The People & Culture team at Garvan is not just a support function; we are strategic enablers of world-class science. Our mission is to translate Garvan’s scientific ambition into a high-performance people strategy. We partner with leaders to build a diverse, inclusive, and agile culture that empowers researchers to tackle the world’s most complex diseases. By marrying deep organisational insight with legislative expertise, we ensure Garvan remains a global leader in both biomedical research and talent management.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The P&C Science Partner serves as a critical bridge between the Institute’s Scientific objectives and its people capabilities. You will act as a Strategic Partner for a dedicated portfolio of Programs and Teams, moving beyond transactional HR to deeply understand their organisational needs.
Your primary focus is to:
Translate Strategy into Action: Co-create and deliver tailored People Plans that directly support the strategic and operational goals of your scientific cohort.
Navigate Complexity and Risk: Balance innovative people solutions with a robust understanding of Australian employment law and risk management, ensuring the Institute is protected while it grows.
Drive Organisational Effectiveness: Partner with leaders to design bespoke organisational models – such as team structures for new grants – that enhance performance and scientific output.
Lead Change and Project Excellence: Act as a catalyst for evolution by applying structured change management and project governance to people initiatives.
Salary: Up to $130,000 + 12% super + salary packaging (depending on experience)
Employment Type: Permanent full-time
SNAPSHOT OF BENEFITS
Generous salary packaging to save you income tax on your wages thereby boosting your monthly take home pay (max. $15,900 general expenses + $2,650 meals/accom)
Ample opportunities for on-going training and development
Stimulating, diverse and highly international research environment
Flexible work arrangements e.g. start / finish times
18 weeks paid parental leave for both parents including paid superannuation
A range of additional leave types to meet your personal needs including cultural leave, conference leave, community service and study leave
Discounted Health Insurance
Lifestyle discounts with our community partners
WHAT YOU WILL DO
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The key responsibilities:
1. Strategic Workforce Planning & Job Design
Organisational Architecture: Partner with Lab Heads and other People Leaders to design and implement organisational models that optimise team effectiveness, particularly when establishing new teams upon receipt of significant grants.
Workforce Planning: Lead labour planning initiatives to ensure the right talent is in place to meet scientific milestones, balancing immediate operational needs with long-term strategic growth.
2. Coaching & Building High-Performing Teams
Leadership Coaching: Act as a trusted advisor to People Leaders, providing 1:1 coaching to enhance leadership capability and confidence.
Performance Excellence: Facilitate talent reviews and succession planning while coaching managers on how to navigate complex performance management issues to achieve positive, high-standard outcomes.
3. Remuneration & Market Alignment
Remuneration Strategy: Conduct annual remuneration reviews for your client portfolio to ensure internal equity and external competitiveness.
Market Benchmarking: Partner with the P&C team to analyse market data and ensure Garvan’s reward and recognition frameworks remain aligned with industry standards to attract and retain top-tier global talent.
4. Change Management, Project Governance & Engagement
Change Facilitation: Apply structured change management practices to transition staff and leaders through organisational shifts with high engagement.
Project Delivery: Implement P&C projects (local and cross-organisational) while adhering to project governance and reporting frameworks.
Insight-Driven Action: Utilise data (e.g. engagement surveys, exit interviews) and sentiment analysis to identify trends within your portfolio, partnering with leaders to design interventions that foster a positive and brave work environment.
5. Risk Mitigation & Employment Relations
Legislative Navigation: Provide expert guidance on policy and process, ensuring that people management issues are resolved in a way that minimises risk while achieving positive, respectful outcomes.
Conflict & Grievance Resolution: Act as the lead contact for sensitive matters, utilising sound judgement and negotiation skills to resolve conflict in alignment with Garvan’s values.
Risk Management: Proactively identify, assess, and report operational, financial, and safety risks associated with the duties of this role. The incumbent is required to adhere to the organisation’s Risk Management Framework, ensure all activities are conducted in accordance with established policies and procedures, and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement by suggesting mitigation strategies for identified hazards or inefficiencies.
ABOUT YOU
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
The key skills and experience include:
ABOUT GARVAN
Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an independent Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Sydney, delivering scientific and clinical impact on a global basis and in partnership with organisations that share our vision. We are proud to be one of Australia’s largest and most highly regarded MRI’s.
Our vision is global leadership in discoveries to impact and our enduring purpose is to impact human health, by harnessing information encoded in our genome.
We seek to see our world-class discovery research achieve life-changing impacts, not only for individual patients with rare diseases, but for the many thousands affected by complex, common disease.
Garvan promotes a diverse workplace and is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We are always looking for culture ‘add’, not culture ‘fit’ and are building diverse teams with great sets of complementary styles and skills to help deliver our important work effectively.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for this position, please submit your application with a CV and cover letter as one document, stating why you are interested in this role. We are reviewing applications as they are received. If you think you’re the right person for this role, we’d love to hear how your capabilities, achievements and experience set you apart. Only applicants with full working rights in Australia are eligible to apply for this role.