Head of People Operations

Title: Head of People Operations

Date: 31 Mar 2026

Location: Australia, Adelaide, AU

About Us

Codan is a global Group of innovative technology businesses delivering solutions across communications, detection and connection technologies.

Our technologies are relied upon by defence forces, public safety and emergency responders, humanitarian organisations, and resource industries.

We design, develop and manufacture hardware and software solutions that help people stay connected, operate safely, and perform at their best when it matters most.

Established in 1959 and listed in the ASX200 index, Codan (CDA) has grown into a trusted international business with more than 1,100 people across 15 locations worldwide including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, UAE, Ireland, Mexico, Singapore, the UK and the USA. Our products are sold in more than 150 countries.

As we continue to grow, we remain focused on our purpose to meaningfully transform lives through being a trusted provider of innovative ruggedised and reliable communications and consumer products across our core global markets.

About The Role

This role is offered as a 12-month fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension

The Head of People Operations is a key enterprise leadership role responsible for building and leading a globally integrated People Operations function that delivers reliable, scalable and compliant people services across Codan’s global operations.

Interstate candidates will be considered, with options for regular travel to Adelaide or relocation for the right candidate.

Based in Australia and reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, this role provides the operational backbone for a modern, globally aligned people function. The position will design and embed a consistent operating model that standardises systems, processes and service delivery across regions while ensuring local regulatory compliance and operational flexibility.

The role will play a central part in Codan’s global HR transformation program. This includes shifting HR delivery from fragmented, regionally managed administration to a globally governed People Operations model that enables leader self-service, strengthens data integrity, improves operational discipline and provides a scalable platform to support the company’s continued global growth.

Working closely with our global HR Business Partners, Centres of Excellence and corporate functions, the Head of People Operations will ensure that the operational foundation of the people function is efficient, technology-enabled and capable of supporting a high-performing global workforce.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing global People Operations team with clear service standards, capability development and accountability.
• Design and implement a scalable global People Operations service model including defined service tiers, escalation pathways and service level expectations.
• Own and continuously improve end-to-end people processes across the employee lifecycle, ensuring consistency, efficiency and compliance.
• Deliver a consistent and high-quality operational experience for employees and leaders across global operations.
• Oversee the effectiveness of HR systems including HRIS, ATS and LMS platforms, partnering with IT and vendors to drive optimisation, configuration improvements and user adoption.
• Establish strong people data governance practices, ensuring accuracy, integrity and reliable enterprise reporting.
• Develop and maintain global standard operating procedures, process documentation and data privacy across People Operations.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, automate and scale people processes across the organisation.
• Enable Codan’s HR transformation by transitioning transactional activities into a centralised People Operations function.
• Partner closely with HR Business Partners, Centres of Excellence and corporate functions to ensure effective service delivery and operational alignment.

About You

You bring significant experience leading HR operations, shared services or People Operations functions within a complex organisation and are comfortable working within a globally aligned HR model. You have successfully built or transformed operational HR functions that support strategic HR delivery through strong systems, processes and service frameworks.

You have strong capability across HR systems, data governance and process optimisation, and are experienced in improving operational efficiency through technology enablement and clear service models. Experience with enterprise HR platforms such as SAP SuccessFactors, or comparable systems, is essential.

You are an organised and pragmatic leader who combines attention to detail with a strong service mindset. You are confident partnering with senior HR leaders and cross‑functional stakeholders and are experienced at leading teams through operational change and transformation while maintaining high standards of compliance, accuracy and service.

Benefits And Culture

Our culture is supportive and collaborative. You will be part of a multidisciplinary team where we share our ideas and innovation is strongly encouraged. We are looking for someone with genuine passion and can-do attitude for what they do and with an eagerness to learn about new sectors and extend your corporate finance and/or analytical skills.

Our Head office is located in Mawson Lakes offering a spacious, modern facility, free secure onsite parking, easy access via public transport, and an onsite subsidised café. We also have recreational facilities including a gym, basketball and tennis court, as well as various game tables. Additionally, our staff are provided flexibility to meet the demands of family life, a child-friendly parenting room, and a variety of staff events to connect with colleagues across the Codan Group.

Interested in a career with us?

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