People Manager

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a world-leading global law firm, where our ambition is to help you achieve your goals.

Exceptional client service and the pursuit of excellence are at our core. We invest in and care about our client relationships, which is why so many are longstanding. We enjoy breaking new ground, as we have for over 170 years.

As a fully integrated transatlantic and transpacific firm, we are where you need us to be. Our footprint is extensive and committed across the world’s largest markets, key financial centres and major growth hubs.

At our best tackling complexity and navigating change, we work alongside you on demanding litigation, exacting regulatory work and complex public and private market transactions. We are recognised as leading in these areas.

We are immersed in the sectors and challenges that impact you. We are recognised as standing apart in energy, infrastructure and resources. And we’re focused on areas of growth that affect every business across the world.

All of this is achieved by supporting the growth of our people, who help us deliver on our ambition – which is to help you achieve yours.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer: Your goals. Our ambition

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced People Manager to join our national business partnering team based in Melbourne on a full-time basis.

This opportunity will suit a human resources professional who has well developed business partnering skills and excels in a high-performance organisation where there is a clear commitment to client service both internally and externally.

You will report into a Senior People Manager and play a key role in developing junior members of the team.

What you’ll do

• Partner with key stakeholders to drive strategic people initiatives aligned with the firm's vision, focusing on talent, capability development, and enhancing the employee experience.

• Coach leaders to build high performing, engaged teams, with a strong focus on talent development, retention, and long-term success.

• Deliver cyclical People processes with precision and excellence, ensuring accuracy and consistency.

• Collaborate with Resource Managers to optimise team resourcing, balancing workloads and enabling mobility across groups and offices.

• Empower and mentor junior team members, fostering growth through active knowledge sharing and support.

• Champion a culture of respect by managing people matters with empathy and integrity.

• Interpret and apply people policies with clarity, ensuring alignment with business goals and values.

• Support recruitment efforts, offering strategic advice and hands-on involvement where needed.

• Work closely with People Centres of Expertise to deliver a seamless and consistent employee experience.

• Proactively manage WHS matters, including psychosocial risks, workload management, and wellbeing initiatives.

What you’ll bring

• Tertiary qualifications in Human Resource Management or equivalent.

• A minimum of 7 years’ experience in a HR business partnering role, ideally within a law firm, large corporate or professional services environment.

• A collaborative approach with the ability to independently advise, coach and support senior stakeholders, balancing legislative as well as commercial considerations for the firm.

• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.

• Experience leading cyclical processes in a complex, matrix organisation.

• Hands on management of ER issues (i.e. investigations and performance management).

• A can-do attitude and an ease with building relationships with colleagues across the centres of excellence (Business Partnering, Operations, Resourcing, Recruitment and L&OD).

• A strong client service focus, and commitment to upholding ethics and confidentiality.

• An innovative mindset, curious about AI and emerging technologies.

What you can expect from us

• We’re a world leading international law firm with a global team of over 6,000 professionals across 26 offices. As the market leader in Australia, we are committed to high performance, collaboration, diversity and digital innovation. We are client-centred, commercially driven, and renowned for our solution-focused expertise. We will align your growth with our ambitions.

• We make your personal and professional growth our business. And as part of the team, our ambition is yours too. Wherever you are in your career: grow and help the firm grow with you.

• We will provide opportunities to learn on the job as well as a mix of learning opportunities tailored to you. Daily experiences, supportive challenges, team collaboration, mentors, and structured learning opportunities help you to expand your knowledge and reach your goals.

• We value your wellbeing, both at home and work and we place a strong emphasis on mental health. If you need support, you’ll have it and we’ll empower you to harness your personal strengths, navigate uncertainty, embrace opportunities, and effectively manage things within your control.

• For more benefits on offer such as our holistic wellbeing fund or home office allowance please click here.

• Join us to be part of a human, bold and outstanding team at Australia’s market leading law firm.

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values - Human, Bold, and Outstanding.

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Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.