Business Partner - HR

About the company

Edith Cowan University (ECU) Sri Lanka is the first Australian university to establish a direct campus in Sri Lanka, offering students the opportunity to experience an authentic Australian education. We deliver both pathway and bachelor’s programs that reflect the same academic excellence, teaching quality, and student focused approach as ECU Australia.

2. Business Unit Overview

Edith Cowan University Sri Lanka staff are employed by Australian College of Business and Technology Pvt Ltd, as part of the Navitas Group. Navitas is a global leading provider of educational services and learning solutions.

Your tasks

1. Overview and Objectives of the Position:

The HR Business Partner - ECU Sri Lanka is locally embedded role that operates as part of the broader HR Australasia team, ensuring consistency with Navitas people and culture practices while respecting, acknowledging and accommodating local Sri Lankan cultural practices and workplace sensitivities. The role designs and supports the implementation of people related policies, procedures and standards, delivering operational HR support to local line managers to ensure effective, compliant and culturally informed execution of people practices. The role includes responsibility for WHS advocacy and connects into shared services, specialist and governance functions across the broader Navitas HR network.

The HR team are accountable for partnering with the ECU Sri Lanka business, building strong understanding of its strategies, business imperatives and people requirements. Based on these insights, and through close partnership with both local ECU Sri Lanka leadership and the HR Australasia team, the role delivers HR programs and initiatives that are consistent with Navitas ways of working while accommodating mandatory oblifations and cultural sensitivities within the Sri Lankan context.

This role is supported by payroll and HR transactional support advisory generalists, and specialist HR and WHS leadership resources and governance, including global specialists for Compensation and Benefits, WHS and Organisational development.

More specifically HR Partnering is accountable for

• Partner with leaders on current and future staffing needs, ensuring headcount models account for all statutory employment costs and comply with applicable Sri Lankan employment legislation.
• Leading and coach change management in a manner consistent with HR Australasia ways of working, ensuring all change activity meets mandatory requirements under Sri Lankan labour law.
• Talent Acquisition support, guidance and participation on key roles.
• Remuneration / Benefits / Incentive process implementation, advice and education.
• Lead and embed an outcomes and accountability based framework, with coaching that prioritises development feedback and continuous improvement aligned to ECU and Navitas values.
• Providing IR governance, risk management and ER advice within Sri Lankan labour laws.
• Drive the talent sucession management process, coaching managers for outcomes and building transparent career pathways and the long-term capability needs of ECU Sri Lanka.
• Coach managers on people management, tools and processes, including their obligations under Sri Lankan employment law.
• Leading engagement and retention initiatives that build staff trust, create accessible channels for staff voice, feedback and fosters an inclusive workplace culture aligned to ECU and Navitas values.
• HR Project leadership or support, regionally.
• Quality on-boarding and exit management support for core roles.
• Provision of local Wellness, Health and Safety advocacy, support and advice, including awareness of health and safety legislative requirements and some aspects of workers’ compensation management.

4. Key Result Areas

• Partner with the ECU Sri Lanka General Manager and local leadership team to deliver the people agenda, contributing to business planning and translating business requirements into effective HR programs and initiatives;
• Lead the execution of HR strategy consistent with Navitas and HR Australsia ways of working, adapted to meet mandatory obligations under Sri Lankan employment law and local cultural practices and sensitivies;
• Determine current and future staffing needs and devise timely, cost effective recruitment and on-boarding solutions aligned to the current HR classification and remuneration framework, as adjusted from time to time;
• Build and maintain positive staff experience that supports engagement, retention and collaborative and inclusive workplace culture aligned to ECU and Navitas values;
• Cultivate favorable employee relations by implementing appropriate systems, processes and practices to attain high levels of employee retention, engagement and team-oriented work relationships;
• Coach, counsel and provide best practice information to the management staff in areas of staffing, employee relations, performance management, talent development and regulatory compliance to ensure optimum value from the business’ human capital;
• Ensure that all HR programs and processes are executed in a manner that is consistent with Navitas group practices, connected with broader HR Australsia team, and compliant with applicable local legislative requirements;
• Support the delivery and ongoing improvement of HR Systems and tools that are accessible and fit for purpose for ECU Sri Lanka in collaboration with relevant Navitas HR and system support functions

