Job title: Head of People and Culture
Emp type: Full-time
Salary type: Annual
Salary: Negotiable
Job ID: 79929

Job Description

Location: Sydney, NSW
Role Highlights: An inaugural senior appointment at a pivotal point in the firm’s growth. Lead the people and culture agenda alongside the founders, and shape how the firm attracts, develops, rewards and leads its people as it expands. 


Role Overview
Reporting to the founders, you will lead the firm’s people and culture strategy and annual plan, aligned to its growth and acquisition agenda. As a trusted adviser, you will provide candid, evidence-based counsel on organisational design, leadership transitions, succession and change, supported by regular insight into headcount, hiring, turnover, engagement and capability.

You will establish the foundations of the function and build the frameworks that underpin the firm’s next phase: talent and onboarding, a performance framework and reward structure, a culture program grounded in observable behaviours, and capability and career pathways. You will also lead cultural integration for acquired firms.


Responsibilities

  • Lead the people and culture strategy, annual plan and budget with the founders, aligned to growth and acquisition plans, and advise on organisational design, succession and change
  • Establish the foundations of the function, including policies, systems, employment compliance, recruitment, onboarding, probation and exits
  • Design the performance framework, including role scorecards by job family and level, review cycles and calibration, and fair improvement processes
  • Partner with the CFO and founders on salary bands, progression, recognition and incentive structures that align reward with performance
  • Articulate the firm’s culture as observable behaviours, embed them in every hire, promotion and exit decision, and lead cultural integration for acquired firms
  • Build capability frameworks, leadership pathways, career and succession plans, and role-based AI capability with the CFO


Candidate Profile
You are a senior people and culture executive with 10+ years’ experience, including a senior role with strategic scope. You hold a degree in human resources, organisational psychology, business or a related field. You have designed performance frameworks, culture programs and learning and development programs and have led change in a growing business, ideally including acquisitions. You use people data to inform decisions and are comfortable leading the function hands-on while it is established. Law firm or professional services experience, acquisition integration experience and exposure to HR information systems, learning platforms and AI tools are highly regarded. You are credible with lawyers and founders alike, discreet and sound in judgement on sensitive matters, evidence-led, and aligned with the firm’s values.


Culture & Benefits
This senior-led Sydney law firm combines big-firm capability with the approachability of a boutique. Growth is deliberate, and the founders are investing in their people and in a candid, high-performing culture to support the firm’s next phase of growth.

  • Lead the function – shape the firm’s people strategy from the outset
  • Advise at the top – partner directly with the founders on growth and acquisitions
  • Drive impact – measurable influence on culture, performance and retention


Apply
If this sounds like you, please send your resume by clicking the “apply” link below. The reference number for this role is HP&C79929. Please allow for 3 - 5 working days for us to process all the applications. All applicants will hear back from us, either via email or a telephone call.