People & Culture Manager

People & Culture Manager (Not your average HR Manager)

King Kong · Melbourne, Australia (Hybrid) · Full-time · Posted 2026-05-14

Workplace: hybrid

Department: Operations

Description

Dear People & Culture Leader,

If you've been scrolling through countless lifeless HR job listings on Seek…

Almost slipping into a deep coma from the "We're looking for a CIPD-qualified HR Manager with strong communication skills to support our team… blah blah blah" job adverts…

And you're absolutely SICK to death of corporate HR roles that promise "strategic partnership" but really just want you to update org charts, file employment contracts, and run engagement surveys that nobody reads…

Then this will be the most important job listing you ever read.

Here's why…

My name is Sabri Suby and I am looking for a sharp and switched-on People & Culture Manager to lead the people function at King Kong.

But not any old HR Manager, no.

You must be a People & Culture leader with the chops to take our talented management team to the next level - coaching them through the difficult conversations, the real feedback, the career pathway design, the lot - and bringing out the kind of leadership our tribe will run through walls for...

Now, a little about me…

I run King Kong.

We are a full-service digital marketing agency that is growing FAST!

For the last three years, we've been ranked as the fastest-growing digital agency…

And the 17th fastest growing company in the country by The Australian Financial Review…

But it's not just me.

My business consists of…

95 Of The Wildest, Most Passionate Bunch Of Lunatic Marketers You've Ever Worked With…

And this is just one of the reasons we've been named in the Top 100 Coolest Companies in Australia 2016, 2017 and 2018 by Anthill Magazine.

We were also named one of the BEST PLACES TO WORK in Australia & New Zealand and the 9th most innovative media company in Australia by the AFR.

Look, the list goes on and on… because we've seriously won more awards than you can shake a stick at…

But enough about us, what about you…

Are you…

• One "we should leverage our synergies" away from quitting via group email?
• Excited about using AI in your day-to-day workflow rather than being the person at the HR conference saying "ooft...that could be risky"
• Allergic to the kind of corporate HR bureaucracy that makes the entire room roll their eyes the second you crack open your policy folder?
• One more compliance training video featuring a man in a beige suit away from a complete breakdown?
• Ready to take on an amazing role amongst an awesome team where every day is about being the best you can be?
• Of the firm belief that engagement surveys aren't strategy, and "fruit Mondays" don't fix culture?
• Frustrated with HR systems and documentation that are 80% out of date and 100% unloved?
• Ready to actually build the manager capability the rest of the business desperately needs?
• Deadly serious about having the strongest gif game in the office?

But Before You Get ALL Excited… I'll Stop You There…

Because this role won't be easy.

We're a fast-paced agency who demands nothing but the very best.

We have thousands of customers and hundreds of clients in every niche you can think of… from dentists to doctors, home builders to home loan providers.

And we are truly an end-to-end agency.

It's quite a workload.

And, as such…

Our People & Culture function is at an exciting inflection point.

We've built strong foundations - a great team, a culture worth bottling, and the appetite to keep raising the bar.

Now we're ready for the next chapter - lifting BambooHR to its full potential, tightening up our HR documentation and operating rhythm, and equipping our talented management team with the tools, the coaching, and the confidence to take on the leadership work that drives careers forward.

And our manager group is sharp, talented, and hungry - and they're ready for the next level of leadership development.

That's where you come in.

This is a People & Culture Manager role with one direct report (our existing People & Culture Lead) and you'll be part of a team who truly love making the jungle the best possible place to work.

You'll roll up your sleeves, jump in the trenches, and own the full people function - recruitment, employee relations, onboarding and offboarding, performance, policy, compliance, payroll reporting, staff events and activities - the lot.

With help, of course. We're not monsters.

You'll assist and advise in the development of our management team - running structured coaching and training on difficult conversations, goal-setting, performance management, and career pathway design.

You'll own our HR systems and documentation - BambooHR, the HR drive, the policies, the contracts - keeping everything current, findable, and actually used.

And you'll recruit actively - not just post on SEEK and pray - sourcing top-tier talent through LinkedIn, your network, and direct outreach.

This is a role where you'll have a true impact on the careers and experiences of our tribe members.

