Lead the People & Culture function to enhance culture, compliance and engagement, delivering a modern, high-trust employee experience in a non-traditional workforce.
The organisation
Cafe Sydney is one of Australia’s most iconic dining destinations, located on the rooftop of Customs House with panoramic views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Established in 1999, Cafe Sydney have been delivering an elevated à la carte experience that captures the spirit of Sydney, with a modern Australian menu, an awarded wine list and exceptional, contemporary hospitality. Their team of more than 150 hospitality professionals work together across front and back-of-house to create memorable experiences for every guest. Cafe Sydney are proud to foster a dynamic and inclusive workplace culture that values professional growth, training and work–life balance.
The opportunity
Reporting to the CEO, the Head of People & Culture will take full ownership of the people function for one of Sydney’s most iconic hospitality venues. As a stand-alone leader, you will work closely with department heads to shape a high-performing, engaged, compliant and trusted workplace culture. This role blends hands-on HR operations with strategic people leadership, giving you the scope to modernise systems, uplift capability and enhance the employee experience end-to-end.
Some of the key responsibilities include:
- Oversee all HR operations including recruitment, payroll oversight (Enterprise Agreement, Restaurant Industry Award and NES), visa management, WHS and employee relations.
- Partner with leaders to embed efficient people processes, optimise HR systems, manage HRIS (Employment Hero) and ensure compliance.
- Strengthen people capability through development, succession, and
- Shape a clear employer brand and develop the implementation of the company Employee Assistance Program (EAP), driving engagement, trust and positive employee wellbeing.
You are an experienced People & Culture professional, with a generalist background, who thrives in fast-paced, high-performance environments and enjoys being hands-on. You bring sound judgement, excellent communication skills and the confidence to influence and coach leaders, and engage in front line interactions, across a diverse workforce.
Our ideal candidate will have:
- 5+ years’ experience in a senior People & Culture role
- Background in hospitality or similar service-driven industries
- Extremely strong compliance knowledge, with experience navigating Restaurant Industry Award, Enterprise agreement, NES, industrial relations and workforce planning
- Confident managing diverse recruitment (Professional and Trade specific), WHS (including injury management and Return-to-Work planning), performance, training, and development programs
- Warm, credible and highly organised. Able to build trust quickly and work at pace with energy and professionalism
How to Apply
For a confidential discussion or role related questions, please contact Lily Moger of The Orchard Talent Group on lily@orchardtalent.com.au. To apply please submit your current CV via the link.
Applications close 20th December 2025.
The Orchard Talent Group acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work. We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging, for they hold the memories, traditions, culture and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.