Human Resources Manager in Melbourne

About The San Telmo Group

Founded in Melbourne in 2011, The San Telmo Group is an independent hospitality group operating 6 unique restaurants across Melbourne & Brisbane, with approximately 300 total staff - San Telmo, Palermo, Asado, Pastuso, Robata and San Telmo Brisbane. Each of our venues has its own identity, cuisine and style of service, but they share the same focus: exceptional food, genuine hospitality and great people. We believe exceptional hospitality starts with exceptional people. That's why we invest heavily in training, development and internal promotion, creating genuine opportunities for our team to build long-term careers in hospitality.

Position Available

HR Manager – $125,000 per annum + Super

Permanent Full-Time | Melbourne CBD | Multi-Venue, Interstate Hospitality Group | 6 venues, approx 300 staff

We're looking for an experienced, proactive HR Manager to lead and continuously improve our people operations across The San Telmo Group. Reporting to the Group Operations Manager, you'll work closely with our Directors and venue leaders to strengthen recruitment, employee relations, training, compliance and people management across the business. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys balancing strategic HR initiatives with the practical realities of a fast-paced hospitality environment.

What's In It For You

• $125,000 base salary + super
• Permanent full-time role – stable employment + access to paid leave
• 40% staff discounts across all San Telmo Group venues
• Genuine ownership of the Group's HR function, with the opportunity to influence people strategy, workplace culture and operational improvements
• Paid opportunities for ongoing professional development and exposure to external leadership training programs
• Convenient Melbourne CBD location, with regular opportunities to engage directly with our venue teams
• Be part of an established, growing hospitality group that genuinely values training, development and internal promotion

Your Day-to-Day Will Include

• HR Leadership & Business Partnering – Coaching and supporting venue leaders with their day-to-day operations of payroll, OHS, recruitment, onboarding, training, performance management, employee relations, workforce planning and talent development, while also driving continuous improvement in these areas.
• Retention and Engagement – Overseeing Group-wide recruitment and onboarding processes & standards, managing Group-wide appraisal and leadership development programs, proactively identifying succession opportunities across the org and implementing broad initiatives to improve engagement & retention.
• Employee Relations & Compliance – Managing complex employee relations matters, workplace investigations and disciplinary processes, while ensuring compliance with the Fair Work Act, Restaurant Industry Award, NES, Worksafe and other regulatory bodies.
• HR Systems, Reporting & Improvement – Maintaining ownership of our HRIS (ELMO), conducting regular HR and payroll compliance audits, analysing workforce data and presenting practical recommendations to the Directors and venue leaders.

What We're Looking For

• 5–7 years' progressive HR experience, including at least two years in an HR Advisor or Generalist capacity, ideally within multi-site hospitality, retail or another service-focused industry.
• Strong Australian employment relations knowledge covering Fair Work legislation, Modern Awards, the NES, payroll compliance, workplace investigations and best practices for performance management.
• Demonstrated experience across the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, training, workforce planning, employee relations, retention and succession planning.
• Strong capability with HR systems, reporting and tech - particularly modern ATS's, LMS's and HRIS's (ELMO, WorkDay, Tanda, PageUp, Employment Hero etc).
• A tertiary qualification specialising in Human Resources, Business Management or a related field is preferred, with AHRI membership or eligibility highly regarded.
• Permanent Australian working rights, reliable access to the Melbourne CBD and the willingness to work onsite 4 days per week to support venue leadership.

Who You Are

• A proactive, hands-on HR leader who takes ownership, identifies opportunities for improvement and follows through on commitments.
• A relatable, approachable and confident communicator who builds trust with employees, venue managers and senior leadership alike.
• Commercially minded and solutions-focused, with the ability to balance employee wellbeing, legal compliance and business objectives.
• Organised, analytical and detail-oriented, with sound judgement and the ability to manage competing priorities and sensitive matters confidentially.
• Passionate about developing people, building leadership capability and creating a positive, accountable workplace culture.
• Adaptable and resilient, willing to pivot and maintain a flexible approach when there are changes in strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with culturally diverse teams in a fast-paced, multi-site hospitality environment.

If you're an experienced HR professional looking for an opportunity to take ownership of a Group-wide HR function, influence business decisions and make a genuine impact on the people behind some of Australia's most exciting hospitality venues, we'd love to hear from you.