HR Advisory Services Manager

• Ready to lead a high-performing HR advisory team?
• Can you build trusted relationships and deliver clear, practical advice?
• Are you confident balancing competing priorities in a fast-paced setting?

Lead the future of HR advisory in a high-impact environment

At Te Herenga Waka, we're shaping the future of work in a globally connected, capital city university. We're looking for a people leader who can bring clarity, pace, and impact to our Advisory Services function - someone who thrives on building capability, strengthening relationships, and delivering great outcomes for managers and their teams.

Korero mo te turanga - About the role

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington is currently recruiting an HR Advisory Services Manager to join Te Pumanawa Tangata - Human Resources team in a permanent, full-time position.

This is a key leadership role, reporting to the Manu Taiko - Associate Director, People Operations and leading a team of around 14 HR Advisers and Senior Advisers.

As HR Advisory Services Manager, you'll lead the delivery of proactive, high-quality HR advice across the University. Your focus will be on ensuring our advice is practical, balanced, and grounded in clear options and risk-enabling managers to make confident decisions about their people.

You'll work closely with the Principal Adviser and wider HR leadership team to:

• Drive consistent, timely, and customer-focused advisory services.
• Balance team workloads and support development of deep subject matter expertise.
• Strengthen relationships with senior leaders across the University.
• Use data and insights to identify workforce trends and shape future actions.

You'll also play a key role in lifting manager capability, contributing to strategic initiatives, and embedding improvements into how we deliver People services.

What you'll be responsible for:

Leading a high-performing advisory team

• Coaching and developing Advisers to deliver quality, practical HR advice.
• Managing workloads, portfolios, and service continuity.
• Creating a team culture that balances operational delivery with development and innovation.

Delivering impactful HR advice

• Supporting managers across a wide range of areas including:
  • Employment relations and case management.
  • Recruitment, remuneration, and job evaluation.
  • Organisational change and workforce planning.
  • Performance and capability development.
• Ensuring advice is pragmatic, risk-aware, and outcome-focused.

Building capability and influencing outcomes

• Supporting the development of manager capability through tools, guidance, and training.
• Building trusted relationships with senior leaders across the University.
• Acting as a key link between advisory, specialist HR teams, and Finance.

Driving insight and improvement

• Using people data and workforce insights to identify trends and opportunities.
• Contributing to HR strategy, projects, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Helping shape and embed our evolving HR operating model.
  

O pumanawa - About you

You're an experienced HR leader who is comfortable operating in complexity and influencing at a senior level.

We're looking for someone who has:

• Significant experience in complex HR environments (e.g., unionised, diverse workforce, organisational change).
• A strong track record of partnering with senior leaders to deliver outcomes.
• Experience leading teams and developing capability.
• The ability to balance operational delivery with strategic contribution.
• Excellent judgement - able to navigate risk, ambiguity, and competing priorities.
• A collaborative, relationship-focused approach.

Experience in the tertiary or public sector is advantageous, as is a relevant postgraduate qualification or HRNZ membership.

Why join us?

At Te Herenga Waka, you'll be part of a team that's:

• Purpose-driven - supporting education, research, and communities locally and globally.
• Values-led - grounded in kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, akoranga, and whai matauranga.
• Evolving - transforming how we deliver HR services to enable better outcomes.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Lead meaningful change in a large, complex organisation.
• Develop a capable and engaged advisory team.
• Influence how HR operates across the University.
  

Ready to make a difference?
If you're looking for a role where you can lead, influence, and shape how people services are delivered at scale-we'd love to hear from you.

Role Description: Click here to see further information.

If this link is not available, click 'apply' to view this on the University career's page.

Close date for vacancy: 15 July 2026.

Contact details for vacancy: If you have any questions regarding this role, please get in touch with Megan Hunt ([email protected]).

How to apply: Please ensure you are applying for this role directly on our careers page and not via email. Candidates must submit supporting documents along with their resume, such as a cover letter. Applicants who do not have residency or citizenship and require a visa to work at the University must clearly indicate their visa status in their application and understand that if they do not have a current, relevant visa, they will need to secure this independently.

Mo Te Herenga Waka - About Our University

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington is renowned for its high-quality research and exceptional teaching. We attract people from around the world. Our university campus spans Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington - the creative, scientific and political centre of Aotearoa New Zealand - and our students thrive on the connections we have made here.

Explore the many benefits of working at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington. Find out where you fit in our strategic direction and learn more about our research expertise.