Head of People and Culture — Position Description
Role snapshot
Item
Detail
Title
Head of People and Culture
Location
Sydney, NSW
Reports to
Founders [to be confirmed]
Direct reports
[To be confirmed]
Employment
Full-time, permanent
Eligibility
Australian citizen or permanent resident with full Australian working rights
About Birchgrove Legal
Birchgrove Legal is a Sydney-based commercial law firm that combines the personalised service of a boutique practice with the depth, expertise and rigour of a larger firm. Established in 2012, the firm provides legal services across commercial and corporate law, litigation, property, construction, employment, and the not-for-profit sector.
The firm has built a strong reputation for delivering practical, commercially focused legal advice and acting as a trusted adviser to businesses, organisations and individuals. Birchgrove Legal works with a diverse client base, ranging from not-for-profit organisations and small to medium enterprises through to larger Australian and international businesses.
Led by Principal Solicitors Moustafa Kheir and Hamza Alameddine, Birchgrove Legal is known for its client-focused approach, technical expertise and commitment to achieving successful outcomes. The firm prides itself on building long-term relationships with clients through responsive service, strategic advice and a deep understanding of the industries and communities it serves.
Having experienced significant growth, Birchgrove Legal continues to expand its capabilities, client base and market presence. The firm remains focused on investing in its people, operational excellence and leadership capability to support its next phase of growth while maintaining the high-quality service and strong culture that underpin its success.
Key responsibilities
1. People strategy
Lead the people and culture strategy and annual plan with the founders, aligned to the firm's growth strategy.
Manage the people and culture budget, and report people metrics to the founders: headcount, turnover, engagement and capability.
Act as a trusted adviser to the founders on strategic people matters, including change management.
2. People
Talent and growth
Own recruitment for all staff, working with the founders and the CFO to plan headcount for the growth plan, including acquisitions.
Build talent pipelines and a strong employer brand, so that Birchgrove is where the best legal and support talent want to work.
Onboarding, probation and exits
Own onboarding and probation for all staff, so every new starter is set up to succeed and gets timely feedback.
Own the exit experience: exit conversations, and themes reported back to the founders.
Performance framework
Build a performance framework: role descriptions, KPIs, regular reviews and development plans.
Own performance management day to day, coaching managers to give clear, timely feedback.
Running the function
Run the people function personally, including people systems, records and reporting, with no separate HR manager.
3. Culture
Design, launch and run a culture programme that crystallises Birchgrove's culture (rituals, recognition, onboarding and initiation) and measure whether it works.
Make sure every hire, promotion and exit is consistent with our values.
Run engagement surveys and feedback, and turn the results into action the founders can see.
Look after wellbeing, team events and celebrations so that the culture is lived, not just written down.
Lead the cultural side of integrating acquired firms, bringing new teams into Birchgrove's way of working.
4. Capability development
Design and run learning and development programs aligned with the firm's strategy, for lawyers and support staff alike.
Build leadership capability, especially in new and emerging managers and partners.
Identify skills gaps with leaders and close them through targeted programs; measure the impact on performance, engagement and retention.
Create career pathways, growth plans and succession plans for key…