General Manager - People & Culture
CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
Spectrum Group
Executive Summary
- Contemporary, visionary and inspirational People and Culture leader
- Lead the development of Workforce strategy to support organisational performance and service delivery excellence
- Play a critical role in the building of workforce capacity, capability and engagement
THE OPPORTUNITY
Spectrum Group is a charitable group of entities with a 30-year history, which includes Spectrum Foundation, Spectrum Care and Homes of Choice.
Spectrum Foundation’s role is to empower self-determination for disabled people and their whānau through accessible and equitable funding. The Foundation’s aim is to distribute $1 million annually to support unmet need in its priority areas of health, housing, education and employment.
Spectrum Care is a disability support provider that aims to maximise the potential of the people and whānau it supports by empowering choice, freedom and independence. Spectrum Care offers a wide array of support options catered to those with learning and physical disability, brain injury and/or multiple diagnosis across all ages and stages of a disabled person’s life.
Homes of Choice is a community housing provider that delivers great homes, enabling choice and affordability for disabled New Zealanders. Homes of Choice works in partnership with the Crown, philanthropists and impact investors to provide a better life for disabled people and their whānau.
All three entities share a Vision of ‘an Aotearoa in which all disabled people have equal opportunity to live good lives’, and the Values of ‘Equity – We treat everyone fairly’, ‘Dignity – We honour and respect each other’, ‘Ambition – We dream big’ and ‘Sustainability – We do what’s best’.
THE ROLE
Reporting to the Group Chief Executive and working closely with the Executive Team, the General Manager – People and Culture will lead the Group functions of Recruitment, Human Resources, Safety and Wellbeing and Learning and Development, providing high-quality shared services across the Group through quality people, working with quality systems, within a supporting culture.
The role is responsible for high-level strategic workforce and organisational planning that will result in the implementation of effective people management and wellbeing frameworks, policies and procedures.
THE CANDIDATE
The successful candidate will have proven success in a senior management role with a substantive HR/organisational development focus, ideally within a mid- to large-sized organisation. They will have tertiary level qualifications in a relevant field and knowledge of the health system and of the role and function of community services and facilities.
Key competencies of leadership, adaptability, achievement, drive, service orientation, innovation and optimism are critical for success in this role. Familiarity with, and success in, strategic and operational planning, change management and organisational development are some of the key management competencies associated with the role.
The successful candidate will have a strong commitment to advancing the rights and wellbeing of disabled people by empowering self-determination, equity, dignity, inclusion and choice. This will be further demonstrated through an understanding of the interconnected frameworks of Enabling Good Lives, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the context of disabled rights.
For a confidential discussion, please get in touch with:
Liz Hlipala
HardyGroup Principal Search Consultant
M. +61 (0)401 122 301
E. lhlipala@hardygroupintl.com
About Spectrum Group
Spectrum Group is composed of philanthropic funder Spectrum Foundation, disability support provider Spectrum Care and community housing provider Homes of Choice. Spectrum Care and Homes of Choice are registered companies and wholly owned subsidiaries of Spectrum Foundation, a registered charity.
Each entity contributes to the Group Vision of ‘an Aotearoa in which all disabled people have equal opportunity to live good lives’ through its sector-specific purpose. Spectrum Foundation’s purpose is ‘to break the barriers those most in need face in achieving equitable outcomes in health, housing, education, employment and self-determination.’ Spectrum Care’s purpose is ‘to help maximise the potential of the people we support.’ Homes of Choice’s purpose is ‘to empower new possibilities by providing welcoming homes, tailored to people’s needs.’
The Group operates on a not-for-profit basis, with each entity governed by its own Board. Spectrum Foundation has a Board of Trustees governed by a Trust Deed, while Spectrum Care and Homes of Choice have Boards of Directors.
A single Chief Executive leads all three entities, supported by an Executive Team of eight, including shared service leads and executives from Spectrum Care and Homes of Choice.
For Spectrum Group’s Year in Review, click here.
Spectrum Foundation
Spectrum Foundation’s strategic objectives are focused on supporting equitable outcomes in health, housing, education, employment and self-determination, and include:
- Philanthropy– We fund initiatives that address unmet need in the disability community of Aotearoa. We are focused on achieving genuine, lasting social change that will benefit disabled people now and in the future. We hope to attract and grow support for the disability sector over time.
