People & Culture Consultant

Southland & Queenstown Lakes District | Permanent, Full-Time

The OPPORTUNITY

This is a hands-on, field-facing People & Culture Consultant role supporting our restaurant network across our Invercargill and Gore, Queenstown and Wanaka sites. You’ll partner closely with Restaurant Managers and the Operations team to drive meaningful, lasting improvements in workplace culture, team behaviour, and people performance.

This isn’t a desk-bound role. You’ll be present in our restaurants, building trusted relationships with managers and crew, providing real-time coaching and support. You’ll bring both a human lens and business discipline — knowing when to support, when to hold the line, and when to lead change.

Key areas of responsibility include (but are not limited to): Culture & People Leadership

• Partner with Restaurant Managers to identify and address cultural challenges, with a focus on improving team behaviour and workplace respect
• Lead and support culture change initiatives across the network, tailoring approaches to individual restaurant needs
• Coach managers to build confidence and capability in leading people effectively and consistently
• Drive employee engagement through pulse surveys, exit interview analysis, and action planning

• Provide clear, practical advice on disciplinary matters, ensuring procedural and substantive fairness at every step
• Run and support disciplinary meetings and investigations, minimising personal grievance risk while maintaining a fair, human approach
• Draft disciplinary notices, maintain case records, and ensure thorough documentation
• Build manager capability so they can handle ER matters more confidently and independently over time

• Develop and execute localised recruitment strategies, including community partnerships and relationships with WINZ
• Oversee screening, interviewing and onboarding processes to ensure a great start for every new team member
• Track people KPIs (turnover, sick calls, no-shows, leave balances) and provide regular reporting and insight to the Operations team
• Conduct restaurant people audits to ensure compliance with employment legislation and McDonald’s HR standards

• Deliver knowledge-transfer sessions for Restaurant Managers on employment law, HR policy, and people management best practice
• Support succession planning, talent identification, and individual development plans for Restaurant Managers
• Lead and support HR projects across the patch as required

The PERSON

• Minimum 3–5 years’ HR experience with a strong emphasis on employment relations and culture change
• Proven experience managing disciplinary processes end-to-end, with a thorough understanding of procedural and substantive fairness
• The ability to influence, coach and build trust with managers at all levels — without creating dependency
• Strong working knowledge of New Zealand employment legislation
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
• Experience in high-volume or operational environments (hospitality or retail highly regarded)
• A genuine passion for people and a commitment to creating workplaces where everyone is treated with dignity and respect
• A relevant tertiary qualification in HR, Business, or a related field
• Previous experience with union stakeholders will be advantageous
• Knowledge of New Zealand immigration requirements and experience supporting the employment of migrant workers will be highly regarded

This role is based in Invercargill, with regular travel to Gore and occasional travel to Queenstown and Wanaka.

We offer a competitive remuneration package commensurate with experience.

ARE YOU THE ONE? If we have just described you, please express your interest by uploading your CV and cover letter.