People & Culture Manager

The People & Culture Manager, based in Sydney, will oversee HR operations for Flying Bark’s Sydney based projects, ensuring alignment with global practices and compliance with local regulations. The role encompasses managing employee lifecycle processes, employee and labour relations, talent acquisition support, benefits administration and fostering employee engagement. This position is integral to supporting the studio’s growth, maintaining a positive workplace culture and partnering with global People & Culture teams to implement strategic initiatives aligned with the company’s values and objectives.

Must Have

• Manage ER and IR issues, including workplace disputes, disciplinary processes, performance management, and worker compensation claims.
• Administer benefits programs and support compensation processes.
• Support efforts to enhance employee engagement.
• Collaborate on key HR projects, including LMS rollout and annual performance/salary review processes.
• Manage comprehensive HR reporting and ensure compliance with local regulations and industry best practices.
• Act as a trusted advisor for managers and employees on HR policies and procedures.
• Spearhead collaboration between the three studio P&C Managers to align on shared vision, culture, and knowledge sharing.
• Manage the Recruitment team, guiding talent acquisition processes, onboarding, and enhancing candidate experience.
• A degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in a HR Business Partner or Manager role, with significant expertise in handling employee relations (ER) and industrial relations (IR) matters.
• Strong understanding of Australian labour laws and HR compliance, ideally with demonstrated knowledge of the Broadcasting, Recorded Entertainment and Cinemas Award.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across all levels of the organisation.
• Proven ability to prioritise tasks, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• A hands-on approach to HR, with a strong emphasis on executing HR activities and supporting team members.
• Comfort and confidence in making autonomous decisions at a senior level, including providing operational and compliance guidance and resolving complex employee relations and general HR matters.

Good to Have

• Prior experience in the creative, entertainment, media or gaming industries is highly desirable.

Perks & Benefits

• Work on exciting projects such as Avatar: The Last Airbender feature film, Netflix's Ghostbusters animated series and Stranger Things animated series, as well as Tales From Outer Suburbia.
• Industry leading studio space in Alexandria, complete with a cinema, quiet room, Zen Garden, games room, and state of the art animation facilities.
• Breakfast is served daily.
• Cake days, movie nights, wrap parties & a culture club.
• Paws for a Cause fundraising arm raising funds for charities.
• Dog-friendly studio.
• Hybrid approach to work with flexible work from home days.
• Career development, training and support opportunities.
• Positive and inclusive culture.
• Access to mental health resources and free counselling via Employee Assistance Provider, Support Act.
• Holistic wellbeing support through discounted health insurance with Bupa, financial wellbeing initiatives from Media Super, and access to staff qualified in Mental Health First Aid.

Flying Bark Productions is a dynamic and innovative animation studio dedicated to pushing the boundaries of character animation and storytelling. We are working on exciting projects such as Avatar: The Last Airbender feature film, Netflix's Ghostbusters animated series and Stranger Things animated series, as well as our production Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan.

Prioritising candidates based in Sydney, no remote opportunities available.

The People & Culture Manager, based in Sydney, will oversee HR operations for Flying Bark’s Sydney based projects, ensuring alignment with global practices and compliance with local regulations. The role encompasses managing employee lifecycle processes, employee and labour relations, talent acquisition support, benefits administration and fostering employee engagement. This position is integral to supporting the studio’s growth, maintaining a positive workplace culture and partnering with global People & Culture teams to implement strategic initiatives aligned with the company’s values and objectives.

About the role:

Employee Relations & Industrial Relations

• Manage ER and IR issues, including workplace disputes, disciplinary processes, and performance management, worker compensation claims ensuring compliance with labour laws and HR policies.

Benefits & Compensation Administration

• Administer benefits programs and support compensation processes to ensure employee satisfaction and maintain market competitiveness. This includes conducting regular benchmarking to align our offerings with industry standards.

Employee Engagement Initiatives

• Support efforts to enhance employee engagement, including participation in culture building activities and rollout of learning and development initiatives.

HR Projects

• Collaborate with the Director of Operation on key projects, including the rollout of a learning management system and supporting the annual performance and salary review processes. This role also involves efforts to continue scaling our HR initiatives across all three studios, Los Angeles, Sydney and Madrid to ensure alignment and consistency as Flying Bark continues to grow.

HR Reporting & Compliance

• Manage comprehensive HR reporting and ensure all HR activities comply with local regulations and industry best practices. Conduct regular audits aligned with the Broadcasting, Recorded Entertainment and Cinemas Award to maintain high levels of quality and compliance. Provide detailed insights from these audits to support operational decisions and continuous improvement in HR processes.

Support and Guidance

• Act as a trusted advisor for managers and employees on HR policies and procedures, fostering a positive and compliant workplace culture.

Global P&C Collaboration

• Spearhead collaboration between the three studio P&C Managers to align on shared vision, culture and knowledge sharing.

Recruitment & Talent Acquisition

• Manage the Recruitment team, guiding talent acquisition processes, onboarding, and enhancing the overall candidate experience.

About you:

• A degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field is required.
• Demonstrated experience in a HR Business Partner or Manager role, with significant expertise in handling employee relations (ER) and industrial relations (IR) matters.
• Strong understanding of Australian labour laws and HR compliance, ideally with demonstrated knowledge of the Broadcasting, Recorded Entertainment and Cinemas Award.
• Prior experience in the creative, entertainment, media or gaming industries is highly desirable.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across all levels of the organisation.
• Proven ability to prioritise tasks, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• A hands on approach to HR, with a strong emphasis on executing HR activities and supporting team members.
• Comfort and confidence in making autonomous decisions at a senior level, including providing operational and compliance guidance and resolving complex employee relations and general HR matters.

What do we do?

Flying Bark Productions is a renowned independent producer of family-focused animation entertainment. For over 50 years, our 2D and 3D production facility has created award-winning feature films and TV series.

Why work with us?

• We work on some pretty cool projects - check out our website: https://www.flyingbark.com.au/
• We have an industry leading studio space in Alexandria, complete with a cinema, quiet room, Zen Garden, games room, and state of the art animation facilities.
• Breakfast is served daily - on us!
• We have cake days, movie nights, wrap parties & a culture club dedicated to coordinating our busy social calendar!
• The Barkers have big hearts too, with our Paws for a Cause fundraising arm raising much needed funds for charities such such as Beyond Blue, RSPCA and the Cancer Council.
• We love dogs and you will often see some of our regular fluffy companions in the studio.
• We have a hybrid approach to work with flexible work from home days on offer.
• Career development is important to us so we offer training and support opportunities whenever possible.
• Our employees say our culture is the best they've ever experienced - everyone is welcome and celebrated!
• You'll have access to mental health resources and free counselling via our Employee Assistance Provider, Support Act.
• Enjoy holistic wellbeing support through discounted health insurance with Bupa, financial wellbeing initiatives from our superannuation partner Media Super, and access to staff qualified in Mental Health First Aid.