We're looking for a People & Culture Manager that can:

• Be the trusted advisor and partner to the leaders of our organisation, providing expert advice across all aspects of the employee lifecycle.
• Ensure the company is meeting compliance standards.
• Be the driver of a wide range of initiatives that engage and retain our people.
• Be the expert for employee relations matters, supporting our Management team in navigating such issues.
• Manage the end-to-end recruitment process, on-boarding and off-boarding of staff.
• Work with our managers to identify capability gaps across the business and help design targeted training to close them.
• Build the capability of our management team through structured coaching and training as it relates to P&C matters e.g. having difficult conversations, setting goals with their teams, and developing career pathways for direct reports.
• Provide reporting and feedback on P&C strategies implemented within the company.
• Own our HR system, HR drive, and employee documentation - keeping everything accurate, current, and actively used by managers and tribe members.
• Own fortnightly payroll reporting to our external payroll partners - capturing new starters, terminations, salary changes, leave, and any other payroll-impacting changes - so the tribe gets paid right and on time.
• Lead and develop our existing People & Culture Lead, who is keen AF to learn more.

So… if you've been looking for your opportunity to escape soul-crushing corporate HR and step into a real-deal agency role…

Where you'll actually own the function, lift the management team, and stop chasing signatures and policy approvals all day…

Then this job description has no doubt been like a breath of refreshingly crisp winter air…

Here's What To Do Next…

Please take the time to write a Cover Letter that tells me about YOU.

Not some wishy-washy cover letter like…

"I'm a 31-year-old Libra from Brunswick who's deeply passionate about authentic leadership, mindful one-on-ones, and my therapy dog Steve"…

No.

I want the details.

The juice.

The nitty-gritty.

Tell me about a manager you actually changed.

Tell me about a difficult conversation you owned.

Tell me about a piece of HR process you tore up and replaced because it was bureaucratic crap.

Specifically why you think you would be the perfect fit for this role.

If you can't take the time to do this.

Please don't waste my time or yours by applying.

Best of luck.

Sabri

P.S. If this job description excited you even just a little bit. And you believe that you are indeed the Fearless AF People & Culture Manager I'm looking for…

Then please write and send your cover letter ASAP as we're currently interviewing for this position and I'm sure it will get filled fast.

Who knows. Maybe it will be a fit and maybe it won't.

And maybe, just maybe, this will turn out to be the best job you've ever had.

Please also provide a Cover Letter with your application. Applicants without one will not be considered.

Requirements

• Bachelors Degree in Human Resource Management or similar.
• Minimum 4 years HR experience, with at least 1-2 years operating autonomously across the full HR lifecycle.
• Experience in Recruitment.
• Demonstrated experience coaching or directly managing other people leaders, including the credibility to challenge them when needed.
• Exceptional communication and relationship building skills, with the ability to influence key stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of legal requirements pertaining to employee relations, including being across relevant codes and standard practice.
• Confidence in conducting and coaching managers through employee lifecycle conversations - and the resilience to hold the line when needed.
• Solution-focused mentality.
• Unparalleled organisation and time management skills.
• Comfortable owning fortnightly payroll reporting to an external payroll provider - with the attention to detail to ensure every change to staffing, salary, and leave is captured accurately and lands in the right pay cycle.
• Pragmatic and commercial - finds the right-sized solution to protect the business without adding unnecessary process.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment and tech industry is a PLUS.

Benefits

What we're offering:

• Extensive training and full support - we take training very seriously and will provide you with the industry's very best training, giving you the knowledge and confidence needed for greatness.
• Generous salary - we want Australia's best talent and reward as such.
• Newly renovated headquarters in South Yarra (just off Chapel St.), close to cafes and public transport.
• Driven and vibrant team of the country's most switched on digital marketers and growth experts (who actually walk the walk).
• Amazing growth prospects and upward mobility, build an empire within our fine progressive company.

We move at a lightning pace! Only successful candidates will be contacted. If you haven't been invited via email to complete an interview kit within 5 business days after submitting your application, unfortunately you haven't been successful this time around!

*Disclaimer: If you're not a total badass then there is literally no point in applying for this role. We're only looking for 'the best of the best', and already employ a full stable of the most hard-working, loud-laughing and sharp-minded individuals for our team. And as you'll be the gateway to our tribe, we're only looking for someone who matches the same levels of passion and 'bad-assery' as we do!

Apply

Apply at King Kong

---

Powered by Workable