- Voice – We increase the opportunities for disabled people, whānau and allies to create change by identifying, targeting and supporting sector audiences, and empowering disabled voices in the four Foundation priority areas.
- Cultural partnerships –We build our cultural capacity and capability through the development of authentic partnerships with like-minded individuals and organisational and community collaborations. We respect and are responsive to the needs and aspirations of tāngata whaikaha Māori and Pasifika communities.
- Shared services – We provide our subsidiaries with effective and efficient shared services to support the achievement of their respective strategic objectives and purposes.
For more about Spectrum Foundation, click here.
Spectrum Care | Te Wai Kahukura Atawhai
Spectrum Care’s strategic objectives are focused on promoting and supporting the wellbeing of disabled people and their whānau, and include:
- Embedding Voice and Choice – Voices of disabled people and whānau lead our decision making
- Increasing Equity – Our cultural capability delivers greater equity for those most in need.
- Maximising our Impact – We enhance people’s lives through innovation and challenging the status quo.
- Investing in our Staff – We find, develop and empower skilled, dedicated and resilient staff.
- Leading with Intent – We embrace a culture of empowerment, flexibility, innovation and positive disruption.
- Committing to a Culture of Excellence – We deliver the best possible outcomes for disabled people and their whānau.
For more about Spectrum Care, click here.
Homes of Choice | Ngā Kāinga Awhi
Homes of Choice’s strategic objectives are focused providing great homes that enable choice and affordability for disabled people, and include:
- House People Better – We provide affordable, healthy and accessible homes tailored to the needs of disabled people. Our community housing ensures safe, supportive environments where people can thrive.
- House more people – We increase the supply of welcoming homes in vibrant, diverse communities. We design home environments that are tailored to each person’s unique and evolving needs.
- Growth through partnerships and funding – We grow our ability to meet people’s needs through strategic partnerships that increase access to funding and development opportunities.
For more about Homes of Choice, click here.
Role Specification
The General Manager – People and Culture (GMPC) will provide leadership to the organisation across people and culture. This is achieved by harnessing Human Resource, Health and Safety, and Learning and Development to provide a quality platform for service delivery through quality people working with quality systems within a supporting culture. As a member of the Executive Team, the GMPC will be expected to play a key role in building the future capability of the Group’s workforce.
The role is responsible for high level strategic workforce and organisational planning that will result in the implementation of effective people management and wellbeing frameworks, policies and procedures.
The role will ultimately assist Spectrum Group in its Vision of ‘an Aotearoa in which all disabled people have equal opportunity to live good lives.’
People and culture strategy
The GMPC is expected to provide strategic support to the group through the deployment of sound organisational solutions.
- Build, monitor and maintain fit for purpose capability (people and structures, including HRIS solutions) needed to achieve desired goals and objectives, and achieve expected efficiency benefits and on-going improvements in cost effectiveness.
- Foster a service culture which is customer-focused and performance driven and establishes a high level of commitment to quality.
- Through the continual review and improvement of its service quality, strategies and programmes, ensure that the people and culture function delivers value across four areas, and in turn, is highly respected for its contribution under:
- Business Partnering – supporting the managers and staff across Spectrum Care.
- Organisational Development – developing and growing people capability
- Recruitment and Succession – attracting, sourcing and managing talent
- Wellbeing – taking care of people so that they can perform at their optimum.
- Develop a strategic compensation and development system that rewards high performance and provides a process for annual reviews and regular performance discussions.
Health and safety
Support the organisation’s commitment to providing a healthy and safe working environment for people we support, workers and others.
- Lead the development and successful implementation of the organisation’s Health and Safety strategy and aligned systems.
- Compliance of group health and safety systems with applicable internal and external schedules.
- Robust processes for the governance and management of health and safety, to improve performance.
- Ensure systems allow participation and engagement of staff in health, safety and wellbeing practices.
- Fit for purpose Risk and Hazard Management system that is informed by key stakeholders.
- Strong and effective working relationship with the Boards, Executive Team, Homes of Choice management and members of the Services Senior Management Team to provide an integrated health and safety management system across the group.
