At Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Ltd (MACS) we envision every student to be inspired and enabled to flourish and enrich the world. MACS is the largest Catholic school system in Australia. We own, govern and operate approximately 300 Catholic schools, employ over 17,000 staff and serve more than 118,000 students and their families in the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
It is an exciting time to join MACS, where we are transforming to bring to life our strategic plan - MACS 2030: Forming Lives to Enrich the World that will help all MACS staff come together to make the most of what a Catholic education has to offer so that we have the greatest and most distinctive impact in our classrooms, staffrooms and schools communities. More details on the MACS strategy can be found here.
WHY WORK FOR US?
- Professional development opportunities with a defined personalised annual budget
- Access to flexible working arrangements, which include working from home
- You will work in a tight-knit, supportive team to ensure you succeed in your role
- Employee Assistant Program (EAP) supported by Mental Health First Aiders in the workplace, providing a safe and caring environment to our staff and students
The MACS Code of Conduct (the Code) embodies our collective commitment to fostering a positive and supportive work environment that prioritises the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone, inspired by our Catholic faith. We ask that all staff read and understand the Code and model the behaviours that are expected of us.
YOUR ROLE
The Employee Relations Team is a function that is designed to work collaboratively to provide employee relations advice to enable MACS to achieve its future ready goals whilst ensuring it meets its legislative obligations. They provide advice to schools on employment issues, enterprise agreement interpretation, managing employment concerns, contracts of employment and salaries, policy and guideline assistance, and implementation and training for principals and school leaders. The Senior Advisor, Employee Relations plays an integral role within the Employee Relations Team, providing high-quality, responsive advice on a broad range of employee relations matters to Catholic schools and principals. The role manages increasingly complex matters, contributes to policy, strategy, and projects to develop technical expertise, and leads the implementation of core ER support functions under the Operations Manager’s oversight.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Provide advanced interpretation of enterprise agreements, awards, employment contracts and legislation, applying advanced contextual, organisational and industrial knowledge to identify, manage and escalate risks in complex employment matters.
- Support consultation and implementation of best practice in complex employment processes including organisational change, restructures, workforce adjustments, difficult conversations, performance discussions and disciplinary matters.
- Liaise with unions, employee representatives, principals, regional leadership staff and other internal and external stakeholders, including providing advocacy support in the Fair Work Commission and other tribunals as required.
- Ensure all case management activities meet legislative, industrial and organisational governance standards, maintaining high-quality, accurate and defensible documentation and contemporary understanding of internal workflows, processes and systems.
- Identify systemic or emerging industrial risks and trends, contribute to policy, strategy and projects, and guide and mentor ER Advisors and Coordinators to build capability and strengthen practices across the function.
ABOUT YOU
- Demonstrated experience providing high-quality, responsive advice on complex employee relations matters
- Knowledge of industrial relations legislation, and the terms and conditions of employment for school-based teaching and non-teaching staff including industrial instrument and relevant Awards
- Proven ability to autonomously manage sensitive or escalated ER matters with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgement
- High level interpersonal skills, including the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders and to work collaboratively within a team
- Ability to resolve complex workplace issues and manage competing priorities under tight timelines
- Demonstrated stakeholder management skills across a layered orgnaisational structure
- Demonstrated understanding of the interface between relevant industrial instrument/s and application in cyclical school operations
HOW TO APPLY
Please refer to the position description for further details about the role and the Key Selection Criteria.
Click APPLY to submit your application. If you have any queries about this role, they can be directed to our Talent Acquisition team by email recruitment@macs.vic.edu.au
You will need to provide:
1. An up to-date Resume and
2. A cover letter addressing the Key Selection Criteria, limited to two pages
Note: MACS is committed to the safety, wellbeing and protection of all children in our care. The successful candidate must hold or acquire and maintain a Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) and/or Working with Children Check and must be willing to obtain and maintain a National Criminal History Check.
Candidates must hold full Australian Working Rights and provide evidence of this.
Privacy Collection Notice – Job Applicants
MACS collects your Personal Information to assess your application and suitability for employment. By submitting your Personal information, you consent to the use and disclosure of your Personal information for the purpose of being considered for employment at MACS. Applicants can withdraw their applications at any time during the recruitment process
For further details, please see the full Privacy Collection Notice here
