Veronica Dinning
Wollongong,NSW
Summary
Accomplished People and Culture leader with over a decade of experience driving strategic outcomes across Talent Management, Project Delivery, Team Leadership, Industrial and Employee Relations, and Business Mergers and Acquisitions. Adept at designing and implementing People Strategies that align with corporate objectives, I bring expertise in Organisational Design, Workforce Planning, and crafting distinctive Employee Value Propositions (EVP). My commitment lies in cultivating high-performing, engaged teams and fostering workplace cultures that promote innovation, collaboration, and operational excellence, ensuring alignment with executive priorities and long-term business success.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
NSW RECRUITMENT BUSINESS PARTNER LEAD
Whitehaven Coal
04.2023 - Current
- Lead a high-performing team of 6 Recruitment Business Partners and 2 Talent Coordinators across Sydney, Newcastle, and Gunnedah, responsible for delivering exceptional recruitment outcomes for 5 mine sites and 2 washeries across the Gunnedah Basin
- Full Recruitment Lifecycle Management: Led end-to-end recruitment processes, including talent pipelining, strategic resourcing, candidate assessment, selection, and seamless onboarding
- Sourcing Strategy and EVP Development: Developed and executed innovative sourcing strategies and talent management plans, alongside compelling Employee Value Proposition (EVP) offerings, attracting high-caliber candidates
- Compliance and Process Management: Coordinated comprehensive background and reference checks, ensuring all onboarding procedures adhered to organizational compliance standards
- Performance Monitoring and Reporting: Maintained accurate weekly and monthly reporting on KPIs and Board requirements, ensuring alignment with recruitment objectives and business goals
- Team Leadership and Engagement: Led and motivated a dynamic recruitment team, driving loyalty and commitment to meet ambitious acquisition goals, KPIs, and timeframes
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnered with HR Business Partners and People & Culture teams to align recruitment strategies with broader workforce planning and organizational priorities
- Process Improvement and Manager Training: Implemented recruitment process enhancements and managed targeted training for hiring managers, ensuring efficient and effective talent acquisition
- Strategic Advice and Market Insights: Provided strategic advice to stakeholders, utilizing market data and recruitment trends to influence decision-making and enhance recruitment strategies
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
CatholicCare Wollongong
01.2022 - 01.2023
- Directed People and Culture and Payroll functions across the Shoalhaven, Illawarra, and Macarthur regions, managing a headcount of 350 employees
- Leadership and Team Management: Led and mentored a high-performing team of 6, including 4 HR Business Partners and 2 Payroll Specialists, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and operational efficiency
- Financial Stewardship and Budget Management: Managed the People and Culture budget, driving financial efficiency while ensuring alignment with overarching business goals and operational priorities
- Employee Engagement and Development: Spearheaded the creation and execution of impactful employee and leadership programs, including Staff Development Days and Leadership Training initiatives, fostering enhanced engagement and leadership capabilities
- Compensation Strategy and Market Alignment: Led job evaluations against Rem & Ben criteria, ensuring compensation levels aligned with market standards, attracting and retaining top talent
- Coaching and Executive Mentorship: Provided high-level coaching and mentoring to senior leadership, addressing complex employee and industrial relations issues, while conducting investigations to mitigate risk and ensure compliance
- Project Leadership: Led the successful implementation of the Learning Management System (LMS) project, overseeing scope definition, business case development, and reporting to the Investment Committee, achieving all key milestones on time and within budget
- Data-Driven Leadership Reporting: Delivered comprehensive monthly and quarterly reports to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), providing data-driven insights into key people metrics and trends to inform strategic decision-making
- Employee Value Proposition (EVP) Development: Drove the creation and successful launch of a new EVP, alongside the implementation of a Rewards and Recognition Program, enhancing employee satisfaction and retention
- Leadership Training and Development: Developed and presented regular training sessions to the Catholic Leadership Forum (SLT & ELT), aligning leadership development with organizational goals and ensuring executive team capabilities
- Talent Management Strategy: Formulated and executed a comprehensive Talent Management strategy, focusing on new position creation, talent pipelining, succession planning, recruitment, and capability training, ensuring the retention and development of high performers aligned with business objectives
NATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
Pipe Management Australia
01.2021 - 01.2022
- Responsible for overseeing HR functions across NSW, VIC, and QLD, reporting directly to the CEO and managing a workforce of 300 employees
