Senior People and Culture Business Partner New
- Partner with the DairyFoods Leadership Team to develop and deliver people strategies that support business performance, productivity, safety and growth.
- Lead enterprise bargaining and complex employee relations, while advising senior leaders on workforce planning, organisational change and people matters.
- Lead and develop two Senior P&C Advisors and support broader People & Culture priorities as the functional 2IC.
The Opportunity
Miller Leith is proud to be partnering with Norco, one of Australia's most iconic and longstanding dairy cooperatives, to appoint a Senior People & Culture Business Partner. This is a pivotal senior leadership opportunity for an experienced HR professional who enjoys operating at both a strategic and hands-on level within a complex, operational environment.
As a key member of the DairyFoods Leadership Team, you will partner closely with the General Manager and operational leaders to translate business strategy into practical people initiatives that drive workforce performance, leadership capability, productivity and organisational effectiveness.
Reporting to the Head of People & Culture, you will also act as the functional 2IC, providing senior technical guidance, supporting broader enterprise P&C priorities and helping drive consistency and capability across the function. You will lead and develop two Senior P&C Advisors while maintaining a visible presence across DairyFoods operations.
Key Responsibilities
- Partner with the DairyFoods Leadership Team to develop and deliver people strategies aligned with business performance, productivity, safety and growth objectives.
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and operational stakeholders, providing commercially sound advice and constructive challenge on complex people matters.
- Lead, coach and develop a team of two Senior P&C Advisors, providing technical guidance and supporting consistent service delivery across the portfolio.
- Lead enterprise bargaining and industrial relations strategy, building constructive relationships with unions and employee representatives while protecting business interests.
- Provide expert advice across complex employee relations matters, including performance management, investigations, grievances, disputes, restructures and organisational change.
- Drive workforce planning, succession, leadership capability and organisational development initiatives to support current and future business needs.
- Utilise workforce analytics and reporting to identify trends, inform decision-making and drive improvements across labour costs, retention, absenteeism and productivity.
- Partner with operational leaders to deliver change initiatives, improve workforce efficiency and support a high-performance, safety-focused culture.
- Support the Head of People & Culture with broader functional priorities, acting as a senior escalation point and providing leadership cover when required.
About You
You are an experienced senior HR professional who combines strong commercial acumen with sound technical expertise and the ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of an organisation.
You are comfortable navigating complex industrial environments, influencing senior stakeholders and balancing strategic priorities with the realities of day-to-day operational HR.
To be successful, you will bring:
- Extensive experience in a senior HR Business Partner or generalist leadership role, ideally within manufacturing, FMCG, food production or another complex, multi-site operational environment.
- Demonstrated experience leading, coaching and developing HR practitioners, with the capability to provide senior functional leadership.
- Strong industrial and employee relations expertise, including experience leading or supporting enterprise agreement negotiations.
- Comprehensive knowledge of Australian employment legislation, modern awards, enterprise agreements and contemporary HR practices.
- A proven ability to manage complex employee relations matters, investigations, performance processes and organisational change.
- Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to interpret workforce data and translate insights into practical business outcomes.
- A collaborative and influential leadership style, with the confidence to challenge, coach and support senior operational stakeholders.
- Relevant tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business, Psychology or a related discipline.
For a confidential discussion, please contact Darien Gourlay on 0422 430 073 or darien@millerleith.com.au
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Consultant
darien@millerleith.com.au
Reference number: 7902
Profession:HR & RecruitmentHR Business Partner
Company: Miller Leith
Date posted: 11th Nov, 2026
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