Requirements

5. Technical/Professional Expertise

• Pragmatic HR Generalist (at least 8 years generalist HR experience in a progressive environment) motivated by a 'virtual and distributed' role who has the ability to operate independently with little day-to-day direction.
• Strong proficiency in HR disciplines, e.g. workforce/organisation planning, employee/ industrial relations, training, compensation and recruitment, with solid knowledge of HR practices, standards and statutory requirements.
• Ability to tailor, implement and embed programs and initiatives that are largely determined at the COE/Thought leadership level.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills across all levels.
• Demonstrated IR/ER experience of dispute management, risk mitigation and EBA negotiation.
• Exceptional customer focus and commitment, balanced with owning and driving the HR generalist agenda.
• Ability to adjust rapidly to new situations, and to coach others adapt to change. Change management lead experience and able to guide change programs.
• Strong interpersonal and facilitation skills, able to build credible, trusting and respectful relationships with all levels of employees.
• Strong commercial orientation; understanding of business operations, products and services.
• Strong problem solving and planning skills. High outcome orientation and drive as well as thorough understanding of business execution needs.

• Post-secondary qualifications in HR related field (preferred).
• Demonstrated knowledge and practical experience of Sri Lankan labour law, including the Industrial Disputes Act, Termination of Employment of Workmen Act (TEWA), and applicable statutory obligations.
• Knowledge and application of HRIS and WHS systems and processes high desirable.
• Training and/or experience in dispute resolution, employment law and change management (required).
• Experience working in a complex, matrixed or multi-stakeholder HR environment is preferred .
• Leadership Competencies:
• Developing and Motivating - Derives energy from developing people; coaches and motivates people to deliver desired performance; recruits staff of a high calibre; provides staff with development opportunities; sets and models appropriate standards of behaviour.
• Credibility and Confidence – Effectively balance competing priorities of the business function and the wider Navitas group; viewed as credible exemplar of leadership and earns respect and trust. Sought out for advice.
• Empathy for People – Approachable and culturally aware, understand the concerns of others and responds appropriately to both the situation and the person, with genuine respect for local cultural practices and sensitivies.
• Managing Relationships – Builds strong, effective relationships with local leadership, staff and the broader Navitas HR Australasia team; relates well to people at all levels across a geographically dispersed environment.
• Persuading and Influencing – Understands how to identify and influence stakeholder groups; gains clear agreement and commitment from others by persuading, convincing and negotiating; promotes ideas on behalf of the business; takes care to manage one’s impression and impact on others.
• Presenting and Communicating Information – Expresses opinions, information and key points of an argument clearly and with confidence; responds effectively to stakeholder needs and feedback; adapts to communication style to suit diverse cultural and organisational contexts.

How to apply

Applicants are assessed upon receipt, so you are encouraged to apply now with your interest in the role.

Other

3. Key Relationships

• Senior Manager (HR Business Partnering)
• General Manager, HR Australasia
• General Manager, ECU Sri Lanka
• Executive General Manager
• ACBT HR team
• HR team members
• HR Specialist Functions
• Payroll Team
• HRIS System Manager
• Managers and employees within assigned client group
• External partners and service providers
• Union representatives

Additional Information Our main campus location in Colombo, Sri Lanka is conveniently situated between the CBD and the parliament area, close to restaurants, lunch places and shopping. Located in one multifunctional building, the campus features purpose-built biomedical, engineering and computer labs, a digital hub, large modern library, modern classrooms, student collaboration spaces and a coffee lounge.

All applicants must have full working rights for Sri Lanka to be considered.