People & Culture Business Partner

The People & Culture Business Partner is at the heart of shaping our people strategy, partnering with leaders to drive a high-performance culture that aligns with our core values and business goals. You’ll provide trusted advice, strategic insights, and proactive solutions, empowering teams to achieve their best and ensuring our people initiatives have a meaningful impact across our three brands.

Reporting to the GM People & Culture, this role will partner closely with our Retail and Support Office teams on a wide range of HR generalist activity including employee relations and engagement, organisational design & workforce planning, leadership capability, culture and talent development, performance management and reporting & analytics.

This role is ideal for a strategic HR professional who thrives in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment and is passionate about enabling people to succeed.

A leader in the Australian fashion industry, APG & Co designs and manages Sportscraft, SABA and JAG. For over 50 years, APG & Co. has curated, grown and evolved these brands to be at the forefront of Australian fashion. We celebrate our history while allowing our brands to express themselves in contemporary, relevant and authentic ways.

APG & Co has over 1000 employees across Australia and New Zealand.

The working environment is professional and passionate. The mission: Bringing Brands to Life. APG & Co values working as a collective, thriving on change, and playing to win. We are built to last.

The Role

Strategic Business Partnering

• Act as a strategic partner to our Leaders and People Managers to develop proactive people strategies that drive business performance
• Support leaders in fostering highly engaged, high-performing teams through tailored HR solutions
• Provide expert guidance to navigate complex people matters, ensuring decisions align with business goals and fairness
• Build strong relationships with leaders and teams to understand business challenges and provide people-focused solutions.
• Act as a trusted advisor to leadership teams, guiding them in areas such as performance management, succession planning, and workforce strategy.
• Champion a culture of accountability, feedback, and continuous learning.

 Employee Relations & Performance Management

• Provide guidance on employee relations matters, ensuring fair and legally compliant outcomes.
• Coach managers on having difficult conversations, performance management, and holding their teams accountable.
• Lead investigations, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions as required.
• Lead the review and evolution of HR processes and policies to stay ahead of legislative changes and align with best practices
• Anticipate and address employment relations challenges through early intervention strategies, minimising financial and reputational risks
• Equip leaders with knowledge and tools to navigate compliance confidently while supporting business objectives

  Performance and Organisational Development

• Design and implement programs that build a high-performance culture, focusing on career development, leadership growth, and increasing capability
• Maintain and elevate performance standards through robust performance management frameworks
• Provide strategies to align organisational structures, culture and operational effectiveness

  Talent & Leadership Development

• Support the execution of leadership development programs for store managers, middle management, and senior leadership teams.
• Identify high-potential talent and work with leaders to develop career pathways and succession plans.
• Partner with Hiring Managers to strategically attract and secure exceptional talent
• Building talent pools and succession plans internally and externally

 HR Reporting

• Deliver actionable insights to leadership through clear and strategic HR reporting on key metrics, including turnover, and engagement
• Ensure employee data is managed securely, efficiently by optimising systems and tools
  
  

Culture & Engagement

• Drive initiatives that enhance employee engagement and reinforce company values and alignment with broader company strategy.
• Support change management programs to build accountability, alignment and adaptability across teams.

You

• At least 5 years’ experience in a similar HR role
• Retail and/or fashion industry experience in a Multi-site environment essential
• Ability to work effectively in both a reactive and proactive manner
• The natural capacity to be resilient, optimistic and fun to work with, even under pressure
• Experience in developing and implementing HR initiatives to meet operational and strategic objectives
• Ability to adapt style and positively influence at all levels of the organisation
• Strong understanding of current employment legislation, including Retail Award
• Proven ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills
• Demonstrated experience in using data to drive HR strategies
• Highly organised with strong planning and organisational skills
• Strong business acumen with the ability to align people strategies with business goals.
• Excellent coaching and influencing skills, with experience in guiding leaders on complex HR matters
• A solutions-focused mindset, with the ability to work autonomously and collaboratively