- Strategic Leadership and Compliance: Led HR operations across three states, ensuring compliance with 4 Modern Awards, while reporting directly to the CEO
- Enterprise Bargaining and Negotiation: Successfully developed and negotiated 3 Enterprise Agreements for NSW, QLD, and VIC, educating leaders on the bargaining process and ensuring all agreements were voted in and approved by Fairwork
- Compensation Strategy: Designed and implemented a comprehensive REM framework to align compensation with market standards, ensuring equity and consistency across regions
- Performance Management and Training: Developed a Performance Appraisal template aligned with job descriptions and strategic goals, and implemented a training plan template to support career development and succession planning
- Dispute Resolution and Industrial Relations: Represented the company at Fairwork dispute resolution proceedings, protecting the business’s interests while maintaining positive employee relations
- HR Strategy and Implementation: Created and executed an HR Implementation Plan, overseeing the scope, milestones, and reporting of key HR projects, ensuring alignment with business objectives
- Process and Policy Development: Developed and embedded comprehensive frameworks, policies, and procedures covering the entire employee lifecycle, ensuring consistency and compliance
- Leadership and Governance: Delivered monthly board reports on People KPIs and risks, providing executive-level insights into workforce trends and organizational health
- Mergers and Acquisitions: Successfully led the merger between IC Pipes and PMA, including all project planning, communication, consultation scripts, and due diligence, ensuring no staff loss or adverse action
- People & Culture Strategy: Developed the People & Culture budget and implemented strategic frameworks, including Rewards and Recognition, Wellbeing programs, recruitment, retention strategies, and EVP development
- Employee Engagement and Feedback: Conducted employee engagement surveys and exit interviews, providing valuable insights to drive continuous improvement
- Coaching and Leadership Development: Provided executive coaching and support to leaders on performance management and employee matters, fostering a high-performance culture across the business
P&C PROJECT MANAGER (6-Month Contract)
Angus Knight Group
01.2020 - 05.2021
- Led key People and Culture projects, reporting directly to the Chief People Officer and supporting the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) in driving organizational transformation
- Leadership and Strategic Advisory: Managed 1 direct report, a P&C Advisor, and acted as a key business partner for the Corporate Office, providing strategic guidance to the P&C team on people matters and operational priorities
- HRIS Implementation: Spearheaded the implementation of the HR Information System (HRIS), overseeing project scope, vendor selection, business case development, and comprehensive project reporting, ensuring alignment with business goals
- Steering Committee Leadership: Established and led a Steering Committee, providing regular project progress updates and strategic recommendations to senior leadership for decision-making
- P&C Transformation: Developed and executed a comprehensive P&C transformation plan, including detailed scope, strategy, project plans, and tracking mechanisms, driving organizational efficiency and alignment with long-term goals
- Process Optimization: Reviewed, updated, and implemented a range of templates and procedures across Employee Relations (ER), Industrial Relations (IR), Recruitment, Onboarding, and Performance management, streamlining P&C operations
- System Integration: Partnered with IT to develop and implement workflows in JIRA, facilitating seamless HRIS system integration and process automation
- Collaboration with IT and CDO: Worked closely with the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) to ensure successful API and IT integrations, enhancing system efficiency and data accuracy
- Talent Management Strategy: Led a review of the Talent Management strategy, optimizing spends and aligning it with organizational objectives to ensure a future-ready workforce
LEAD PEOPLE & CULTURE BUSINESS PARTNER
Disability Services Australia
11.2019 - 11.2020
- Responsible for managing People & Culture functions across multiple business units, supporting a workforce of 800 employees across various locations
- Leadership and Stakeholder Management: Led a team of 1 direct report and worked closely with the Executive Manager People & Culture, serving as a trusted business partner to Packaging Solutions, Employment Solutions, METS (RTO), Asset and Property Care, and the Executive Leadership Team
- Compliance and Industrial Relations: Ensured compliance with 12 Modern Awards and 2 Enterprise Agreements, mitigating risks and aligning practices with legal and regulatory standards
- Strategic Workforce Planning: Collaborated with the Executive General Manager to develop and implement effective organisational design and workforce planning, aligning people strategies with the company’s operational and financial objectives
- Employee Relations and Dispute Resolution: Led investigations into employee grievances, providing actionable reports and coaching leaders through disciplinary processes, ensuring alignment with company policies and compliance requirements
