People and Culture Manager - Operations, NZ

People and Culture Manager - Operations, NZ About Ryman Healthcare At Ryman, exceptional caredoesn’thappen by chance. Behind every meal served, every activity enjoyed, every homemaintained, and every moment of support is a dedicated team working together to make life easier for our residents.That’sour promise-it’sall taken care of. Founded in Christchurch in 1984, Ryman Healthcare is New Zealand’s largest retirement living and aged care provider, with 47 villages across New Zealand and Australia and around 7,800 team members.We’reproud of our 40-year history,and even more excited about wherewe’reheaded. We’rein a real period of transformation-focused on stronger commercial outcomes, smarter ways of working, and continuing to set the standard in retirement living and aged care. Everything we do still comes back to one question: is it good enough for mum and dad? The Role This is a hands-on, operationally embedded P&C leadership role.Reporting to the GM People and Culture,you’llsit within a widerPeople & Safetyfunctionthat reportsthrough totheChiefPeople and Safety Officer.You’llregularlyinteractwithour GeneralManagersof Operations, Village ManagersandVillageleadersto deliver practical people and culture solutions that support performance, capability, and operational excellenceacross ou r38 NZvillages. You'llwork alongside dedicated, specialistteams includingLearning & Development, Recruitment, Payroll, H&S and Comms.Your job is to partner with them,effectivelyconnecting business needs with specialistexpertiseto deliver practical commercially focused solutions and consistent people outcomes. You willbe accountable forleading a team of People & Culture Business Partners, each one supporting6-8 villages and approximately 1,200 team members, ensuringstrong operational support whilemaintainingalignment to the wider People & Culture strategy.You’llknow when to act, when to check in, and whentoescalateandyou’llbring the judgment to tell the difference. This is not a corporate advisory role. It is a visible leadership role where you will be close to our villages, solving real people challenges, coaching leaders, managing riskand delivering outcomes thatdirectlyimpactour residents and team members. In a fast-moving environmentyou'llcombine strategic thinking with a willingnessto roll up your sleeves and get things done. Whatyou’lldo: Partner operations leaders to lift operational excellence and workforce efficiency, providing pragmatic, commercial people leadership that enables village performance and supports business goals. Lead and develop a high-performing, cohesive team that delivers exceptional support to operational leaders. Lead and support complex ER matters, grievances, disciplinary processes, and conflict resolution with confidence, sound judgment, and a solutions-focused approach. Deliver the P&C plan and cyclical people processes across NZ villages, ensuring consistent execution and strong operational outcomes. Support capability uplift initiatives in partnership with operations, to strengthen leadership effectiveness and team performance. Support succession planning, talent development, and performance review cycles, building leadership capability and future talent pipelines. Look actively for better ways of working. This is an environment with genuine opportunity to improve how P&C partners with operations, including quick wins, and we want someone who'll identify opportunities, challenge the status quo, and drive meaningful improvements. Use data and people insights to identify trends, diagnose root causes, and develop practical recommendations that improve workforce outcomes and operational performance. Contribute to a positive, inclusive, high-performance culture across our village operations, helping leaders create environments where people and performance thrive. Ensure people practices, policies and processes are best practice, compliant, and fit for purpose. Partner closely with People & Culture peers in NZ and Victoria to ensure alignment, share best practice, and deliver a consistent team member experience across the business. Who You Are You are a steady, credible, operationally focused People & Culture leader who thrives in fast-paced, complex environments. You combine strong business partnering skills with practical execution, building trusted relationships with leaders while delivering results. You deliver. You partner well. And you stay aligned with the wider team without losing the drive to get things done. You know how to balance people,riskand business outcomes to make good decisions and move thingsforward You bring: Proven People & Culture leadership experience in a fast-paced, operational environment such as healthcare, aged care, hospitality, or a similar sector. You understand commercial drivers andhave successfullypartneredleaders and teams through change and transformation. Strong business partnering skills, with the ability to influence, collaborate and deliver outcomes. High resilience and composure under pressure, remaining calm, pragmatic and effective when priorities shift. A continuous improvement mindset, proactively identifying opportunities to simplify, improve and add value. Strong employment relations capability, confidently managing complex ER matters, performance processes and disciplinary actions, balancing risk, people outcomes and business needs. A data-informed approach, using insights to identify trends, solve problems and support decision-making. Strong communication skills, able to adapt your style and influence effectively at all levels. A digital mindset, comfortable using technology, data and systems to improve performance and ways of working. Experience leading and developing a team, with a strong coaching and capability-building approach. What’sin it for you? A genuinely meaningful role.The work you do directly supports the leaders and teams who care for our residents every day. A business in transformation, with real opportunity to influence, shape our people approach, and drive meaningful outcomes. Ongoing support for professional development and career progression. Additional wellbeing leave and flexible working arrangements. Access to more than 60 employee benefits and discounts across health and wellbeing, banking, insurance, and retail. Social club events and our popular Furry Fridays (bring your dog to work). At Ryman, we support an environment where everyone feels welcome to be themselves. We embrace diversity and celebrate individual uniqueness, encouraging anyone wanting to work for Ryman to apply for our vacant positions. If you are interested in joining anorganisationwith a clear purpose anda commitmentto transformation, kindness, and excellence, we would love to hear from you. #J-18808-Ljbffr