• Genuine Executive Leadership Team seat – shape strategy, not just deliver it
• Broad remit spanning people, payroll, learning & development and safety
• Growing, market-leading business with a promote-from-within culture

Our client is a highly successful, privately owned group representing globally recognised premium brands across regional Queensland, the Northern Territory and regional New South Wales. With an extensive network of full-service dealerships and regional customer service centres, they operate one of the largest and most dependable support networks in their industry, keeping customers on the road – from owner-operators with a single truck through to national fleets.

This opportunity exists because the business backs its people in that the previous incumbent has been promoted internally into a broader executive role. It’s a genuine reflection of a culture that develops talent and rewards performance, and it means the successful candidate steps into a well-established function with strong executive support and real momentum.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer and serving as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the General Manager – People, Safety & Culture will shape and deliver the organisation’s people, safety, culture and capability agenda. Leading the People, Payroll, Training and HSE teams, you will partner closely with the executive team and operational leaders to build a high-performing, values-led and compliant workplace.

This role will suit an accomplished senior leader with high levels of drive and commitment, and a proven ability to design and embed people, safety and culture strategies that build a skilled, engaged and motivated workforce in a dispersed, operationally focused environment.

The Position:

• Lead the development and execution of the people, safety and culture strategy in alignment with organisational priorities, operational goals and long-term workforce needs;

• Contribute to enterprise-wide strategy, decision-making and organisational performance as a member of the Executive Leadership Team;

• Oversee the full employee lifecycle – attraction, recruitment, onboarding, development, retention and offboarding – alongside contemporary performance, conduct and employee relations frameworks;

• Provide oversight of payroll governance and people administration to support accuracy, confidentiality, compliance and continuous improvement;

• Drive leadership development, training and capability programs that strengthen management effectiveness and future talent pipelines;

• Champion a proactive safety culture, integrating health, safety, wellbeing and psychological safety into leadership practice, people systems and operational decision-making;

• Lead workforce planning and partner with Finance on budgeting, headcount planning and resourcing decisions;

• Provide visible leadership in fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace, ensuring conduct, safety and reporting frameworks meet legislative obligations, including the positive duty.

The Person:

• Leadership experience in People & Culture, Human Resources or a related senior level role, ideally within a complex, multi-site, operational environment;

• Demonstrated success leading organisational change, culture initiatives and workforce strategies that improve business performance and employee experience;

• Strong working knowledge of Australian employment law, industrial relations, workplace investigations, performance management and contemporary HR practice;

• Experience leading or overseeing health and safety, wellbeing, return to work or risk management initiatives;

• Proven ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary teams, build leadership capability and influence at executive level;

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology, Safety or a related discipline, or equivalent demonstrated experience;

• Strong commercial acumen and analytical capability, with the ability to translate strategy into practical outcomes;

• High emotional intelligence, integrity, judgement and resilience, with the ability to build trust at every level of the organisation – from the workshop floor to the boardroom.

The role is based in a professional office environment, with regular travel across operational sites in regional and and interstate locations. Flexible work arrangements will be considered.

Are you a passionate people and safety leader with a flair for developing organisations, people and systems? Do you want a seat at the executive table of a growing, highly respected business that genuinely invests in its people? If this sounds like you, please click the link below, or apply online at www.bluhat.com.au. Your confidentiality is assured.