Chief People Officer

 Why this pivotal role with Challenger Services Group is your next defining career move:

·      Executive-level influence reporting directly to the CEO and shaping our national People & Culture strategy.

·      Lead meaningful transformation across culture, engagement, onboarding, talent, and people systems.

·      Autonomy and impact in a business scaling rapidly across cleaning, security, hospitality, government, aged care, and education.

·      Lead and develop a high-performing national P&C team committed to excellence and continuous improvement.

·      Inclusive, values-driven culture with a strong commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

·      Attractive executive package, performance incentives, national career growth opportunities, EAP support, and employee discounts.

About the Role

As Chief People Officer, you will shape the strategy behind our most important asset - our people. You will be a key member Executive Leadership Team, based in Port Melbourne, leading the national People & Culture function and guiding the organisation through its next phase of significant growth. This is a transformative executive role, not a traditional HR position, where your strategic vision will directly influence organisational performance. You will drive our national P&C strategy, build a high‑performance and inclusive culture, and lead talent attraction and retention across a large, diverse workforce spanning cleaning, hospitality, food production, and security. Your leadership will ensure strong compliance, operational excellence, and a values‑driven employee experience that supports our continued expansion.

Key Responsibilities:

·      Strategic P&C Leadership: Lead the national People & Culture strategy and act as a trusted advisor to the Executive Leadership Team, using data‑driven insights to guide decisions and demonstrate impact.

·      Culture & Engagement Champion: Shape and strengthen our values‑aligned culture, driving initiatives that improve engagement, wellbeing, inclusion, and overall employee experience.

·      Talent Attraction & Retention: Oversee innovative talent strategies, expanding recruitment pipelines, particularly for high‑volume frontline roles and ensuring a positive, consistent candidate experience.

·      P&C Team Leadership: Mentor and develop the national P&C team, building capability and ensuring high‑quality delivery of all people services across the business.

·      Onboarding & HRIS Optimisation: Own the end‑to‑end onboarding experience and optimise HRIS systems to improve employee experience, support efficient operations, strong data insights, and compliant document management.

·      Employee Relations & Performance: Lead all aspects of Employee Relations and embed effective performance frameworks that drive accountability, recognise achievement, and support employee growth.

·      Learning & Development: Identify capability needs and deliver development programs that strengthen skills, support retention, and prepare the workforce for emerging technologies and future demands.

About You:

You are an accomplished, forward‑thinking People & Culture executive with a proven ability to lead strategic transformation and build high‑performance, values‑driven cultures. You bring strong commercial acumen, aligning people strategy with organisational priorities while upholding the highest standards of compliance and ethical leadership.

Your experience in large, multi‑site national environments, ideally within service‑based or blue‑collar industries has equipped you to thrive in fast‑paced settings, elevate capability, and deliver initiatives that drive measurable impact.

With deep expertise in Australian employment law, IR, WHS, and modern awards, you confidently influence senior stakeholders, navigate diverse viewpoints, and embed P&C priorities into broader business strategy. You are a respected leader who builds and mentors high‑performing teams, champions inclusive and diverse workplace cultures, and uses data‑driven insights to guide decisions and demonstrate ROI.

Supported by tertiary qualifications in HR, Business, Organisational Psychology, or a related field, you bring the executive presence and strategic capability required to advance the People agenda at scale.

About Us

Challenger Services Group is a premier national provider of essential service solutions, spanning cleaning, security, hospitality, government, aged care, and education sectors. Operating across all Australian states and territories with 1000+ employees and associates, we are unwavering in our commitment to excellence, safety, sustainability, and fostering enduring partnerships.

At Challenger Services Group our core values are:

• Back Each Other - We look out for our teammates, learn together and succeed as a team.
• Own it – We take pride in what we do, step up when it counts and do things The Challenger Way.
•  Give it a Go – Start strong, finish stronger. We try, learn and improve - every job, every day.

We are proud of our highly supportive culture, which champions career growth, leadership development, and a shared dedication to collaboration, integrity, and innovation. We are sincere advocates for First Nations employment and cultural safety, enthusiastically encouraging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates to apply.

Ready to Lead Our People & Culture Evolution?

Thank you for considering a future with Challenger Services Group. If you are an accomplished and strategic People & Culture leader ready to make a significant impact on a growing national business, we encourage you to apply.

Learn more about us at www.csgroup.com.au