About Us
Respect is a not-for-profit organisation that has been caring for older Australians for nearly a century. With aged care homes, retirement villages, and home care services across the country, we are committed to providing a workplace where people feel valued, supported, and empowered to make a meaningful difference.

About the Role
We’re looking for an experienced Industrial Relations Specialist to join our People and Culture Operations team. This is a pivotal national role responsible for leading our industrial relations strategy across a complex environment of diverse Enterprise Agreements and union relationships, including ANMF, HSU, and HACSU.

This role offers flexible working arrangements (remote or hybrid), with some interstate travel required to support national operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise agreement negotiations with unions across multiple states.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to align bargaining strategies with operational goals.
• Draft, review, and update agreement clauses to meet legal and policy standards.
• Provide expert IR advice to People and Culture Business Partners and leaders.
• Interpret Enterprise Agreements and industrial legislation with consistency and fairness.
• Represent Respect in the Fair Work Commission and other industrial forums.
• Support resolution of industrial disputes in a compliant and culturally aligned manner.
• Monitor legislative changes and assess implications for Respect’s operations.
• Lead the development of a long-term IR roadmap aimed at simplifying and modernising our portfolio of Enterprise Agreements.

Essential Criteria:

• Tertiary qualification in Law, Human Resources, Industrial Relations or a related field.
• At least 5 years’ experience in industrial relations, ideally within a unionised or multi-site setting.
• Proven experience negotiating enterprise agreements and resolving industrial disputes.
• In-depth understanding of the Fair Work Act, modern awards and employment law.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills.
• Experience in the aged care or healthcare sector.
• Knowledge of aged care industry enterprise agreements.
• Previous representation at the Fair Work Commission.

What We Offer

• Flexible work options – work remotely or in a hybrid setup depending on your location.
• A purpose-driven organisation making a real impact in communities.
• Supportive team environment with opportunities for career progression.
• An organisation that values integrity, respect, and innovation.

Our Values

At Respect, our values guide everything we do:

• Respect – Treat all people with fairness and dignity
• Care – Look after and protect the elderly, and each other
• Teamwork – Encourage, cooperate, and build trust
• Courage – Do the right thing, even when it’s difficult
• Integrity – Be open, honest, and trustworthy
• Innovation – Think differently to solve problems
• Excellence – Drive quality to continuously improve