Head of People & Culture
Contract type
Full Time
Location
Kings Cross
Industry
HR & Personnel
Contact name
Lily Moger
Contact email
lily@orchardtalent.com.au
Contact phone
02 9157 6222
Date published
04.09.2026
The organisation
Wayside Chapel is one of Sydney’s most recognised and deeply embedded community organisations, supporting people experiencing homelessness, social isolation and disadvantage. With a vision of ‘Love over Hate’ and a mission of ‘Creating community with no ‘us and them’’, Wayside provides a place where people from all walks of life are welcomed without judgement and supported to access practical assistance, connection and pathways to health and wellbeing.
Operating from Kings Cross and Bondi Beach, Wayside delivers community centres, low-cost meals, showers, clothing, advocacy, referral services, wellbeing activities and other practical supports. Its distinctive culture is underpinned by the values of Connection, Dignity, Openness, Courage and Accountability, which shape both the way Wayside works with its community and how its people work together.
Wayside is entering an important period in its evolution. Its FY26-28 strategy is focused on building sustainable organisational foundations, strengthening impact and ultimately inspiring and leading change. Central to this is attracting and retaining a diverse and talented workforce, increasing engagement and retention, strengthening leadership and creating a safe, connected culture where people can thrive.
The opportunity
Reporting directly to the CEO/Pastor and joining the Executive Leadership Team, the Head of People & Culture is a key executive appointment responsible for ensuring Wayside has the people, leadership, culture and capability required to deliver its strategy and mission. The role leads the People & Culture and volunteer portfolio across an organisation of approximately 114 employees and 550 volunteers, with three direct and two indirect reports.
With a broad enterprise remit, the Head of People & Culture will lead workforce planning, organisational design and change, employee and industrial relations, recruitment and retention, leadership development, engagement and wellbeing, remuneration, WHS and psychosocial safety, people systems and policies and volunteer management.
A key priority will be continuing to mature Wayside’s people practices while protecting the distinctive culture and sense of community that sits at the heart of the organisation. The role will strengthen leadership and management capability, build accountability and performance, support leaders through difficult conversations and change and use workforce data and employee and volunteer feedback to drive improvement.
Working closely with the CEO/Pastor, Executive Leadership Team and People & Governance Committee, the Head of People & Culture will be a trusted advisor who can provide practical, courageous and considered advice on complex organisational decisions. They will bring a strong understanding of people risk and governance while ensuring Wayside continues to balance care for its people with operational requirements, organisational sustainability and its values.
This is a rare opportunity to shape the people agenda of an organisation with an extraordinary connection to its community and make a tangible contribution to Wayside’s next phase of impact.
About you
You are an accomplished People & Culture leader who combines strategic capability with a willingness to remain close to the operational realities of an organisation. You have significant experience across workforce strategy, organisational design and change, culture, leadership development, remuneration and people risk, with the judgement and credibility to operate as a trusted advisor to a CEO/Pastor, Executive Leadership Team and Board or Board Committee.
You bring strong employee and industrial relations capability and are comfortable navigating complex and sensitive matters including investigations, grievances, performance management, restructures and redundancies. A strong working knowledge of Australian employment law, Modern Awards, WHS and psychosocial safety will be important, alongside the ability to translate these requirements into practical approaches that work within Wayside’s environment.
Importantly, you are a highly relational leader who can build trust with people at every level, from employees and volunteers through to the Executive and Board. You bring sound commercial and financial judgement and can move between strategy and implementation. You will have the courage to challenge when required while bringing an open, pragmatic and deeply human leadership style aligned to Wayside’s mission and values.
Experience within the not-for-profit, community services or broader purpose-led sector will be highly regarded, as will experience leading or overseeing a significant volunteer workforce.
How to apply
For a confidential discussion or role-related questions, please contact Lily Moger of The Orchard Talent Group at lily@orchardtalent.com.au. Please note applicants must have the right to work in Australia.
Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted
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.
Wayside Chapel is one of Sydney’s most recognised and deeply embedded community organisations, supporting people experiencing homelessness, social isolation and disadvantage. With a vision of ‘Love over Hate’ and a mission of ‘Creating community with no ‘us and them’’, Wayside provides a place where people from all walks of life are welcomed without judgement and supported to access practical assistance, connection and pathways to health and wellbeing.
Operating from Kings Cross and Bondi Beach, Wayside delivers community centres, low-cost meals, showers, clothing, advocacy, referral services, wellbeing activities and other practical supports. Its distinctive culture is underpinned by the values of Connection, Dignity, Openness, Courage and Accountability, which shape both the way Wayside works with its community and how its people work together.
Wayside is entering an important period in its evolution. Its FY26-28 strategy is focused on building sustainable organisational foundations, strengthening impact and ultimately inspiring and leading change. Central to this is attracting and retaining a diverse and talented workforce, increasing engagement and retention, strengthening leadership and creating a safe, connected culture where people can thrive.
The opportunity
Reporting directly to the CEO/Pastor and joining the Executive Leadership Team, the Head of People & Culture is a key executive appointment responsible for ensuring Wayside has the people, leadership, culture and capability required to deliver its strategy and mission. The role leads the People & Culture and volunteer portfolio across an organisation of approximately 114 employees and 550 volunteers, with three direct and two indirect reports.
With a broad enterprise remit, the Head of People & Culture will lead workforce planning, organisational design and change, employee and industrial relations, recruitment and retention, leadership development, engagement and wellbeing, remuneration, WHS and psychosocial safety, people systems and policies and volunteer management.
A key priority will be continuing to mature Wayside’s people practices while protecting the distinctive culture and sense of community that sits at the heart of the organisation. The role will strengthen leadership and management capability, build accountability and performance, support leaders through difficult conversations and change and use workforce data and employee and volunteer feedback to drive improvement.
Working closely with the CEO/Pastor, Executive Leadership Team and People & Governance Committee, the Head of People & Culture will be a trusted advisor who can provide practical, courageous and considered advice on complex organisational decisions. They will bring a strong understanding of people risk and governance while ensuring Wayside continues to balance care for its people with operational requirements, organisational sustainability and its values.
This is a rare opportunity to shape the people agenda of an organisation with an extraordinary connection to its community and make a tangible contribution to Wayside’s next phase of impact.
About you
You are an accomplished People & Culture leader who combines strategic capability with a willingness to remain close to the operational realities of an organisation. You have significant experience across workforce strategy, organisational design and change, culture, leadership development, remuneration and people risk, with the judgement and credibility to operate as a trusted advisor to a CEO/Pastor, Executive Leadership Team and Board or Board Committee.
You bring strong employee and industrial relations capability and are comfortable navigating complex and sensitive matters including investigations, grievances, performance management, restructures and redundancies. A strong working knowledge of Australian employment law, Modern Awards, WHS and psychosocial safety will be important, alongside the ability to translate these requirements into practical approaches that work within Wayside’s environment.
Importantly, you are a highly relational leader who can build trust with people at every level, from employees and volunteers through to the Executive and Board. You bring sound commercial and financial judgement and can move between strategy and implementation. You will have the courage to challenge when required while bringing an open, pragmatic and deeply human leadership style aligned to Wayside’s mission and values.
Experience within the not-for-profit, community services or broader purpose-led sector will be highly regarded, as will experience leading or overseeing a significant volunteer workforce.
How to apply
For a confidential discussion or role-related questions, please contact Lily Moger of The Orchard Talent Group at lily@orchardtalent.com.au. Please note applicants must have the right to work in Australia.
Applications will be reviewed as they are submitted
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.
APPLY NOW
Share this job
Create job alert
Create as alert
SCHEMA MARKUP ( This text will only show on the editor. )
