"Associate Director, Workplace Relations & Employment Compliance"

Job Description:

• Lead workplace relations, industrial engagement, and employment compliance at a world top 100 university.
• Full-time (1.0 FTE) appointment on an ongoing basis.
• Competitive remuneration on offer.

About the area

The University of Western Australia is seeking an experienced workplace relations leader to provide enterprise oversight of employee relations, industrial relations, and employment compliance across the institution.

Reporting to the Chief People & Culture Officer, this role leads workplace relations strategy, enterprise bargaining, regulatory compliance, and complex employee relations matters. The role ensures workforce practices are lawful, defensible, and aligned with regulatory expectations while supporting senior leaders to navigate complex workforce issues.

About the opportunity

• Lead the University’s workplace relations and employment compliance strategy, providing institution‑wide governance, assurance and oversight across a devolved workforce model.
• Oversee complex employee and industrial relations matters, including enterprise bargaining, union engagement, disputes, grievances, disciplinary processes and regulatory interactions.
• Establish and maintain robust employment compliance frameworks, coordinating audits, risk reviews, remediation activity, and governance reporting to support defensible and consistent workforce practices.

About you

• Tertiary qualifications in law, industrial relations, human resources, business or a related discipline, with senior experience in large and complex organisations.
• Extensive expertise in workplace relations and employment compliance, including deep knowledge of employment legislation, the Fair Work Act, enterprise agreements and industrial awards.
• Proven capability leading enterprise bargaining processes and managing high‑risk industrial negotiations and regulatory engagement.
• Strong governance capability, including experience with assurance frameworks, audit coordination, compliance oversight and executive‑level reporting.
• Highly developed negotiation, influencing and stakeholder‑engagement skills, supported by strong analytical judgement and the ability to translate complex regulatory issues into practical, strategic advice.

Note: Employment checks will include information on gender-based violence, sexual harassment, and related misconduct to meet legal obligations. A current National Police Clearance will be required by the successful applicant.

Position description: AD, Workplace Relations & Employment Compliance PD (522881).pdf

To learn more about this opportunity, please contact Zander Ribbens at zander.ribbens@uwa.edu.au

How to apply

Please apply online via the Apply Now button. The content of your Resume and Cover Letter should demonstrate how you meet the selection criteria.

Closing date: 11:55 PM AWST on 18th March 2026

This position is only open to applicants with relevant rights to work in Australia

Please note: Unsolicited applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted outside of formal channels.