- Working with managers to facilitate the implementation of the health and safety strategic objectives and embedding the health and safety management system.
- Timely and effective incident investigations process for high consequence incidents that focuses on continuous improvement and learning.
- Provision of timely professional advice and guidance to the Board and Executive Team for meeting compliance with health and safety legislative requirements.
- High engagement of key stakeholders to support organisational development of policies, procedures, strategies and initiatives to ensure alignment with the Health and Safety Improvement Plan and management system expectations.
- Improve the health and safety outcomes for people we support, employees and contractors through the promotion of forums that foster engagement and participation by managers, employees and contractors in health and safety improvement practices.
- Provide meaningful and accurate reporting on health and safety indicators (lead and lag) that demonstrate progress against key targets for board and management. Prepare ad hoc health and safety reports for management as required.
Organisational development
The GMPC will provide leadership in creating and facilitating organisation development strategies and interventions for Spectrum employee relations.
- Manage organisation development strategies and initiatives that address issues such as succession planning, superior workforce development, key employee retention and organisation design.
- Develop and grow people capability through:
- a process of organisational planning that evaluates Spectrum Foundation structure, job design and employee forecasting throughout the organisation
- identifying and monitoring Spectrum’s culture so that it supports the attainment of Spectrum’s goals and promotes employee engagement
- promoting actions and behaviours that enable individuals and the organisation to work together leading a process of organisation development that plans, communicates, and integrates, the results of strategic planning throughout the organisation.
Workforce planning and development
Provide leadership, direction and overall accountability for developing a sustainable workforce.
- Ensure that Spectrum Foundation Group has the workforce capability for present and future success, by developing and administering programmes, procedures, and guidelines to help align the workforce with the strategic goals of Spectrum.
- Promote and maintain high standards in employee development and workforce planning across Spectrum, ensuring the delivery of competent advice and appropriate policies.
- The organisation is supported to efficiently utilise and develop its prospective, permanent, temporary and casual workforce within legislative and contractual boundaries using current, and establishing new best practice strategies.
Employee relations
The GMPC will ensure that Spectrum has a long-term employee relations strategy and appropriate mechanisms to manage and implement this strategy.
- Use experience and knowledge of the New Zealand employment legislation framework to develop, guide and support, the organisation in its employment relations programmes and practices.
- Shape HR policies and objectives that are legally compliant, where management and staff are made aware of changes to New Zealand legislation relevant to the organisation and that a positive employee relations environment is maintained.
- Develop and support the organisation’s change management framework and strategy; providing leadership on all matters relating to change management practices which enable service objectives to be successfully realised.
- Work with management to oversee and mitigate, the impact of change initiatives on staff, ensuring buy-in and engagement of employees.
- Ensure that constructive and effective partnership frameworks for engagement with unions and employees is upheld.
- Provide support and advice to management, as appropriate, in disciplinary, grievance and other matters such as monitoring and implementing performance improvement processes.
Recruitment and retention
The GMPC will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of an effective recruitment and retention strategy to meet business requirements.
- Spectrum Foundation Group is supported to attract and retain the talent and leadership capabilities to achieve its potential now and into the future.
- Lead in the development of recruitment, retention and succession strategies and associated implementation plans.
Establish and lead a high standard of recruitment practice, reflecting robust procedures necessary to recruit, hire and retain, a superior workforce
Financial performance
The GMPC will maintain effective financial control of the People and Culture service and continually seek opportunities to increase revenue and reduce costs.
- Manage agreed budgets and achieve agreed targets, including leading and contributing to organisation-wide financial initiatives, as necessary.
- Ensure that appropriate remuneration and benefits policies are developed and maintained, to ensure effective and fair compensation of staff.
Monitor pay practices and systems for effectiveness and cost containment, balanced against the importance of recruiting and retaining superior staff
Collective leadership
Work cooperatively as a member of the Executive Team to ensure the development of sustainable organisational capability, and achieve expected efficiency benefits and ongoing improvement in cost effectiveness.
- Takes collective responsibility for the cohesion and performance of the organisation as a whole and provides peer support to managers.
- Works with the People and Culture team to define outcomes and outputs expected from Spectrum to deliver on it’s strategic direction.
- Support consistency and alignment between different teams and promotes solution seeking where there are legitimate differences.
