Appointment of Senior HR Business Partner, Manufacturing Organisation

At a Glance

• Sector – Manufacturing 
• Location – Adelaide, SA
• Workforce – 950 employees
• Service – HR Recruitment
• Engagement – Permanent Recruitment

The Challenge

A manufacturing organisation with 950 employees was heading into a significant restructure across two sites and needed a Senior HR Business Partner who could own the change process end to end, not just support it from the sidelines.

Our Approach

Civitas benchmarked candidates on demonstrated ownership of a full restructure cycle rather than years of tenure, prioritising manufacturing-sector award and consultation experience given the two-site scope.

The Solution

The appointed Senior HRBP had led a comparable two-site restructure in a previous manufacturing role, starting several weeks ahead of the formal consultation period to build site leadership alignment first.

Measured Impact

• Restructure consultation process completed within statutory timeframes with no formal disputes
• Redeployment achieved for an estimated 70% of affected roles rather than redundancy
• Maintained production continuity throughout the change period
• Retained key technical staff who had been flight risks during the uncertainty

Client Reflection

They walked into a genuinely difficult restructure and got the outcome we needed without the fallout we feared. 

Why This Matters

A restructure is one of the few moments where the difference between a good HRBP and a genuinely senior one becomes immediately visible — this appointment reflects why Civitas weights demonstrated change ownership over tenure alone at this level.

Related Civitas Service

HR Executive Search