The Role

The People & Culture Business Partner is the primary P&C partner for the Research Directorate. The role is responsible for turning the Research talent strategy into a practical people plan and ensuring all UNSW–BDI affiliate agreement obligations are met. It also ensures governance is strong and that UNSW and BDI processes are clear, streamlined, and understood by leaders. The role provides both strategic and day-to-day P&C support, including ER/IR advice, workforce planning, capability development, remuneration,engagement, and culture. It also steps in to support other areas of the business when needed to maintain continuity across P&C.

Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Business Partnering – Research

• Partner with Research leaders to ensure that the talent strategy is delivered in a way that is aligned to BDI strategy and scientific priorities
• Provide specialist advice on research remuneration, including benchmarking, considering funding limitations and in alignment with UNSW and BDI frameworks
• Build positive relationships with People Managers to proactively advise, coach and support them across all People and Culture  functions including workforce and succession planning, organisational development and talent management
• Lead workforce planning (capability, headcount, funding horizons, succession for critical research roles), advising on scenarios to meet project and grant obligations
• Provide accurate compliant and timely advice to people Managers across the full range of HR/people issues
• Coach leaders to apply the performance and development framework; embed recognition, feedback quality and wellbeing practices
• Anticipate change impacts (structural, funding, program pivots) and lead change management that is timely, compliant and human centred
• Act as a trusted advisor to managers and employees, offering coaching, guidance and support on complex employee relations issues. Connect managers to appropriate support to enabling them to drive capability development, and recruitment & remuneration
• Monitor key HR metrics (turnover, diversity, training etc) to identify trends, diagnose root causes of issues, measuring the effectiveness of programs providing regular updates to senior leaders to make data driven recommendations for continuous improvement Interpreting, applying and ensuring compliance with employment laws ensuring The Institute is well educated on the application 
  
  Collaboration and Management
• Actively participate in the development and lead the execution of the P&C strategy, in line with the overall business strategy to drive employee performance, wellbeing and engagement
• Work closely with TA, L&D/OD and P&C Operations to deliver end to end, consistent services across the Institute
• Assist with the implementation of key change management strategies to improve employee and organisation performance
• Support the continued development of The Institute’s culture engagement strategies to foster a positive workplace and elevate employee engagement
• Support the implementation of the performance management framework, and initiatives to drive culture, employee engagement, recognition, development and leader accountability
• Lead initiatives to build a strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP) that positions The Institute as an employer of choice
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that ensure a respectful workplace
• Represent P&C for Research matters in meetings ensuring people implications are considered in decision making
• Cover generalist BP portfolios during planned/unplanned absences to maintain seamless P&C support across BDI
  
  UNSW Partnership & Affiliate Agreement Execution
• Act as the day-to-day relationship owner with UNSW for Research Directorate matters
• Ensure the affiliate agreement people related obligations are met in accordance with the terms and conditions
• Provide guidance to BDI leaders and employees on UNSW processes, entitlements, and pathways connecting them to UNSW resources where appropriate
• Identify and remove friction points, agree RACI/SLAs with UNSW stakeholders where appropriate and track performance to achieve predictable and timely outcomes  
  
  Talent Strategy – Attraction, Development & Retention
• In partnership with research leaders and TA, shape and deliver a research specific talent strategy: attraction channels and pipelines, capability uplift for people leaders and targeted retention actions across the directorate
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of remuneration frameworks that support attraction and retention of research talent as well as across the rest of the institute
• Partner with TA to ensure roles are clearly defined, benchmarked to the remuneration framework, and filled in line with grant timelines
• Champion DEI initiatives that strengthen inclusion and belonging within research teams and support equitable career pathways
• Align talent and career pathways with UNSW academic structures where applicable; facilitate mobility and secondments that build capability and retention
  
  People Operations, Governance & Risk
• Ensure policies, procedures, and employment legislation (WHS, Fair Work, Privacy etc) are understood and applied consistently
• Maintain clean data and documentation to support audit readiness and informed decisions
• Provide timely escalation/triage of complex matters and coordinate with Legal/ER specialists when required
• Promote and support institute wellbeing initiatives and manager capability to foster psychological safety and engagement.
• Act as a key contact for interpreting and applying BDI policies and ensure consistent implementation across the Institute
• Support policy reviews and updates, particularly where UNSW and BDI processes intersect, ensuring clarity and operational efficiency for research leaders  
  
  Work Health and Safety
• Ensure self and all staff comply with all WHS legislation WHS Policy and Procedures.
• Report any WHS hazards and significant issues to Head of Operations, People & Culture or delegate.
• Work in a safe manner, applying a duty of care.
• Train new staff and coach existing staff in WHS practices. 

Skills & Experience Required 

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Human Resources or related field and a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in a generalist HR role
• Significant experience in a broad range of HR functions, including ER/IR, at both an operational and strategic level
• Demonstrated experience supporting academic/research or complex partnership environments
• Experience with remuneration frameworks, job evaluation/benchmarking
• Strong communication and negotiation skills with a proven ability to work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders in order to determine the best solution to achieve organisational outcomes.
• Demonstrated judgment, flexibility and foresight with proven ability to work autonomously under minimal supervision
• Sound planning and organisational skills with the ability to multitask and manage multiple priorities and expectations
• Sound understanding of workplace relations and WH&S legislation
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to develop, mentor and coach people managers
• Pragmatic and able to operate in an ambiguous environment  
  
  Desirable Criteria
• Experience working for a Not-For-Profit sector or Medical Research environment
• Capability building for leaders (coaching, facilitation) within research contexts

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
We actively welcome applications from candidates of underrepresented backgrounds and recognise that not all candidates will have had equal opportunity to gain experience in the past. If you’re excited about this opportunity but feel you don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply as your unique perspective and experiences matter.

How to Apply 
To become a part of the Black Dog Institute team, follow the link to ELMO to apply and submit your most up to date resume. If you are shortlisted for the role, we will call you and let you know you are successful. Please do not respond to any suspicious emails requesting you to upload your ID or personal details. 

Please note: All offers of employment are subject to background checks, which may include police checks, reference checks, and verification of qualifications, as relevant to the role’s requirements.