Executive Lead, People

BE OUR NEW EXECUTIVE LEAD, PEOPLE

Do you believe every family deserves a village? Are you energised by community connection, early childhood development, and empowering volunteers? If you love people, thrive on variety, and want your work to make a genuine difference — you’ll feel right at home with Playgroup NSW.

We’re looking for an Executive Lead, People to shape a high‑performing organisation by unlocking the full potential of its people, culture, and capabilities to drive sustainable success.

WHAT YOU’LL DO – YOUR PURPOSE

Provide strategic vision and executive leadership, driving organisational effectiveness and achieving PGNSW’s strategic objectives.

This role shapes and executes a comprehensive people strategy, encompassing talent acquisition, development, engagement, performance management, employee relations, compliance, and organisational culture. As a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Executive Lead, People will be a trusted advisor, influencing organisational direction and fostering a high-performing, inclusive, and values-driven culture.

This position is responsible for leading transformative people initiatives that directly impact PGNSW’s long-term success, ensuring the organisation attracts, retains and develops exceptional talent to achieve its vision and mission.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and execute a strategic People & Culture agenda aligned to organisational goals
• Deliver an exceptional end-to-end employee experience across the full lifecycle
• Shape a compelling EVP and enhance engagement, retention, and wellbeing
• Champion WHS, wellbeing, and workers’ compensation, fostering a proactive safety culture
• Ensure strong governance, compliance, and risk management across all HR practices
  
• Partner with leaders to deliver expert advice and embed best-practice people management
• Provide data-driven insights and reporting to inform executive decision-making
• Oversee learning, reward, and recognition frameworks that support capability and equity
• Equip leaders to drive performance, accountability, and continuous growth
• Drive workforce planning, organisational development, and a strong, inclusive culture

KEY SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Human Resources or a related discipline
• Proven experience as a senior HR leader, with a strong track record of partnering with executive stakeholders
• Demonstrated success leading organisational development initiatives, including change management, culture transformation, and organisational design
• Extensive experience developing and implementing risk management and compliance frameworks
• Strong capability in leveraging HR metrics and analytics to inform strategic decision-making
• Experience leading workers’ compensation and return-to-work programs
• Highly developed conflict resolution and negotiation skills, with the ability to manage complex and sensitive matters
• Advanced proficiency in HRIS, Learning Management Systems, and Microsoft Office (including SharePoint)
• Current Working with Children Check, or willingness to obtain
• For you to be successful in the role, it is important that you can address all the above requirements

WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE

• We love collaboration: Work alongside dedicated and experienced professionals
• We embrace flexible Working: Deliver your best work within a hybrid and flexible work environment
• We have excellent employee benefits: Enjoy extra leave to recharge after all the hard work.
• We do purpose-driven work: See how you can make a meaningful impact on the lives of others every day.
• We empower your professional growth: Regular professional development opportunities.
• We care about your wellbeing: Feel further supported through our Employee Assistance Program
• We offer tax-free benefits: enjoy up to $15,900 in tax-free salary packaging.

READY TO JOIN US?

If you’re an experienced People Leader motivated by meaningful community impact, and shaping organisational sustainability, we’d love to hear from you.