- Change Management and Consultation: Developed action plans, redundancy matrices, and consultation scripts to guide leadership through major workforce changes, including redundancies and restructures, ensuring minimal disruption and compliance
- Union and Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitated high-level meetings with Unions regarding significant workforce changes, including enforceable undertakings, redundancies, and restructures due to strategic shifts
- Policy and Procedure Development: Reviewed, modified, and implemented company policies and procedures to ensure continuous improvement and alignment with industry standards and organizational needs
- External Liaison and Legal Compliance: Managed relationships with external agencies, including police, NDIS Commission, and Participant Support Services, ensuring thorough investigations and compliance with all legal requirements
- Fair Work Representation: Represented the organization in Fair Work Conciliations for Unfair Dismissal and General Protection claims, protecting the company’s interests while ensuring fairness and compliance
HUMAN RESOURCES GENERALIST
WGC Cranes & Freo Group
11.2018 - 11.2019
- Managed HR operations across New South Wales and Victoria, reporting directly to the CEO and supporting a workforce of 600 employees
- Comprehensive HR Leadership: Held a stand-alone role, overseeing compliance with 2 Modern Awards, 7 Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (with the CFMEU), and managing both non-award salaried staff and unionized workforces across NSW and VIC
- Strategic Business Partnering: Served as a trusted business partner to senior leaders across 4 depots and remote project teams, providing HR guidance and aligning people strategies with operational goals
- Tender and Contract Support: Assisted with tender submissions for construction projects, ensuring that all HR-related components were compliant and aligned with business objectives
- Employee Relations and Dispute Resolution: Coached and supported leaders through employee relations matters, leading investigations, providing findings, and resolving grievances in compliance with company policies
- Training and Development: Developed training plans and position descriptions to meet evolving operational needs, ensuring the workforce was equipped to meet business demands
- End-to-End Recruitment: Managed the full recruitment cycle, including creating job descriptions, developing advertisements, screening candidates, conducting interviews, and completing due diligence, onboarding, and inductions
- Compensation and Payroll Support: Addressed pay queries for the workforce, ensuring payroll accuracy and advising the payroll department on necessary adjustments
- Compliance and Legal Representation: Attended Fair Work proceedings as required, ensuring the company’s legal compliance in all HR matters
- Redundancy and Change Management: Developed redundancy selection criteria, matrices, and communication scripts for managers, facilitating high-impact conversations with depot staff during workforce reductions
- Policy Development and Continuous Improvement: Reviewed, modified, and developed company policies and procedures to ensure alignment with industry best practices and organizational requirements
- Site Engagement: Participated in morning Toolbox Talks with Site Managers and the HSE Manager, fostering a culture of safety, compliance, and effective communication
- Industrial Relations Expertise: Contributed to the development of Industrial Relations components for new business tenders, ensuring the company’s interests were well-represented
RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST
South32
01.2018 - 12.2018
EDUCATION OFFICER
REMONDIS
01.2015 - 12.2018
RECRUITMENT MANAGER
Edmen Group Agency
01.2012 - 12.2015
RECRUITMENT CONSULTANT
JobFind Australia
01.2010 - 12.2012
Education
Graduate Diploma - Human Resource Management
Edith Cowan University
Graduate Certificate - Human Resource Management
Edith Cowan University
CERTIFIED ORGANISATIONAL COACH -
Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership
CERTIFIED NUEROLINGUISTIC PRACTITIONER -
Institute of Applied Psychology
01.2025
Skills
References
Available on request
Timeline
NSW RECRUITMENT BUSINESS PARTNER LEAD
Whitehaven Coal
04.2023 - Current
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
CatholicCare Wollongong
01.2022 - 01.2023
NATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
Pipe Management Australia
01.2021 - 01.2022
P&C PROJECT MANAGER (6-Month Contract)
Angus Knight Group
01.2020 - 05.2021
LEAD PEOPLE & CULTURE BUSINESS PARTNER
Disability Services Australia
11.2019 - 11.2020
HUMAN RESOURCES GENERALIST
WGC Cranes & Freo Group
11.2018 - 11.2019
RECRUITMENT SPECIALIST
South32
01.2018 - 12.2018
EDUCATION OFFICER
REMONDIS
01.2015 - 12.2018
RECRUITMENT MANAGER
Edmen Group Agency
01.2012 - 12.2015
RECRUITMENT CONSULTANT
JobFind Australia
01.2010 - 12.2012
CERTIFIED ORGANISATIONAL COACH -
Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership
CERTIFIED NUEROLINGUISTIC PRACTITIONER -
Institute of Applied Psychology
Graduate Diploma - Human Resource Management
Edith Cowan University
Graduate Certificate - Human Resource Management
Edith Cowan University
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