Principal People Partner

About the Company

Greencross Pet Wellness Company is Australia's foremost network in pet care, integrating brands such as Petbarn, Greencross Vets, Animal Emergency Australia, and various specialist pet services. Their mission is to make the world happier through pet love, driving a culture of high performance, care, and customer focus for their employees.

Role Overview

In expanding their People team, Greencross is establishing three Principal People Partner roles within their enterprise HR function. Reporting directly to the Chief People Officer, these senior specialist positions will collaborate with Executives and senior leaders to translate overall business strategies into effective people-focused initiatives. The roles are divided to support either the veterinary services team or retail teams.

Situated at the North Ryde Support Office and reporting to the Chief People Officer, the Principal People Partner will be the main contact for their assigned business areas, liaising with Centres of Excellence including Talent Acquisition, People Systems, Learning and Development, Health and Safety, Employment Relations, and Reward.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish trusted advisory relationships with Executives and senior leaders, acting as a strategic coach and constructive challenger.
• Guide workforce strategy, talent management, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness for assigned portfolios, either Retail or Veterinary Services.
• Lead initiatives in organizational design and operating model development, clarifying roles, accountabilities, decision-making, and work methods.
• Utilize workforce insights, engagement surveys, and business performance data to pinpoint risks and opportunities, formulating actionable plans.
• Collaborate with specialized People teams to implement holistic, scalable solutions encompassing employee relations, reward, recruitment, learning, safety, and HR systems.
• Support leaders through change management, organizational transformation, and complex people decisions, balancing commercial objectives with employee experience.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• Over eight years of significant People and Culture experience, particularly in senior business partnering roles supporting executives and senior leadership; background in retail, FMCG, or veterinary/animal services highly favored.
• Strong expertise across strategic business partnering, workforce planning, organizational design, talent and succession management, performance, reward, and leadership coaching.
• Experience working within large, complex, multi-location or operational organizations; retail, healthcare, or consumer sectors considered advantageous.
• Proven ability to leverage data analytics and commercial insight to influence people priorities and remuneration decisions.
• Excellent facilitation, written communication, and presentation skills targeted at executive audiences.
• Relevant tertiary education such as a degree in Human Resources, Organisational Psychology, Business, or related fields; postgraduate qualifications preferred.

Why Join Greencross

This position offers a prominent enterprise-level role shaping the future of people, culture, and organizational effectiveness within a purpose-driven company focused on pet wellbeing. The role involves close collaboration with senior leadership, contributing towards meaningful organizational impact and leadership development.

Join a dedicated, service-focused People team committed to fostering strong business partnerships, enhancing leadership capabilities, and improving employee experience.

Additional Information

• Location: North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia (Onsite)
• Employment type: Full-time
• Minimum 8+ years' experience in a senior business partner capacity within high-volume environments
• Degree qualification required in Human Resources, Organisational Development or similar discipline