Established in 1915, Haigh’s Chocolates is the oldest family-owned chocolate maker in Australia. Run by fourth generation Haigh’s family, we employ over 900 people across 22 retail stores currently located in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, as well as online, plus two factories and head office. Using only the finest and freshest ingredients, Haigh’s prides itself on being a chocolate ‘bean to bar’ specialist, committed to the art of premium chocolate making. Haigh’s roast their own cocoa beans, ethically sourced from plantations around the world, to create a unique blend of premium milk and dark chocolate.  Through meticulous artisan skills that include handmade chocolate creation and finishing, combined with advanced manufacturing equipment and techniques, Haigh’s creates exquisite chocolates that look and taste delicious.

The P&C Operations Manager is a leadership role at the heart of Haigh’s People & Culture function. This role is responsible for building and leading a high‑performing P&C Operations team that delivers reliable, scalable people services (including payroll operations) across our national footprint.

Reporting to the General Manager, People & Culture, this role provides the operational backbone for a modern, nationally aligned P&C function. You’ll design and embed a consistent operating model that brings clarity and cohesion to systems, processes and service delivery, supporting accurate payroll outcomes, strong data integrity and robust people reporting that leaders can rely on to make informed, insightful decisions.

Working in close partnership with P&C Business Partners and specialist teams, you’ll create an environment built on trust and collaboration, where people operations are efficient, technology‑enabled and underpinned by reliable data. Across the employee lifecycle, you’ll establish an operational platform that not only works today, but is ready to scale with Haigh's future.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a high‑performing P&C Operations team, fostering a culture of trust, accountability and shared ownership.
• Design and implement a scalable national P&C Operations service model, with clear service levels that enable the business to operate confidently and consistently.
• Own and continuously improve end‑to‑end people processes across the employee lifecycle with a focus on efficiency, service quality and continuous improvement.
• Oversee payroll operations to ensure accurate and timely outcomes, contributing to a positive and dependable employee experience.
• Deliver a seamless and high‑quality operational experience for employees and leaders across all locations.
• Oversee the effectiveness of P&C systems, including HRIS and ATS, partnering with IT and vendors to drive optimisation and user adoption.
• Establish strong people data practices that produce credible, meaningful reporting, enabling leaders to make informed workforce decisions with confidence.
• Develop and maintain national standard operating procedures and process documentation across P&C Operations.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, automate and scale people and payroll‑related processes, demonstrating determination to continually lift how the function operates.
• Partner closely with Operational leaders, P&C Business Partners, Centres of Excellence and specialist functions to ensure strong alignment between strategy, service delivery and execution.

About You

You bring substantial experience leading HR, P&C or People Operations functions, with strong capability across HR and payroll systems, employment legislation, data management and process optimisation. You understand the importance of trustworthy data and reporting, and how operational excellence enables leaders to make better decisions and teams to perform at their best.

You’re an organised, pragmatic and people‑focused leader who values contribution through service and collaboration. Known for your determination, you’re comfortable navigating complexity and leading change, maintaining high standards of accuracy, consistency and care while continually looking for ways to improve.