HR Business Partner

At Open Universities Australia (OUA), we believe everyone should have access to quality education, no matter their background or stage of life. For more than 30 years, we’ve helped over 400,000 students take their next step. Often during some of the most important moments of their lives. Whether someone is changing careers, returning to study or pursuing a lifelong goal, the work we do helps open new possibilities every day. That’s what makes working at OUA meaningful. Every experience we create, conversation we have and decision we make can have a real impact on someone’s future. When we do our best work, we help change lives. Our values guide how we work together. We act for our customers, care for each other and focus on continuous improvement. We’re proud of our warm, curious and inclusive culture where people feel trusted, supported and encouraged to grow. As our HR Business Partner (internally known as a People Experience Lead), you’ll play a key role in shaping the employee experience across OUA. Partnering closely with leaders and teams across the business, you’ll influence people decisions, support meaningful change, and help create an environment where people can thrive. This is a true generalist partnering role where no two days are the same. You’ll balance strategic thinking with hands-on support, contributing across employee relations, leadership coaching, organisational initiatives, wellbeing, engagement and continuous improvement. We’re a small, collaborative People & Culture team, which means we all roll up our sleeves and contribute wherever needed. This role will suit someone who enjoys variety, takes ownership, and is comfortable working in an environment where collaboration, adaptability and pragmatism are valued just as much as strategic thinking. If you’re someone who loves building trusted relationships, solving problems, improving experiences and helping leaders bring out the best in their people, we’d love to hear from you. What you’ll be doing Partner with leaders across your portfolio to support business objectives through effective people strategies and practices Coach and support leaders across performance, engagement, development, team effectiveness, wellbeing and change Build trusted relationships and provide practical, balanced advice on people matters Support employee relations matters including performance management, conduct matters and investigations Identify people risks, capability gaps and workforce challenges, and work collaboratively to address them Contribute to People & Culture initiatives, programs and frameworks that enhance the employee experience Support policy and process reviews and help embed people initiatives across the organisation What you’ll bring 3–5 years’ HR experience, including experience in a business partnering or dedicated HRBP role Strong HR generalist capability across employee relations, coaching and people practices Sound knowledge of Australian employment legislation and contemporary HR practices Experience supporting or managing employee relations matters including performance, conduct and workplace investigations Demonstrated ability to influence, coach and build credibility with leaders and stakeholders Understanding of psychosocial safety, employee wellbeing and inclusive workplace practices Confidence using HR systems, digital tools and people data to support reporting and decision-making A practical, solutions-focused mindset with the ability to balance business needs and people outcomes Tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Business or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience Why you’ll love working at OUA OUA is a not-for-profit organisation with a strong people-first mindset. We do meaningful work that helps change lives through education, while creating an environment where our people feel supported, valued and empowered to grow. When you join OUA, you become part of a warm, inclusive and curious culture where your ideas matter, your wellbeing is prioritised and your development is encouraged. Here are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy. Flexibility and ways of working Hybrid working, with three days working from home each week Workation leave, giving you the option to work from anywhere for up to 10 days each year Leave that supports you 12 weeks paid parental leave for primary carers, regardless of gender Additional purchased leave to support greater flexibility Menstrual and menopausal wellbeing leave, with up to six additional paid days each year Inclusive leave to celebrate cultural, religious or personal events Health and wellbeing Discounted health insurance Annual flu vaccinations A paid Calm subscription to support your wellbeing Learning, growth and financial benefits Short term incentives and not-for-profit salary packaging, including novated leasing Subsidised study opportunities and study leave Learning and professional development opportunities OUA is committed to building and fostering an inclusive, diverse workplace. Our marketplace is for everyone, so is our workplace. Come and share your personal experiences, your perspectives, and your background with us as we continue to help students transform their lives. We strongly encourage candidates of all backgrounds to get in touch, even if you don’t meet all the requirements of the advertised position. It’s highly likely you’ll bring something to the workplace that we haven’t thought of yet, and we would love to hear from you.