Senior Program Manager, People Services

•  Lead a high-profile payroll transformation initiative, shaping the future of our systems and operations, delivering strategic outcomes that enhance both employee experience and business performance. 

• Be a key influencer at the senior leadership table, translating strategy into action and delivering results that matter across the Group. 

• 24 month fixed term contract opportunity, based at our Mascot Head Office. 

Today, we’re busy planning for tomorrow. We look to the future to guide the way we innovate, helping the Qantas Group to stay relevant and responsive in an evolving industry. 

Join us as a People Services Senior Program Manager and help lead one of the most critical transformation initiatives across Qantas. Across the program timeline, you will drive delivery of a significant sub-program within our Payroll Transformation Program, which involves the modernisation and consolidation of Qantas’s fragmented award interpretation and payroll solution landscape. The program has significant organisation impact and visibility and direct involvement from our Senior Executive team.  

As a Senior Program Manager, you will bring structure, influence and pace to a fast-moving, complex environment. You will participate in the overall program management of the Payroll Transformation Program and lead a cross-functional team of project, business, IT, systems integrator and other partner resources to define and implement best-practice business processes and requirements, design, build, test, change manage and implement the award interpretation and payroll systems.  

You will participate in relevant governance forums, align concurrent workstreams and ensure that the sub-program is on track, risks, issues and dependencies are identified and effectively managed. With competing demands, tight timeframes and complex legislative requirements, your ability to simplify ambiguity, engage diverse stakeholders and deliver outcomes will be critical to success. With regular exposure to senior leadership and engagement with deep subject matter experts, this role places you at the heart of a high-impact program that spans multiple business units and touches every employee. If you are looking for a career-defining role where you can make a measurable impact on compliance, employee experience and organisational performance — this is the opportunity to step up and lead. 

What you will bring: 

• 10+ years’ experience in program or project management, ideally within large and complex organisations.  

• Tertiary qualifications in business, law, project management or a related field, supported by formal project management certification such as PRINCE2, PMP or equivalent (highly desirable). 

• Proven track record delivering large-scale programs, with experience implementing projects in complex environments.  

• Strong capability to interpret and apply complex legislative requirements, achieving compliant and sustainable outcomes. 

• Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into actionable, detailed delivery plans.  

• Skilled in identifying and realising improvement opportunities through robust problem solving, strategic thinking, analytical insight and financial evaluation. 

• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with experience partnering at Senior Executive (Executive Manager / C-Suite) level.  

• Resilience in navigating ambiguity, with the ability to remain focused and draw sound conclusions under pressure. 

Why Qantas? 

The Qantas employee benefits program offers amazing benefits that extend well beyond travel.    

• We love to travel: Enjoy heavily discounted air travel within Australia and across the globe, both for you and your family and friends, as well as exclusive deals on accommodation and holidays.  

• We have flexible leave options: Make use of leave and flexible working opportunities including 18 weeks paid parental leave (plus superannuation payments on all paid and unpaid parental leave until your child turns 1) and additional purchased leave options for eligible employees.  

• We will give you access to thousands of rewards: Through our partnerships we can offer you discounts across shopping, food and wine, insurance, health and wellbeing, leisure and entertainment. You can also take advantage of our salary packaging program including motor vehicles, eligible portable electronic devices and professional memberships.  

• We will support your wellbeing: Whether it is learning to better support your own and others’ mental health, our interactive wellbeing app or your very own tailored nutrition plan.   

Qantas is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. By coming to work for us, you will be part of an organisation that encourages diversity, supports charities and environmental initiatives. We encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and people of all backgrounds to apply. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at time of application. Your personal information will be kept confidential in compliance with relevant privacy legislation.   

Applications close: Monday 8 September 2025 

Essential criteria • Tertiary qualification • Relevant professional qualification, e.g. professional accreditation in project management • Significant project and programme management experience with evidence of balancing a customer and a commercial focus • Proven cost management, political and planning skills