People & Culture (Operations) Manager

Fulltime Permanent

Hybrid, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW

Reporting to: Director, People & Culture

About you

You are people‑first leader who thrives at the intersection of strategy, operations, and culture. With a strong understanding of Australian employment legislation and deep experience across the employee life cycle, you bring clarity, consistency, and care to complex people matters. You're confident leading and developing a small high‑performing team while partnering closely with senior stakeholders across the organisation. Analytical yet human in your approach, you use data and insight to improve outcomes while never losing sight of the employee experience. Above all, you're motivated by building sustainable, compliant, and values‑led workplaces where people can do their best work.

The role

Reporting to the Director, People & Culture, this position plays a critical role in shaping and delivering the Institute's people strategy. You will be responsible for the end‑to‑end operation of the employee life cycle, ensuring P&C processes are efficient, compliant, and aligned with organisational goals. Working closely with leaders, Finance, Payroll and WHS, you'll provide expert advice and lead initiatives across talent management, learning and development, employee relations, and workforce reporting. This is a hands‑on leadership role where you'll balance strategic thinking with operational delivery, while fostering a positive and high‑performing workplace culture.

What we will trust you with

• Managing the end‑to‑end employee life cycle, including onboarding, performance, development, transition, and offboarding
• Leading recruitment and workforce planning in partnership with the Talent Acquisition function, including position descriptions and immigration processes
• Designing, implementing and embedding the Institute's Talent Management Framework
• Overseeing Learning & Development programs to build capability across the organisation
• Providing high‑quality, timely advice on all People & Culture matters to leaders and workplace participants
• Managing employee relations matters with professionalism, discretion, and consistency
• Using HR metrics and reporting to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement
• Leading, coaching, and developing the People & Culture team, while managing budgets and resources responsibly
• Management of HR systems and software

Does this sound like you?

• You hold tertiary qualifications in Human Resources or a related discipline
• A proven track record as a P&C/HR Manager, Business Partner, or people leader in a complex environment
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing teams
• Highly knowledgeable in Australian employment legislation and HR best practice
• Hands‑on experience managing HRIS platforms and people reporting
• You enjoy building learning and development programs using modern tools and approaches
• Highly organised, analytical, and solutions‑focused, with strong attention to detail
• You communicate with confidence, empathy, and influence across all levels of an organisation

About us

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (the Institute) is dedicated to finding cures for cardiovascular disease and is one of the most respected heart research facilities in the world. Renowned for the quality of its breakthroughs, the Institute was established in 1994 and has grown to a team of more than 200 researchers from around the globe, working across five divisions.

A global centre-of-excellence, it integrates Cardiac Physiology and Transplantation, Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics, Structural and Computational Biology, as well as Vascular Biology. At the Institute, we translate our discoveries into new diagnostics, prevention, and treatment of cardiovascular disease - reducing the incidence, severity, and impact of heart disease.

What you will be proud of

Being part of an Institute that is not only dedicated to finding cures for cardiovascular disease, but one that also strives to ensure our employees and students enjoy a great working environment. We value and are committed to providing a safe working environment that embraces diversity, gender equity and promote flexible working arrangements for all employees.

We encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply. We also welcome applicants with diverse educational backgrounds, professional knowledge, personality types, thinking styles and life experiences. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

What we offer

• Salary packaging (including a $15,900 tax-free component, plus meal and entertainment allowances, holiday accommodation/venue hire plus many more).
• Banking & lifestyle benefits with Commonwealth Bank, including lending offers, discounts from participating retailers and financial wellbeing webinars.
• Fitness Passport
• Excellent environment with new state-of-the-art equipment.
• Collaborative team environment
• Continuous learning and development opportunities

Early applications are encouraged, we are reviewing and conducting interviews on a rolling basis upon receiving applications.

Come and work with us & help make a difference.