This Human Resources Services Officer position at James Cook University in Townsville puts you right in the middle of building a new service model that puts staff experience first.

You handle the day-to-day transactions that keep a university running smoothly. Recruitment support, onboarding paperwork, data accuracy in the HRIS, probation tracking, performance processes, and clean offboarding all land on your desk.

The role sits in a freshly formed HR Service Delivery team. It reports to the Team Leader, HR Services. The contract runs fixed-term until late 2027, based at the Bebegu Yumba campus. Pay sits between $78,740 and $89,310 plus up to 17 percent super and the usual leave loading.

JCU wants people who enjoy variety and treat every interaction like it matters. You become the approachable first contact for hiring managers and staff who need quick, accurate answers on processes that span the full employment cycle.

Strong customer service experience counts more than a decade of policy writing. You need to know how recruitment flows through an e-recruitment system, how to keep employee records clean for payroll compliance, and how to guide managers without turning every query into a committee meeting.

Microsoft Office skills and comfort with HR software are non-negotiable. So is the ability to juggle priorities when three managers email at once about different stages of the same hire.

Here is how to put a competitive application together.

1. Read the position description line by line and map your last two roles against the exact responsibilities listed. Note specific systems you have used and volumes you handled.
2. Prepare three short examples that show end-to-end ownership: one recruitment campaign you supported from advertising to offer, one onboarding batch where data errors were caught early, and one offboarding process you completed without payroll issues.
3. Tailor the resume to the language in the ad. Replace generic phrases with the actual terms JCU uses: e-recruitment system, HRIS advice, pay compliance, customer experience.
4. Write a short cover note that mentions the new team and the customer-first goal. One paragraph is enough.

Applications close 25 August 2026 at 11:55 pm AEST, but they screen as they arrive. Early submission keeps you ahead of the rush.

Most candidates send the same resume they used for the last three applications. That wastes everyone's time. The hiring team here will notice when your examples line up with the actual work of guiding managers through an online system or fixing data before pay runs.

They also value discretion and integrity because you will see sensitive staff information every day. Mention any experience handling confidential records without drama.

Townsville offers the practical advantage of a regional campus with real impact on northern Australia and the tropics. The role itself stays focused on service delivery rather than strategy, which suits people who like visible outcomes from their daily work.

Benefits include five weeks annual leave, up to six months paid parental leave, study assistance, Fitness Passport, and an employee assistance program. These are listed on the JCU careers site if you want the full breakdown.

Continuous improvement is part of the brief. You will be expected to spot friction in current processes and suggest fixes that make the next hire or exit smoother. That mindset separates people who treat the job as ticket processing from those who help shape a better service.

If you have coached hiring managers on system use before, highlight it. The ad specifically calls out supporting leaders through the e-recruitment platform.

One practical step this week: open the position description, list the five key responsibilities, and write one bullet under each that shows exactly how you have done that work in the past twelve months. Send the updated resume by Friday.