Head of People & Culture – Standards Australia

Standards Australia is Australia’s leading independent, not-for-profit standards organisation, working with government, industry and community stakeholders to develop standards that support safety, quality, innovation and best practice.

The organisation brings experts together to create national and international standards that serve as essential guidelines for products and services, ultimately benefiting the Australian community. Their vision is to be a global leader in providing trusted solutions that improve life today and tomorrow.

The Role

Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, the Head of People & Culture is a key member of the leadership team, responsible for shaping and executing the organisation’s people strategy at both a strategic and operational level.

This is a broad and influential role, leading the People & Culture function across HR, Talent Acquisition and Learning & Development. You will partner closely with the Executive Leadership Team and Board to deliver contemporary, business-aligned people practices that enable organisational performance, capability uplift and a high-performing culture.

A key attraction of this position is the opportunity to drive meaningful impact across the full employee lifecycle—from organisational design and workforce planning through to leadership development, engagement and culture. You will lead critical initiatives such as succession planning, performance frameworks, employee engagement and safety and wellbeing programs, while strengthening systems, processes and reporting.

With a strong focus on business partnering, this role allows you to influence at the highest level, balancing strategic leadership with hands-on delivery. It offers the opportunity to shape the future of work within a purpose-driven organisation operating in a complex, nationally significant environment.

About You

You are an experienced and contemporary People & Culture leader with a track record of delivering impactful HR strategies in complex, professional or corporate environments.

You bring:

• Extensive experience (10+ years) across the full HR lifecycle, including workforce strategy, employee relations, organisational design and change management
• Demonstrated success leading and developing high-performing teams within a business partnering model
• Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to translate business strategy into practical, people-focused solutions
• Deep expertise in employment law, governance, compliance and workforce reporting
• Experience designing and delivering leadership development, succession planning and performance frameworks
• Well-developed influencing, communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships at Executive and Board level

You are adaptable, pragmatic and outcomes-focused, comfortable operating in ambiguity and navigating change. With a strong focus on continuous improvement, you leverage data, systems and technology to drive better people outcomes.

Above all, you are a collaborative leader who is passionate about enabling organisational success through people—building capability, fostering a positive culture and delivering high-quality, impactful People & Culture solutions.

To obtain a candidate information pack, please email search@watermarksearch.com.au. If you require further information, please contact Dani White or Bronwen Kerr on (+61) 2 9233 1200.

Please send an application quoting Ref No A006366 to Watermark Search International via this form:

https://watermarksearchinternational.snapforms.com.au/form/application-form-sydney-search

Closing date: Sunday 31 May 2026 at 11.59pm AEST