Director, Employee Experience

Director, Employee Experience

Design the Future of Work | Champion Inclusion | Lead People Strategy

At Sydney Water, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone belongs, grows, and thrives. We’re seeking an experienced Director, Employee Experience to lead the end-to-end strategy and delivery of programs that grow and develop our workforce capabilities across the entire employee lifecycle.

In this pivotal leadership role, you will own all aspects of talent management, capability building, retention, succession planning, diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI), and total reward ensuring our people have the support, development opportunities, and recognition they need to succeed now and into the future. You’ll work closely with the People & Culture team and business leaders to embed an employee experience that is meaningful, inclusive, and aligned with our purpose.

You will have full accountability for the employee experience remit, leading the development and implementation of Sydney Water’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and embedding it across all key processes. Using data driven insights, you’ll identify opportunities to streamline systems and processes, making recommendations for continuous improvement across intersecting teams and functions. Your focus will be on optimising current processes, driving operational excellence, and ensuring our programs deliver measurable value.

You’ll oversee capability growth programs, leadership development, coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and retention strategies to nurture and grow our high performers. You will also guide the evolution of our performance management and total rewards frameworks, ensuring they are fair, competitive, and aligned with our attraction and retention goals.

Experience and Qualifications:

• Significant strategic HR leadership experience in senior roles such as Director, Talent & Organisational Development; Director, Employee Engagement & Experience within large complex organisations.
• Demonstrated expertise leading and delivering programs across the full employee experience remit, including performance management, talent management, leadership development, DEI, reward and benefit and Early Careers Programs (ECP).
• Proven ability to own and deliver end-to-end talent management and capability growth initiatives, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy and workforce needs.
• Strong track record in developing and embedding Employee Value Proposition (EVP) strategies throughout the employee lifecycle.
• Experience designing and managing succession and retention programs, as well as coaching and mentoring frameworks.
• Demonstrated success in managing performance management frameworks and remuneration processes that support business objectives and employee development.
• Exceptional influencing and customer service skills, with a collaborative and inclusive leadership style.
• Tertiary qualifications in Human Resources, Business, Technology and AHRI Membership (required).
• While not essential, experience with Human Centred Design and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification is desirable

This is your chance to shape how thousands of people experience their working life at Sydney Water and to help build a future-ready organisation where everyone can flourish.

Please note as part of the application process, you will be asked to undergo background checks which includes a criminal history check and a medical assessment either online or in person. Please advise if you require any adjustments to actively participate in the application and recruitment process.  

You must be an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident at the time of submitting your application to be considered for this role. 

Dive into Our Great Benefits: 

• Competitive Remuneration: We’ll ensure that your skills and contributions are valued and rewarded appropriately. 
• Hybrid Work Environment: We offer a hybrid work model that balances remote work and office collaboration, supporting our team's productivity and well-being. 
• Continuous Professional Growth: We will invest in your career with leadership and development programs to propel your success. 
• 24/7 Wellbeing Support: Access for you and your family to free and confidential mental health and general health support through our EAP portal. 
• Discounted Private Health Insurance: Unlock affordable access to top-tier health coverage with our discounted insurance plans. 
• Family First: Prioritise your family with up to 18 weeks of fully paid parental leave and a childcare allowance. 
• Fitness Passport: Achieve your physical fitness goals using our Fitness Passport, granting you access to a multitude of gyms and pools across NSW. 
• Novated Leasing: Get in the driver's seat of your financial future with our novated lease options. 

Closing Date: Wednesday 30th of July at 11:59pm AEST

For any further information please contact Mercedeh.Emadi@sydneywater.com.au

Working at Sydney Water

At Sydney Water, we are passionate about making a difference to the lives of our customers and communities. We have a proud heritage and progressive future providing world class drinking water and services that are vital to our customers’ quality of life and safeguarding Sydney’s future. We see the world is changing, so we are changing too.   

Our vision is to create better lives through world-class services, and we believe that starts with our people. Our people and their jobs are as diverse as the communities we serve. Our diverse skills, mindsets and backgrounds work together on exciting and challenging projects that make a difference and help ensure Sydney remains one of the most iconic and liveable cities in the world. 

We welcome and encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, including First Nations people, LGBTQIA+, people with disability, people with caring responsibilities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and veterans.  

As part of the application process, Sydney Water will be collecting your personal information to assess your suitability for the role. We will also use your personal information to establish a LiveHire talent profile in our Talent Community.  

We look at our Talent Community first when new opportunities come up when you apply for a role. Your personal information will be collected in accordance with LiveHire’s Terms, Privacy Policy and Sydney Water’s Privacy Collection Statement – Job Application 

This role is internally titled Senior Manager Employee Experience, as outlined in the job profile. Please see the job profile for the role’s full accountabilities.