About Us

The Perth Bears are Western Australia's newest professional sporting club, set to join the NRL in 2027. As a high-performance organisation, we are committed to building strong foundations on and off the field to ensure long-term success. We are rich in ambition, and we are assembling a passionate and committed team to connect with fans across Western Australia and beyond, creating experiences that inspire pride, loyalty, and belonging.

Joining our team means being part of a rare start-up opportunity in elite sport, where your expertise will directly shape the future of rugby league in WA and help deliver a lasting legacy for our community.

The Opportunity

The Head of People, Culture & Operations will establish, embed and lead the foundational people systems, processes and cultural frameworks that will underpin the Perth Bears.

You will shape the employee experience from the ground up and drive the Perth Bears culture across all areas of the Club. This is not a role with layers of administration or inherited systems. You will be fully accountable for establishing, delivering, and managing the people and culture function while the club scales, with the ability to move seamlessly between strategic planning and day-to-day execution.

What You'll Do

• Develop and lead People & Culture strategy and operations across the Perth Bears workforce
• Shape and champion a positive, high-performing and values-led culture aligned to the Bears culture
• Establish and maintain core people policies, procedures and frameworks aligned to best practice and NRL industry standards
• Oversee workforce planning, recruitment, performance management, remuneration and employee engagement
• Design and deliver best-practice onboarding and induction programs that integrate new employees into the Club's culture
• Lead employee lifecycle processes and manage workplace relations matters effectively
• Design and deliver learning and development initiatives that build high-performing, engaged teams
• Support workforce planning and wellbeing initiatives across all functions
• Ensure strong governance across people policies, risk, WHS, integrity and safeguarding
• Lead and develop the People & Culture function, building capability and systems as the club scales

What We're Looking For

You are a senior HR leader who balances strategic thinking with effective day-to-day delivery and builds credibility through strong stakeholder relationships.

You bring:

• Senior HR leadership experience (minimum 10 years), with 5+ years in a senior leadership capacity
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach and strong capability across core HR functions including workforce planning, employee relations, engagement and culture
• Experience working with executive teams, boards or board committees
• Ability to operate strategically and operationally in a lean, fast-paced, start-up environment
• Strong understanding of contemporary HR practices, employment legislation, industrial relations and organisational development
• Demonstrated capability to lead strategically while remaining agile in operational execution
• Experience in a high-performance or membership-based organisation (sport, entertainment or similar) is highly valued
• Strong judgement, discretion and stakeholder management capability
• Resilience and adaptability, with a proven ability to lead in fast-paced, high-pressure environments
• Experience with HR systems and technology platforms (HRIS desirable)

Essential Qualifications & Attributes

• Tertiary qualifications in Human Resource Management, Industrial Relations, Business Administration, or a related field
• Values-led and aligned to the Perth Bears culture
• Pragmatic, proactive and solutions-focused
• Comfortable balancing strategic thinking with hands-on delivery
• Strong communicator with the ability to influence and build trusted relationships
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Working in a Start-Up Environment

The Perth Bears are a start-up organisation in a critical foundation phase. This position is intentionally hands-on and will initially operate with lean support structures. You will be required to design processes, integrate technology platforms, build relationships, solve problems in real time, and deliver outcomes concurrently.

Success in this role requires comfort with ambiguity, strong personal accountability, and the ability to move seamlessly between strategic planning and day-to-day execution. As the club scales, there will be opportunities to influence the future structure and resourcing of the people and culture function.

Why Join Us

This is more than a job – it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the success of Perth's new NRL team. You'll be part of a start-up phase where your ideas, energy, and leadership will directly influence the club's future.

• Be part of a once-in-a-generation sporting project
• Work in a dynamic, ambitious, and supportive start-up culture
• Leave your mark on rugby league in Western Australia
• Influence performance at the highest level of sport through people

Important Information

The Perth Bears are an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all employees. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people with disability.

Please note, the Perth Bears do not accept unsolicited applications or requests for employment sent directly to the Club. Only applications submitted through the advertised channels will be considered.

Applications will be reviewed as received, we encourage early applications, as interviews may commence prior to the advertised closing date, and the ad will be closed early should a suitable candidate be identified.

Not open to recruitment agencies.