- Represents Executive Team views to staff.
Personal leadership
Provide leadership that engages and motivates others to succeed and develop, and proactively share experience, knowledge and ideas.
- Models exemplary management and leadership behaviours, ethics and values.
- Creates a sense of vision, engages and motivates people to participate and make changes happen.
- Fosters an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, ongoing learning and knowledge sharing.
Wellness
The GMPC is committed to ensuring a safe and healthy work environment is achieved and maintained.
- Planning, organising and managing wellness activities directed at promoting health and wellbeing in the workplace.
- Works closely with the Safety and Risk Manager to support health and safety initiatives.
Variation to duties
Duties and responsibilities described above should not be construed as a complete and exhaustive list as it is not the intention to limit in any way the scope or functions of the position. Duties and responsibilities that are consistent with the job purpose can be amended from time to time either by additional, deletion or straight amendment to meet any changing conditions. However, this will only be done in consultation with the employee.
View the full scope of these in the Position Description.
Formal qualification/educational level
- At least Bachelor’s level tertiary qualification in human resources, quality and/or business management and/or psychology / sociology / anthropology / organisation behaviour / organisation development, etc. Post-graduate or multi-disciplinary preferred.
- Membership of an appropriate professional body would be an advantage.
Work experience (years/type)
A minimum of seven years senior management experience with a substantive HR/organisation development focus, and ideally within a mid-large sized organisation.
Management competencies
- Knowledge of the health system and of the role and function of community services and facilities.
- Familiarity with the legislation governing employment, safe workplaces, and the care of people with disabilities.
- Knowledge of the requirements for maintaining the health and safety of people with disabilities, and for developing the best possible lifestyle for each individual.
- Self-organisation and time management skills to plan ahead set priorities, meet deadlines and attend to detail.
- Communication skills both written and verbal, to present information clearly and unambiguously, listening carefully to requests and queries.
- Interpersonal skills to work with and relate to colleagues and superiors, to create rapport and demonstrate honesty and reliability.
- Customer service skills to respond proactively to internal and external customers, handle difficult situations with tact and deference.
- Skilled in the application of HR and quality processes and legislative compliance standards.
- Computer literate with sound knowledge and experience using Microsoft Windows tools, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint or other job-specific software to a high level of competence to meet work requirements.
- Familiar with strategic planning processes and tools around this.
- Operational planning.
- Change management.
- Competent to deliver training.
Reports to: Chief Executive
Staff reporting to position:
Employee Relations Team Leader
HR Business Partner – Strategic Projects
Group Health and Safety Manager
Learning and Development Team Leader
Recruitment Team Leader
External
- EMA
- PSA
- Careerforce
- Open Polytechnic
- NZDSN peak body
- Disabled People
- Families/whānau.
Internal
- Board
- Executive Team
- Direct reports
- Indirect reports
- Services Senior Management Team
- All managers
- Payroll Team
- Employees and their representatives.
Base Salary – up to $230k
Vehicle for personal use - $17k
5 weeks annual leave
Flexible working policy of up to 2 days a week from home if requested
Parking pass on site (205 Great South Road, Greenlane) for 2 days/week
Service Location: Spectrum Foundation Head Office
205 Great South Road, Greenlane, Auckland NZ
The closing date for applications is Friday, 1 August 2025
The reference number to include in your application is H25_5192
Note: Please use the online platform to submit your application. It will not be accepted via email.
If you require assistance in submitting your application online, please get in touch with Executive Search Coordinator, Aldie Zuñiga: M: +61 (0)494 101 082 / E: azuniga@hardygroupintl.com
Your application must include:
- 1.Cover letter addressed to the Principal Consultant;
- 2.A written response addressing the key selection criteria; and
- 3.An up to date copy of your Curriculum Vitae.
It Is standard practice for HardyGroup to acknowledge receipt of your application no later than the next business day. We request that if you do not receive the acknowledgement, you contact the search coordinator listed above as soon as possible after the 24-hour business period and arrange to resend your application if necessary.
For a confidential discussion, please contact:
Liz Hlipala
HardyGroup Principal Search Consultant
M. +61 (0)401 122 301
E. lhlipala@hardygroupintl.com
ABOUT US
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