People and Culture Manager

• Senior operational HR leadership role embedded in the heart of our NZ village operations
• High-impact partnering position with direct influence on capability, culture, and performance
• Be part of a business in genuine transformation, with the tools, team, and mandate to make a difference

About Ryman Healthcare

At Ryman, exceptional care doesn’t happen by chance. Behind every meal served, every activity enjoyed, every home maintained, and every moment of support is a dedicated team working together to make life easier for our residents. That’s our promise - it’s all taken care of.

Founded in Christchurch in 1984, Ryman Healthcare is New Zealand’s largest retirement living and aged care provider, with 47 villages across New Zealand and Australia and around 7,800 team members. We’re proud of our 40-year history, and even more excited about where we’re headed.

We’re in a real period of transformation - focused on stronger commercial outcomes, smarter ways of working, and continuing to set the standard in retirement living and aged care. Everything we do still comes back to one question: is it good enough for mum and dad?

The Role

This is a hands-on, operationally embedded P&C leadership role. You will partner daily with NZ operations leaders, Village Managers, Regional Leaders, and the broader leadership team to deliver practical people and culture solutions that support performance, capability, and operational excellence across our villages.

You will work autonomously day to day while maintaining clear alignment with the wider P&C strategy. You’ll know when to act, when to check in, and when to escalate and you’ll bring the judgment to tell the difference. This is not a corporate advisory role. It is a delivery role, with real impact, in a fast-moving environment.

What you’ll do

• Partner operations leaders daily to provide practical employment relations, performance management, and people advice
• Support the delivery of the P&C operational plan and cyclic people processes across NZ villages
• Lead and support complex ER matters, grievances, disciplinary processes, and conflict resolution with confidence and sound judgment
• Drive capability uplift initiatives in partnership with operations, identifying gaps and delivering targeted solutions
• Support succession planning, talent development, and performance review cycles with purpose and intent
• Use data and people insights to identify trends, diagnose root causes, and develop practical recommendations
• Lead and develop your direct reports building a high-performing, cohesive team
• Partner closely with People and Culture peers in NZ and Victoria to ensure alignment and share learnings
• Review and reset people policies, processes, and practices to ensure they are best practice, compliant, and fit for purpose
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive, high-performance culture across our village operations

Who You Are

You are a steady, credible, operational HR leader who thrives in fast-paced, complex environments. You deliver. You partner well. And you stay aligned with the wider team without losing the autonomy to get things done.

You bring

• Proven experience as a senior HR generalist or P&C Business Partner in an operationally intensive environment - healthcare, aged care, hospitality, or a similarly fast-paced sector is advantageous, with a strong understanding of business drivers and commercial context.
• Strong employment relations capability - confident managing complex ER matters, performance processes, and disciplinary actions with sound practical judgment, balancing risk, commercial outcomes and operational realities
• High resilience and composure under pressure - you stay calm, focused, and productive when priorities shift and demands are high
• A pragmatic, action-oriented mindset - you progress with imperfect information, avoid perfectionism slowing momentum, and balance pace with accuracy making commercially sound decisions that support business performance and enable progress through change initiatives
• Genuine curiosity and a data-informed approach - you ask good questions, look for root causes, identify trends, and use evidence to guide decisions and recommendations
• Strong communication skills - clear, direct, and adapted to your audience, whether that’s a Village Manager on the floor or a senior leader in a boardroom
• A digital mindset and genuine comfort with technology - you use data, reporting tools, and digital systems confidently and look for opportunities to improve processes and ways of working
• A continuous improvement orientation - you don’t accept ‘the way it’s always been done’ without questioning whether it’s still the right approach
• A growth mindset - curious, open to feedback, committed to your own development and the development of your team
• Experience leading a small team, with a coaching and development approach to leadership

What’s in it for you?

• A genuinely meaningful role, the work you do directly supports the people who care for our residents every day
• A business in transformation, giving you real influence to shape the P&C approach and drive outcomes across NZ operations
• Ongoing support for professional development and career progression
• Additional wellbeing leave and flexible working arrangements
• Access to over 60 discounts with well-known brands across health and wellbeing, banking, insurance, and retail
• Social club events, Furry Fridays (bring your dog to work)
• Pioneers Café access (Christchurch office)

Ready to apply?

At Ryman, we support an environment where everyone feels welcome to be themselves. We embrace diversity and celebrate individual uniqueness, encouraging anyone wanting to work for Ryman to apply for our vacant positions.

If you are interested in joining an organisation with a clear purpose and a commitment to transformation, kindness, and excellence, we would love to hear from you.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and interviews may take place prior to the close date. This means a job ad may close before the advertised close date.