Director, People and Culture

Director, People and Culture

Location: Australia wide

Term: Ongoing

• Part-time: 30 hours per week (Can be worked over 4 or 5 days)
• Remuneration: $189,000 pro rata + 12% super
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are particularly encouraged to apply

Job title: Director, People and Culture

Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) is the largest environmental legal centre in the Australia-Pacific, dedicated to protecting our climate, communities and shared environment by providing access to justice, running ground-breaking litigation and leading law reform advocacy.

Since time immemorial, First Nations and Indigenous peoples have been taking care of their Countries in Australia and the Pasifik. These deep understandings, knowledges and experiences are critical to maintaining the health and vitality of Australia and the Pasifik’s unique wildlife and ecosystems. EDO respects these great knowledges and strongly believes that EDO cannot achieve a world where nature thrives without working for First Nations and Indigenous peoples.

The Opportunity:

In this role, you’ll lead our people and culture strategy and champion our values of collaboration, inclusion and justice across the organisation. You’ll have the scope to design and deliver strategies and initiatives that strengthen our culture, enhance organisational capability, and ensure EDO remains a safe, supportive and inspiring place to work.

As part of the Executive Leadership Team, you’ll work closely with the CEO, Executive Directors and the Board, providing high-level strategic advice and planning, overseeing HR systems and processes, and leading strategies to support culture, staff wellbeing, engagement and performance. This is a chance to play a pivotal role in the continued development of an organisation where people feel valued, supported and empowered to deliver on our mission.

Candidate Profile:

We are seeking a driven, strategic, committed, and experienced leader to drive our People and Culture strategy and lead our People and Culture Team. You will have senior leadership experience in Human Resources, with a proven track record of developing and implementing forward-thinking people and culture strategies. As an experienced people manager, you will foster a positive team culture, empowering your team to reach new heights while delivering on and driving positive organisational outcomes.

You will demonstrate a strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, underpinned by cultural competency and a genuine dedication to reconciliation with First Nations communities. Your expertise will include deep knowledge of Australian employment law, HR compliance, and contemporary best practice.

With exceptional emotional intelligence and a collaborative mindset, you will work closely with the CEO and Executive team, leading on People & Culture matters and risk management, organisational change management. Sitting on the Board’s People, Culture and Remuneration committee and providing reporting to the Board on workforce strategies and compliance matters is also part of the role.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Develop and implement EDO’s People and Culture Strategy aligned to the EDO Strategic Plan and update annually.
• Provide high-level advice to the CEO on talent management and organisational culture, and design initiatives to create the conditions for a high performing culture.
• Lead initiatives that strengthen cross-office collaboration, reduce silos and build organisational cohesion.
• Lead organisational change management, working collaboratively with the CEO and Executive Team and other relevant staff.
• Lead the development and delivery of an internal communications framework and oversee its implementation across the organisation.
• Review EDO Employee Life Cycle/s with the P&C Team and in consultation with the wider organisation, with the aim of informing EDO’s People and Culture Strategy.
• Work with the P&C team to develop a training and development strategy with annual plan.
• Develop EDO’s Aboriginal Employment Strategy under its RAP commitments and work with the P&C team, First Nations Program and stakeholders across the organisation on its implementation.

Key Selection Criteria:

• Demonstrated experience 10+ years of experience in leading a Human Resources function and team including developing of forward-thinking people and culture strategies.
• Substantial experience leading or advising senior management on People & Culture strategies, risk management and change management.
• Experience reporting to a Board on People & Culture strategies and compliance.
• Experience in equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives, with strong cultural competency and commitment to reconciliation with First Nations Communities.
• Strong knowledge of Australian employment law, HR compliance, and contemporary HR practice.
• Exceptional Communication, Influence and Relationship-building skills.
• Ability and willingness to move between the strategic and the operational as the role requires.
• Experience in organisations with distributed teams (desirable).

Personal qualities and cultural competency

• A champion of the EDO values.
• Strong initiative and self-motivation.
• Commitment to the protection of human rights and the environment.
• A strong sense of ethics and understanding of professional obligations.
• Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of First Nations and peoples from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations in both the delivery of our work and our internal culture.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative and team-based environment.

Our Culture And Benefits:

We care deeply about creating a workplace where our team members feel valued, respected and empowered. We are committed to providing equal opportunity regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or life stage.

• The chance to be part of the largest environmental legal practice in the Australia-Pacific.
• A very flexible and family-friendly workplace.
• Option to work from home.
• 8 weeks paid parental leave, regardless of gender or carer status.
• 15 days personal/carers leave.
• 20 days annual leave.
• 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave per year.
• 3 days paid cultural leave per year.
• Extra paid leave over the Christmas period.
• Opportunities and encouragement to attend NAIDOC week events.
• ICIP and Colonial Loading protection within employment contract.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program.
• Ongoing professional development opportunities.
• EDO proudly has a JEDI (Justice, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion) Committee and a Mental Health Ambassador Committee, and has developed a First Nations Program with the aid of indigenous-led consultancies. 
• Three Affinity groups for the following: Disability, Global Majority* and LGBTQIA+

*Global Majority is a collective term that first and foremost speaks to and encourages those so-called, to think of themselves as belonging to the majority on planet earth. It refers to people who are Black, African, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or, have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities’. 

Our Values

Commitment – We are committed to; a united organisation, to each other, to collaboration, to justice, to our communities and to creating a world where nature thrives. 

Diversity – We are respectful of and welcome diversity of staff, volunteers, offices, environmental regions, communities, stakeholders. 

Integrity – We work effectively, efficiently, strategically, professionally, and ethically; “justice is in our nature”. 

Vision – We lead change and environmental empowerment using innovation, creativity, and courage. 

How To Apply

• Apply via our website or by clicking ‘Apply here’: https://www.edo.org.au/jobs/
• To review the position description, please see this link: https://www.edo.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Position-Description-Director-People-and-Culture-Oct-2025.pdf

If you have queries regarding this advertisement, please contact us at recruitment@edo.org.au

Applications will close at 12pm on Monday, 20 October 2025 with interviews to follow.

Applications must include a CV and a letter that clearly addresses each of the key selection criteria above.

The Key Selection Criteria show the minimum essential requirements of the position. The desirable criteria outline additional attributes which would enable the successful candidate to perform the role more effectively; they are not essential but may be used to distinguish between applicants during the shortlisting process.

EDO particularly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Pacific Island people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, workers of all ages, people with disabilities and people who identify as LGBTQIA+.

Please note: Your application may be considered for future roles at the EDO within the next 12 months without additional advertising. Please notify us in your application if you would not like to be considered for similar roles beyond this recruitment.

If you have any accessibility needs for the recruitment or interviewing process, please let us know in your application or by emailing recruitment@edo.org.au.

Vaccination Requirement

EDO does not have a vaccination mandate. EDO staff have the option to share vaccination details within the EDO HRIS system. EDO will maintain this record of vaccination status of EDO employees; however, if staff do not wish to disclose this information, it will not be enforced.

Working With Clients Face-To-Face:

• EDO works with diverse peoples and groups across the Australian and Pacific communities, including people who are considered a high-risk group in terms of COVID-19.
• In order to ensure the safety of all EDO employees and the people we work with and around, staff visiting overburdened communities are required to take a COVID-19 test three (3) days prior and on the day of travel to the overburdened community.

Other Information

All offers of employment may be subject to satisfactory background checks including a National Police Check, disclosure of previous or current disciplinary action, referee checks, proof of eligibility to work in Australia and qualification checks.