Head of People and Culture – Sovereign Hill

Vacancy Details
Closing Date
17/04/2026 12:00 am
Institution
Sovereign Hill Museums Association
Salary
TBA
Employment status
Full-time ongoing
Location
Ballarat, VIC
Contact name
Amy Perkins, Chief People Officer
Contact email
The Sovereign Hill Museums Association is a not-for profit community-based organisation that includes: Sovereign Hill Outdoor Museum, Sovereign Hill Hotel, AURA and Narmbool, the Australian Centre for Rare Trades and Arts and the Australian Centre for Gold Rush Collections. It cares for a nationally and internationally significant collection of over 150,000 objects and protects the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Victorian gold rush.

We are an Australian tourism icon that attracts some 500,000 visitors annually. The Outdoor Museum is internationally renowned as a living museum featuring rare trades, and programs and experiences that interpret a pivotal point in Australia’s history. In all, some 350 staff work to bring our gold-rush story to life. They are supported by over 250 volunteers.

About the Role

The Head of People and Culture plays a critical leadership role in delivering a contemporary, high-performing People and Culture function at Sovereign Hill Museums Association. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, this role leads the P&C team and drives the operational execution of the organisation’s people strategy, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and organisational goals.

This position has end-to-end ownership of employee relations across the organisation, managing complex and sensitive matters while providing expert advice to leaders. The role also partners closely with Executive and managers to enhance workforce capability, strengthen governance and compliance, and deliver a positive employee experience across the full employee lifecycle.

Duties & Responsibilities

  • Lead and develop the People & Culture function, including coaching and managing the P&C Coordinator to deliver high-quality, consistent services
  • Drive the operational execution of the People & Culture strategy, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and workforce needs
  • Own all employee relations matters, including complex case management, workplace investigations, and provision of expert advice to leaders
  • Lead remuneration processes, workforce reporting, and ensure data integrity to support strategic decision-making
  • Oversee governance and compliance with employment legislation, enterprise agreements, and organisational policies
  • Partner with Executive and leaders to build capability, support change initiatives, and strengthen people management practices
  • Manage the People & Culture budget and contribute to workforce planning and financial forecasting
  • Deliver and support people programs including engagement, recognition, leadership development, and culture initiatives
  • Ensure best practice recruitment, onboarding, and talent programs that support organisational capability and growth

 

Desired Qualifications

  • Tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Business, Organisational Development or a related discipline (highly desirable)
  • Postgraduate qualifications in Human Resources, Employment Relations or Business (desirable)
  • Membership (or eligibility) with a relevant professional body such as AHRI (desirable)

 

Child Safety and Criminal History Checks – Sovereign Hill is committed to child safety. We want children to be safe, happy and empowered. We support and respect all children as well as our staff and volunteers. Our recruitment and selection processes ensure certain pre-employment screening and compliance clearances are undertaken before employment is offered.

If you apply for a role with Sovereign Hill you will be asked to make certain declarations regarding OHS, Child Safety and you will also be required to complete a National Police Check and attain a valid Working with Children’s Check.

Diversity and Inclusion – Sovereign Hill welcomes and encourages applications from diverse backgrounds and provides equal opportunities to all who wish to apply.