People Support Manager (HR Manager)
Job No:
LUSH354
Location:
Villawood
A rare & exciting opportunity to lead the Human Resources team across Australia and New Zealand.
About us
LUSH is a global manufacturer and retailer of fresh handmade cosmetics. We are known for our unique bath and beauty products, personalised customer service, in-store activism and fun shop atmosphere. LUSH is a campaigning company, working across human rights, environmental protection and animal welfare. We are dedicated to the practices of fair trade sourcing and supporting sustainable communities as well as giving back to organisations that can make a difference through our Charity Pot Program.
About the role
We are looking for a People Support Manager to lead the People Support team in shaping the strategy and direction of the business’ people culture. The People Support Manager leads the key areas of Safety, Learning & Communications, Recruitment, ER/IR, Diversity & Inclusion, Remuneration & Benefits, and General Human Resources. The role ensures that LUSH continues to build and sustain a culture of continuous improvement in people development and support practices. In this role you will develop and implement the people management strategy and provide guidance and support for all business units in the region, covering both Australia and New Zealand. This is a senior role that is also part of our Leadership Team, so as well as leading your team, you will be part of shaping the overall business strategy for Lush Australasia.
What you’ll do
No two days are the same in the People Support team, your day to day can consist of anything from coaching and mentoring the People Support Team, to advising the business on legislative updates and how they apply to LUSH, to reporting on recent trends you have observed within the business, to developing strategy alongside the Leadership team.
Safety plays a big part of your role - you will have your finger on the pulse when it comes to people-related risks and you'll work with key stakeholders to make sure those risks are mitigated. This means some of your time is spent updating the business on important changes we need to be aware of, or on assessing current compliance frameworks and whether they meet the requirements of the business.
You will be responsible for prioritising the people initiatives and driving key people projects forward, so you’ll be a keen collaborator who realises that you can’t do it all alone and that diversity of thought improves us all. You'll relish taking the lead on engagement across the business, organising business-wide engagement surveys and analysing the results.
You’ll be seen as an expert in the business on workplace laws and will be familiar with interpreting modern awards, so some of your time will be spent on IR/ER and in building relationships with Unions. You’ll spend time coaching all levels of the business on their legal responsibilities and you’ll spend some time keeping yourself up to date with legislative changes.
There are some elements of the HR team that we are building a foundation for, so you’ll spend time assessing where our gaps are and delegating the creation and review of policies and HR processes across the business, as well as the training that means those policies can be implemented successfully.
You will drive the recruitment strategy of the business, so you will work with the team to develop recruitment strategies for all departments to ensure that staff recruitment for seasonal peaks is managed effectively in accordance with the needs of the business units.
You will manage, coordinate and facilitate the resolution of all forms of complaint handling, whether through informal means, formal complaints, or whistleblowing channels.
You will be a champion of our Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, strategising on how we can improve in consultation with our staff, and developing programs to make sure we are always striving to make this a better company for the people who work here.
And if all that wasn’t enough, you’ll also be the leader of of our dedicated People Support team. The team is a friendly and collaborative group of people who help each other to make sure the important things the business needs are prioritised. You will be able to coach and develop each team member according to their needs, and will create personal development plans to help the team achieve their, and the businesses, goals.
Initial goals
You will join our team at a busy time as we get ready for the Christmas season, so initially we will be working on getting you up to speed in your new role and learning the systems, processes and procedures we follow in the People Support team and broader business.
Success in the role moving forward will be measured on the team achieving their KPIs, and on delivering the overall business results for the region.
Who you’ll be
Firstly, you’ll be a true people person - you’ll be passionate about the humans that make up our business and you’ll want to help people grow and develop. You will have gained leadership experience, either by leading a HR team, or through executive roles. You will have qualifications in human resources, law, or a similar area.
You will be able to demonstrate your ability to juggle and stay organised - this is a role that requires balancing many competing priorities from different areas of the business, and often issues that are urgent or time sensitive. You will be able to lead through challenging and sometimes ambiguous circumstances with a calm demeanour.
You’ll have that rare quality of being able to think strategically and develop plans to make our ways of doing things better, but you’ll also be hands-on and able to delve into the detail. It's not easy to do those things simultaneously, but you will relish the idea of using your brain in different ways on a day to day basis.
Professionalism will be important to you, and you will bring the ‘human’ element into human resources, demonstrating that you hold our employees in high regard. You will lead by example and uphold the principles you advocate for, whether this be reporting compliance issues or advocating for the ethical treatment of all employees. Some key words that will be important to you are: integrity, trust and confidentiality.
You’ll be a great communicator who can adapt to meet the needs of the person in front of them because you might be presenting to the Leadership team on new strategies, coaching members of your own team, discussing the outcomes of a formal complaint, or talking with people who don’t have English as their first language. You’ll always be striving to make sure each group gets what they need and you’ll be able to set realistic expectations along the way.
You won’t be afraid of a challenge and you’ll be adaptable and flexible when plans change, because if the last couple of years have taught us anything, it’s that the best laid plans don’t always work quite how we expect them to. You’ll have gained resilience in your career and you will be able to pivot when you need to, so that you can meet the needs of the business as we grow and change.
From a practical point of view, you'll be able to travel to our offices in Villawood. A hybrid work model with some work from home days will be considered, but this role will need to have plenty of face to face time with the team each week.
You don’t have to know all there is to know about our business, but we are looking for someone who has a strong ethical compass and is passionate about our brand values and beliefs. Find out more about that here.
Research tells us that by now a disproportionate amount of people who identify as female or are members of minority groups have talked themselves out of applying for the role - but wait! We want to hear from you even if you feel like there are areas you’ve read about that you’re still working on.
Why you should work with us
That’s a lot of information about you, so what can we bring to the table? At LUSH you’ll find a supportive team where your input and opinion is valued. We have a progressive work environment that celebrates diversity and we are always trying to make a difference in the world - that feels pretty special.
Of course we smell amazing, and you’ll get a generous discount on LUSH products to keep you smelling and feeling fresh as well as a welcome pack of LUSH products and eco-friendly goodies.
When it comes to benefits we have a company-sponsored Employee Assistance Program with free access to psychological, financial, legal and dietary advice; paid birthday leave; and individual training and development plans.
Applications
Does this sound like the perfect role for you? If so, please apply by answering the questions below and uploading your resume and cover letter. Ensure all attachments are in PDF format. Applications close at midnight on Sunday the 28th August. We look forward to hearing from you!
At LUSH, we believe that by fostering a culture of inclusion and respect, we are doing our part in building a world where there is equal opportunity for all. Having a diverse workforce that represents our wider community is very important to us and we strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander candidates, candidates from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ candidates, candidates with disabilities, and all ages and genders.