Build the People Engine Behind a Rapidly Scaling Media Company We’re a fast-growing digital media publisher reshaping how mining and resources news reaches a global audience. Headquartered on the Gold Coast, our business is expanding rapidly, with new roles launching across Australia and internationally as we continue to scale aggressively. To support this ambitious growth, we’re seeking an experienced, commercially aware People & Culture Manager Manager to take ownership of our people, culture and organisational effectiveness. This is a newly created senior role offering the opportunity to shape and lead all aspects of the employee lifecycle across a growing, globally distributed workforce. Reporting to the Head of Operations & People, you will be responsible for developing and executing people strategies, partnering with leaders, building scalable HR processes and ensuring our team remains supported, engaged, compliant and equipped to perform at their best. As the organisation continues to grow, you will play a pivotal role in building a best-practice people function that supports both our employees and our business objectives. You’ll drive initiatives across recruitment, onboarding, performance, learning and development, employee engagement, succession planning and workplace compliance, while creating systems, processes and policies that enable sustainable growth. While the primary focus of this role is Human Resources and People & Culture, you will also oversee office and workplace administration functions, helping to deliver a seamless employee experience and support the effective day-to-day operation of the business. This is a hands-on leadership role that combines strategic thinking with practical execution. It will suit an experienced HR professional who enjoys solving complex people challenges, coaching and supporting leaders, improving processes and systems, and fostering a high-performing culture across a distributed workforce. About the Role As the People & Culture Manager Manager, you will serve as the central point of leadership for our people, culture and office management functions. You will play a critical role in helping us scale effectively while maintaining a strong culture, exceptional employee experience and operational efficiency. Why You’ll Love It Here Join a high-growth startup with strong momentum and global expansion. Work closely with the CEO and Head of Operations to influence organisation growth and business performance. Take ownership in a role that blends people strategy, operations and workplace experience. A career-defining opportunity to grow alongside a rapidly scaling media publisher. Key Responsibilities People & Culture Develop and execute people strategies aligned with business goals and growth plans. Manage end-to-end HR processes across the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, development, performance management and offboarding. Partner with leaders on workforce planning, organisational development, evolving team structures and employee engagement initiatives. Foster a positive, engaged and high-performing culture across a distributed workforce. Develop career progression pathways, talent management frameworks and succession planning initiatives. Coordinate learning and development programs to support employee and leadership growth. Manage employee wellbeing initiatives, including EAP programs and employee benefits. Oversee leave management processes and workforce planning. Develop and administer incentive, bonus and recognition programs. Support leaders in setting goals, fostering continuous improvement, managing performance and developing team capability. Global Workforce Management Support and manage a global workforce across multiple states/countries and jurisdictions. Coordinate employment arrangements through Employer of Record (EOR) providers where applicable. Manage contractor, full-time, part-time and casual workforce arrangements. Ensure compliance with local employment obligations and internal policies. Support remote team effectiveness, accountability and engagement initiatives. Ensure compliance with remote work requirements, including workplace health and safety obligations and home office assessments. Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Lead end-to-end recruitment processes across all departments. Coordinate high-volume hiring across local, interstate and international markets. Build and maintain structured recruitment, interviewing and selection frameworks. Manage recruitment workflows including job postings, interview coordination and offer processes. Design seamless onboarding experiences that enable new hires to integrate quickly and effectively, regardless of location or time zone. Support hiring managers with structured recruitment processes as the organisation scales. HR Operations, Systems & Continuous Improvement Oversee HR systems, employee records, reporting and documentation. Maintain employment contracts, contractor agreements, position descriptions, policies and procedures with accuracy and confidentiality. Develop, document and continuously improve HR processes, workflows and operational frameworks. Identify and implement efficiencies, automation opportunities and process improvements across the business. Increase visibility, accountability and consistency across departments through documentation and workflow management. Monitor and report on key people metrics and trends. Drive continuous improvement across all HR operations and employee experience initiatives. Employee Relations, Compliance & Governance Ensure compliance with Australian employment legislation, internal workplace policies and HR best practice. Provide guidance on Fair Work, National Employment Standards (NES) and workplace compliance requirements. Manage employee relations matters, including performance management, conduct issues, workplace investigations and conflict resolution. Maintain governance, confidentiality and documentation standards across all people processes. Office Management & Team Coordination Coordinate company travel, accommodation and logistics for employees and contractors. Manage attendance and logistics for internal events, conferences, off-sites and industry functions. Coordinate catering requirements and dietary considerations for company events. Maintain company equipment, asset and subscription registers. Oversee onboarding administration, equipment allocation and employee administration. Manage company calendars, internal coordination, team leave administration and payroll updates. Act as the central coordination point for office administration and operations support, ensuring a professional and well-organised workplace environment. Culture, Engagement & Internal Experience Support initiatives that enhance employee engagement, wellbeing and team connection across locations. Coordinate internal communications and company-wide updates. Assist in delivering internal events, team initiatives and culture-building activities that reinforce culture and keep teams aligned and informed. Help develop scalable practices that maintain strong culture as headcount expands. What You Bring 5 years’ experience in a Senior HR, People & Culture or HR Manager role. Strong knowledge of Australian employment legislation and HR best practice. Experience working in a fast-paced or high-growth business environment (media, digital or startup experience highly regarded). Experience supporting global and/or remote teams across multiple countries. Experience managing both employees and contractors across various engagement models. Demonstrated success managing recruitment, employee relations, performance management and people development programs at scale. Strong understanding of workforce planning, organisational development and talent management. Excellent stakeholder management, coaching and communication skills. The ability to influence, build relationships and operate as a trusted advisor. A proactive and solutions-focused approach with strong commercial acumen. Experience documenting processing, implementing systems and driving automation initiatives. The ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution. Experience working in a standalone HR role or leading a small HR function is highly desirable. Excellent organisational and administrative skills with strong attention to detail. Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment. Relevant tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Business, Psychology or a related discipline. What’s In It For You Permanent full-time position with strong career progression and long-term growth opportunities. Join a high-growth business with strong momentum and global ambitions. Opportunity to build and lead the people function during a critical stage of growth. Work directly with senior leadership and contribute to key strategic decisions. Broad and varied role spanning people, culture, workplace experience and organisational effectiveness. Significant influence on future growth and success of the business. Genuine ownership, autonomy and the opportunity to build systems and processes from the ground up. Flexible working arrangements and additional staff benefits, including birthday leave. Supportive, collaborative culture within an energetic, high-performing team. Modern Surfers Paradise office with free onsite parking, great local cafes, and easy transport access. Competitive salary package (relative to experience) and performance-based bonus scheme as well as genuine opportunities for professional growth. If you’re passionate about creating exceptional employee experiences, building scalable systems and helping organisations grow sustainably - we’d love to hear from you. Apply now with your CV or contact us for a confidential discussion.
