Director - Employee Relations & Industrial Relations - Oceania - APAC

P&O Ferries

  • Sydney, NSW
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 1 month ago
Job Category: Industrial SupportJob Description:15-Month Maximum-Term Contract | Reporting to the VP - People - Oceania - APACDP World is looking for an experienced and strategic Director - Employee & Industrial Relations (Head of ER/IR) to join us on a parental leave cover contract until January 2027.Reporting to the Oceania VP of People and a senior member of the People Team this is a key leadership role where you'll shape and drive our ER/IR strategy during a period of major business transformation, growth and optimisation. If you're passionate about partnering with senior leaders to build a compliant, positive, and high-performing workplace culture, we want to hear from you!You'll take ownership of all industrial and employee relations matters, partnering with senior leaders across the business to deliver consistent, legally sound, and values-driven outcomes. You'll play a central role in ensuring our ER/IR frameworks support both compliance and cultural alignment-particularly across key business optimisation initiativesKey Responsibilities -
  • Lead & oversee end-to-end enterprise agreement negotiations, ensuring compliance and alignment with business objectives.
  • Manage industrial relations matters, including litigation, disputes, industrial action, and engagement with external bodies.
  • Provide strategic ER advice, guidance and support to senior leaders, especially during organisational change and business transformation.
  • Work closely with operational and technical teams on a range of critical industrial relations issues, including complex consultation on multiple projects.
  • Oversee complex employee relations issues, including policy development, investigations, and disciplinary processes.
  • Develop and embed ER/IR frameworks that reflect legislative updates and support a positive workplace culture.
  • Lead and mentor a team of ER/IR professionals across the Oceania region to deliver consistent strategic outcomes.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience required:
  • Degree or qualification in HR, Industrial Relations, Employment Law, or related field, or equivalent experience. Candidates holding a current Practicing Certificate will be strongly preferred.
  • Strong knowledge of Fair Work Act 2009 and related employment / corporations legislation
  • Minimum 10-15 years' experience in complex, unionised workplaces, preferably with blue-collar workforces.
  • Proven expertise in enterprise agreement negotiations, industrial action management, and driving organisational change.
  • Experience representing organisations at the Fair Work Commission and tribunals in dispute resolution and related matters.
  • Strong communication, influencing, and data analysis skills.
  • Ability to manage competing priorities while delivering clear, practical, and commercially focused ER advice
About DP WorldTrade is the lifeblood of the global economy, creating opportunities and improving the quality of life for people around the world. DP World exists to make the world's trade flow better, changing what's possible for the customers and communities we serve globally.With a dedicated, diverse and professional team of more than 106,500 employees from 158 nationalities, spanning 73 countries on six continents, DP World is pushing trade further and faster towards a seamless supply chain that's fit for the future. In Asia Pacific, DP World employs more than 7,000 people and has ports and terminals in 18 locations.We're rapidly transforming and integrating our businesses -- Ports and Terminals, Marine Services, Logistics and Technology - and uniting our global infrastructure with local expertise to create stronger, more efficient end-to-end supply chain solutions that can change the way the world trades.What's more, we're reshaping the future by investing in innovation. From intelligent delivery systems to automated warehouse stacking, we're at the cutting edge of disruptive technology, pushing the sector towards better ways to trade, minimising disruptions from the factory floor to the customer's door.Supporting equalityWe are an equal opportunity employer. We employ and promote based on role requirements, and we select people to roles based on their qualifications, skills, experience and fit with DP World Australia's culture and values. We strongly encourage persons from non-traditional backgrounds to apply.WE MAKE TRADE FLOWTO CHANGE WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE.#LI-SK3

P&O Ferries