our operational teams to understand what's working well and where additional support is needed.

• Review our recruitment and onboarding processes and identify opportunities to improve the employee experience.

• Work on the development of a new performance, leadership or employee engagement initiative.

• Review a policy or provide guidance on employment legislation or an EBA.

• Analyse workforce information and identify trends that should be on the leadership team's radar.

• Work alongside our SQE team on an initiative affecting employee wellbeing or the broader workplace.

• Speak with employees across the business – from our corporate team to tradespeople working across our divisions.

• Map out the next stage of Degree C's longer-term People & Culture strategy.

Some days will be strategic. Others will require you to get into the detail and solve an immediate people issue. We need someone comfortable doing both.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

You’ll have a broad span across the employee lifecycle, including:

• Establishing and leading Degree C’s People & Culture function.

• Developing a practical P&C strategy aligned with the direction of the business.

• Providing trusted advice and coaching to the CEO, senior leaders and managers.

• Supporting recruitment, workforce planning, onboarding and retention.

• Developing stronger performance and development frameworks.

• Building our approach to leadership and capability development.

• Establishing workforce and succession planning practices.

• Supporting employee relations and performance matters.

• Identifying training needs and coordinating learning and development initiatives.

• Reviewing and strengthening P&C policies, procedures and documentation.

• Providing advice on employment legislation, workplace policies, EBA management and HR best practice.

• Developing meaningful employee engagement and wellbeing initiatives.

• Using people data and workforce trends to support better decision-making.

• Identifying and implementing systems and processes that make P&C easier and more effective for our employees and leaders.

• Working collaboratively with our SQE team on areas where safety, quality, environment and people intersect.

About You

We’re open-minded about what the right background looks like.

You may already be an experienced People & Culture Manager looking for an opportunity to build a function and have greater influence. Or you may be a capable HR or P&C professional ready to step into your first management role.

What matters most is that you have the experience, judgement and enthusiasm to take ownership of the function and grow with it.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Broad HR or People & Culture experience across both strategic and operational matters.

• A relevant tertiary qualification in Human Resources, Business or a related discipline.

• Strong working knowledge of Australian employment legislation and contemporary HR practices.

• Experience supporting leaders with employee relations and performance matters.

• Experience with EBA management.

• Strong communication, coaching and relationship-building skills.

• The confidence to provide considered advice to senior leaders while remaining approachable to employees at every level.

• A practical, solutions-focused approach and the ability to turn ideas into workable initiatives.

• Sound judgement, discretion and the ability to handle sensitive matters professionally.

• The ability to work autonomously and establish priorities in a standalone P&C role.

Our workforce is diverse, so we're interested in someone who can move comfortably between different environments and audiences – from a conversation with the CEO and senior leadership team to supporting our trades-based workforce.

Why This Role?

There aren’t many opportunities to step into an established business of this size and be given the opportunity to build its People & Culture function.

You’ll have direct access to the CEO, a seat at the table with senior leadership and genuine support to recommend and implement change – both strategically and operationally.

There is already a strong business and a workforce of people to support. What we need now is someone who can bring greater structure, consistency and strategic thinking to how we manage and develop our people.

You’ll be based at our Ulverstone Head Office, with responsibility for employees across Tasmania and occasional travel to our other locations.

What We Offer

Along with a competitive salary package, you’ll receive:

• Income Protection – financial support if injury or illness keeps you from working, including when it isn’t work-related.

• Phone provided.

• Access to a corporate vehicle when required.

• Employee Assistance Program.

• Employee wellbeing program.

• Professional development opportunities.

• Flexibility to help balance work and life.

• Parental Leave Top-Up – helping bridge the gap between Government Paid Parental Leave and your regular base salary, with up to 8 weeks for a birthing parent and 4 weeks for a non-birthing parent.

Interested?

If you’re looking for an opportunity to take genuine ownership of a People & Culture function and help establish how it operates for the future, we’d like to hear from you.

Please apply through SEEK with your current resume and a cover letter telling us a little about your experience and why this opportunity interests you.

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Learn more about a career with Degree C here: https://www.degreec.com.au/careers/