About the Program 

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is a signature initiative for the Australian Government that enables workers from 9 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and Timor- Leste to work in priority sectors in Australia. The Pacific Labour Mobility Support Program (PLMSP) builds on the successes of the Pacific Labour Facility (PLF) program, with a renewed focus on the provision of tailored support to worker sending countries to address their specific needs and priorities. Palladium is contracted to deliver PLMSP on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

PLMSP’s role is to provide DFAT and governments in 9 PICs and Timor-Leste with support to enable workers to access PALM scheme in inclusive ways that maximise the benefits for the workers and national economies while minimising risks from labour mobility participation. PLMSP’s primary functions include capacity building for PALM scheme labour sending units; skills development and training for PALM workers; support for returning PALM workers and their families; information system management; monitoring, evaluation, research and learning; and communications.

What you will do:

• Manage the recruitment and business partnering function to provide a high performing, timely, people focused HR experience that attracts people aligned with PLMSP’s values and supports consistent workplace cultural across the program.
• Provide strategic HR advice, propose innovative and modern HR practices that support culture, including PLMSP’s cultural values, development, and staff retention, using data and evidence base.
• Implement and roll out HR cyclical activities (including but not limited to annual performance review, annual salary review, regular schedule of wellbeing activities, annual compliance review and audit of systems) in line with Palladium and DFAT guidelines and policies, and best practice. Use these activities to reinforce PLMSP’s values, monitor employee experience and identify opportunities to strengthen workplace culture.
• Support managers and HR team to manage performance including the effective implementation of a capability and performance framework that translates PLMSP’s values into clear behavioural expectations, and provide coaching and guidance for managers and leads.
• Lead sensitive cases, complex workplace issues, risks and investigations where necessary. Provide advice on employee relations matters, in line with Palladium policies.
• Manage an L&D function to set up a development and succession planning framework for the program, including standardised development that equips people leaders to model PLMSP’s values and build an inclusive, respectful and high performing culture.
• Develop innovative and value for money retention strategies that strengthen employee engagement, wellbeing, inclusion and connection to PLMSP’s purpose and values.
• Align HR practices, strategies and policies with the future direction of the program, this may involve rapid scale up of program activities, as well as scale down.
• Manage overall HR and personnel budget in line with Head Contract requirements, reporting to the Operations and People Lead.
• Lead HR risk reporting and mitigation and develop an awareness of local legal compliance. Support the Operations and People Lead to manage DFAT policies; Fraud and Corruption, and safeguarding.
• Ensure HR systems are inclusive and accessible and culturally responsive, proactively identifying and removing barriers and supporting a workplace in which diverse perspectives are respected and valued.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with Palladium corporate HR function ensuring company policies and procedures are managed appropriately at the project level. Actively participate in and contribute to process and system improvement, roll out of corporate initiatives and providing project level feedback.
• Understand how innovation and technology shape the way we work and introduce new ways of working through AI, data and technology.
• Manage the full employee life cycle; recruitment, onboarding, project/task allocation, mentoring and capability building, performance management, creating opportunities and supporting career progression and leaver activities.
• Seek opportunities to embrace transparency, build diverse teams, value diversity of thought and encourage innovation; and role model the right behaviours in order to go beyond what is expected to ensure team success.

About the Program 

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is a signature initiative for the Australian Government that enables workers from 9 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and Timor- Leste to work in priority sectors in Australia. The Pacific Labour Mobility Support Program (PLMSP) builds on the successes of the Pacific Labour Facility (PLF) program, with a renewed focus on the provision of tailored support to worker sending countries to address their specific needs and priorities. Palladium is contracted to deliver PLMSP on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

PLMSP’s role is to provide DFAT and governments in 9 PICs and Timor-Leste with support to enable workers to access PALM scheme in inclusive ways that maximise the benefits for the workers and national economies while minimising risks from labour mobility participation. PLMSP’s primary functions include capacity building for PALM scheme labour sending units; skills development and training for PALM workers; support for returning PALM workers and their families; information system management; monitoring, evaluation, research and learning; and communications.

What you will do:

• Manage the recruitment and business partnering function to provide a high performing, timely, people focused HR experience that attracts people aligned with PLMSP’s values and supports consistent workplace cultural across the program.
• Provide strategic HR advice, propose innovative and modern HR practices that support culture, including PLMSP’s cultural values, development, and staff retention, using data and evidence base.
• Implement and roll out HR cyclical activities (including but not limited to annual performance review, annual salary review, regular schedule of wellbeing activities, annual compliance review and audit of systems) in line with Palladium and DFAT guidelines and policies, and best practice. Use these activities to reinforce PLMSP’s values, monitor employee experience and identify opportunities to strengthen workplace culture.
• Support managers and HR team to manage performance including the effective implementation of a capability and performance framework that translates PLMSP’s values into clear behavioural expectations, and provide coaching and guidance for managers and leads.
• Lead sensitive cases, complex workplace issues, risks and investigations where necessary. Provide advice on employee relations matters, in line with Palladium policies.
• Manage an L&D function to set up a development and succession planning framework for the program, including standardised development that equips people leaders to model PLMSP’s values and build an inclusive, respectful and high performing culture.
• Develop innovative and value for money retention strategies that strengthen employee engagement, wellbeing, inclusion and connection to PLMSP’s purpose and values.
• Align HR practices, strategies and policies with the future direction of the program, this may involve rapid scale up of program activities, as well as scale down.
• Manage overall HR and personnel budget in line with Head Contract requirements, reporting to the Operations and People Lead.
• Lead HR risk reporting and mitigation and develop an awareness of local legal compliance. Support the Operations and People Lead to manage DFAT policies; Fraud and Corruption, and safeguarding.
• Ensure HR systems are inclusive and accessible and culturally responsive, proactively identifying and removing barriers and supporting a workplace in which diverse perspectives are respected and valued.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with Palladium corporate HR function ensuring company policies and procedures are managed appropriately at the project level. Actively participate in and contribute to process and system improvement, roll out of corporate initiatives and providing project level feedback.
• Understand how innovation and technology shape the way we work and introduce new ways of working through AI, data and technology.
• Manage the full employee life cycle; recruitment, onboarding, project/task allocation, mentoring and capability building, performance management, creating opportunities and supporting career progression and leaver activities.
• Seek opportunities to embrace transparency, build diverse teams, value diversity of thought and encourage innovation; and role model the right behaviours in order to go beyond what is expected to ensure team success.