Senior Manager, People Partnering, Customer… at afca · Sydney

Company Description

Fairness feels good

Make a real impact at AFCA. Where fairness drives every decision. Help us deliver world-class, independent complaints resolution for Australians. As a not-for-profit and progressive financial ombudsman, we’re championing positive change. Achieving our purpose takes progressive thinking, accountability and resilience. At AFCA, our inclusive leadership values every voice. We offer our people flexible work options, thoughtful benefits and opportunities to deepen expertise. Flourish in a diverse, caring culture. Feel the difference of belonging to an organisation intentionally designed to put people first.

Job Description

Shape strategy. Influence executives. Drive organisational performance.

At AFCA, we're looking for an exceptional People & Culture leader to partner with Executives and senior leaders across our Customer Experience & Operations portfolio.

Reporting to the Head of People Partnering & Operations, you will operate at the intersection of strategy, people and business performance, helping shape organisational direction through workforce strategy, executive influence and transformational change.

You'll be a trusted advisor, strategic thought partner and workforce leader, bringing commercial insight, sound judgement and an independent point of view to some of AFCA's most important business decisions. You'll challenge thinking, influence outcomes and help leaders navigate complexity while building the workforce capability needed for long-term success.

Success in this role will require equal confidence navigating business strategy, workforce transformation, organisational risk and leadership effectiveness.

What you'll be doing

Strategic Business Partnership

• Partner with Executives and senior leaders to shape business strategy through a people, workforce and organisational lens.
• Translate strategic priorities into workforce strategies and organisational plans that enable business performance.
• Influence critical business decisions through commercial insight, data-driven recommendations and sound judgement.
• Bring an independent point of view, challenge assumptions and drive robust discussion to improve organisational outcomes.
• Use workforce data, market insights and business intelligence to identify opportunities, mitigate risks and inform decision-making.
• Balance immediate operational priorities with long-term workforce and capability requirements.

Executive Coaching & Leadership Effectiveness

• Act as a trusted adviser and sounding board to Chief Customer Officer and senior leaders.
• Coach leaders to strengthen decision-making, accountability, leadership effectiveness and organisational impact.
• Support leaders to build high-performing, inclusive teams capable of delivering sustainable results.
• Influence leadership behaviours and practices that strengthen culture, performance and employee experience.

Organisational Transformation & Enterprise Change

• Lead organisational design, transformation and change initiatives that support AFCA's strategic priorities and future operating model.
• Drive sustainable improvements in organisational effectiveness, capability, culture and ways of working.
• Partner with Centres of Excellence and business leaders to design and deliver impactful people solutions.
• Contribute to leadership forums and strategic discussions that influence organisational priorities and future direction.
• Help shape and drive complex workforce initiatives across a dynamic and evolving business environment.

Commercial Workforce Leadership

• Partner with Finance and business leaders to make commercially informed workforce decisions balancing cost, capacity, capability and risk.
• Develop workforce strategies that support organisational growth, operational performance and future workforce needs.
• Provide strategic advice on workforce planning, resource optimisation and contemporary workforce models.
• Support workforce decisions across permanent, contingent, labour hire, specialist and surge workforce arrangements.

Workplace Relations & Risk

• Provide expert advice and leadership on complex employee relations matters, investigations and workforce risk.
• Guide leaders through sensitive people matters with fairness, pragmatism and sound judgement.
• Deliver commercially balanced and legally compliant outcomes that support both people and business objectives.
• Act as a senior escalation point for high-risk and complex workforce issues.

Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead and develop direct report/s, fostering a high-performing and collaborative team culture.
• Build capability across the broader People & Culture team through coaching, mentoring and knowledge sharing.
• Encourage curiosity, courage and continuous improvement while creating an environment that supports innovation and learning.

What you'll bring

You're a highly credible and commercially minded People & Culture leader who thrives in complex environments and enjoys influencing senior decision-makers.

Qualifications

What you'll bring

You're a highly credible and commercially minded People & Culture leader who thrives in complex environments and enjoys influencing senior decision-makers.

You'll have:

• Significant experience partnering with executives and senior leaders within large-scale operational, customer-facing or service delivery environments.
• A proven track record influencing Executives and senior leaders on complex business, organisational and workforce challenges.
• Strong commercial acumen and financial literacy and the ability to connect people decisions to business performance, customer outcomes and financial sustainability.
• Demonstrated success leading organisational design, transformation and large-scale change initiatives.
• Exceptional executive coaching, stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Expertise in employee relations, investigations and workforce risk management.
• Strong knowledge of the Fair Work Act, National Employment Standards and Modern Awards.
• Demonstrated experience incorporating AI-enabled tools into day-to-day work practices to enhance productivity, improve decision-making and create capacity for higher-value strategic work
• Experience developing workforce strategies and leading workforce planning activities in complex environments.
• Tertiary qualifications in Human Resources or a related discipline.
• Experience within financial services or another highly regulated industry will be highly regarded.

Why join AFCA?

This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of AFCA.

You'll partner with senior decision-makers, influence organisational strategy, lead meaningful transformation and help build the workforce and leadership capability required to deliver better outcomes for customers, our people and the organisation.

Additional Information

• Gold AWEI Accreditation 2025 – Recognised for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion.
• Accredited Family Friendly Workplace – Supporting work-life balance and inclusivity.
• Hybrid working – Flexible arrangements with two days a week in our modern offices designed for collaboration and wellbeing.
• Additional and inclusive leave options – Flexible public holidays, gender affirmation leave, women’s health leave, and bonus paid time off over the end of year holiday period.

To apply

If you’re passionate about fairness and believe your skills align with this role, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every single criterion.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. If you require any accessibility support during the recruitment process, please reach out to our team at Careers@afca.org.au.

We believe fairness starts with people. That’s why we don’t use AI or automated tools to screen candidates. As a result, our processes may take a little longer, and we thank you for your patience.

About AFCA

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) was established in 2018 as a private not-for-profit ombudsman service providing free, fair and independent help with financial disputes. The original team has grown to over 1600 dedicated professionals. Since 2018, AFCA has received more than 634,000 complaints, helping to secure $2.1 billion in compensation for consumers.

AFCA is a 2026 Circle Back Initiative Employer - we are committed to responding to every applicant.