About Cowra & Council

Cowra is located within beautiful Central NSW on the banks of the Lachlan River. It is approximately one hour from the regional hubs of Bathurst and Orange, two hours from Canberra and four hours from Sydney. The town is situated at the intersection of three state highways; the Mid-Western Highway, the Olympic Highway and the Lachlan Valley Way, making it a central hub for travel, freight and logistics.

Covering 2810 square kilometres, the shire includes a number of small villages which feed into the Cowra township and contribute to the shires’ agricultural and cultural growth. These villages include Billimari, Darbys Falls, Gooloogong, Morongla, Noonbinna, Wattamondara, Woodstock and Wyangala. Cowra is a town with deep historical ties to Japan and is regarded as a centre for peace. Its public identity became a part of World War II history with the Cowra Breakout of 1944. This tragic event in the town’s history led Cowra to focus on promoting the values of friendship and reconciliation, something which the town still projects today.

Not only is Cowra a historical town, it is a town with a love for food and wine. It is surrounded by vineyards and grazing rich farmlands with quality restaurants and cafes, and also includes endless water and camping opportunities with Wyangala Dam only a short drive away. Cowra is a growing community with a number of primary and high school education options, health centres, sporting clubs, community groups and limitless weekend activities. It is the perfect place to raise a family, study, work or retire.

Cowra Council employs over 200 full time equivalent staff, our vision is to be a leading, innovative and creative community, proud of our place in history and offering opportunity with the best of country living. The region enjoys a range of economic, social, educational and health services with a welcoming community that embraces new members from all backgrounds. We strive to provide, maintain and extend Council services to improve the quality of life for residents throughout the Shire. We aim to actively lead, facilitate and foster sustainable development and wealth generating opportunities through agricultural, industrial, commercial and tourism growth.

About the Opportunity 

We have an exciting opportunity available for a Human Resources Officer to join our team!  Cowra Council is seeking a highly motivated and suitably experienced applicant to fill the position of Human Resources Officer within the General Manager's Department of Council. 

This position will assist the small HR team in providing effective Human Resources services and support across all areas of Council.  Duties will include Coordinating end to end Recruitment and Selection, organising Training and Deveopment for staff, Employee Inductions and Worker's Compensation.  This position will provide advice to Management and Staff in relation to the interpretation of Council's industrial instruments, assist with the delivery of policies and procedures and undertake a range of administrative tasks.

The successful candidate will possess relevant experience in Human Resources or have a genuine interest in this area.  This position requires high level organisation skills, exceptional interpersonal skills to foster and maintain relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders. Candidates will need to have the capacity of working autonomously, with the ability to set their own priorities, plan workload, meet deadlines as well as having excellent attention to detail and exceptional customer service.

We are seeking applicants that will possess;

• A current Driver Licence
• Diploma in Human Resource Management or similar qualification (or willing to obtain)
• Local Government experience (Desirable)
• Experience in recruitment, training and/or generalist HR services.
• Ability to be flexible in your hours of work is essential (e.g. Assist training providers with early onsite greetings and set up)
• A high level of resilience 
• Exceptional work ethic to lead by example
• A genuine passion for Staff Wellbeing
• High level of Customer Service for internal and external stakeholders

Along with high level written and verbal communication the successful candidate must be proficient in the use of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and be confident to adapt to HR software packages used for Recruitment, Inductions, Onboarding/Offboarding & Performance Reviews. Applicants must have a proven ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and discretion in relation to personnel matters. 

Applicants with transferrable skills relating to Human Resources functions will be considered.

The Benefits

The appointment will be in accordance with the Local Government (State) Award and Cowra Shire Council's policies and conditions of employment. 

If you're ready to make a meaningful impact and join our team that values safety, innovation, and community, we'd love for you to apply!

Benefits of working at Council include:

• Fortnightly Rostered Day Off (RDO)
• Four weeks of Annual Leave per year
• Access to Long Service Leave after five years
• Three weeks sick leave per year
• Corporate Wellbeing Programs, including Fitness Passport and Health and Wellbeing initiatives including two (2) Health and Wellbeing days per year.
• Employee Benefits Program 
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid parental leave

In addition, we value work-life balance and offer opportunities for training and professional development. 

Position Description

Please click on the link for a full copy of the Position Description.

For further enquiries please contact Manager - Human Resources, Leanne Hughes on 0418 397 425.

How to Apply

Before you apply for this position, please read the position description carefully to assess your eligibility and suitability for the position. You will be required to answer questions relating to the selection criteria on the online application below, your answers will be accessed and rated, so please ensure you take time in providing your answers and give examples of demonstrated experience when requested.

You will also be asked to attach your current resume which should include two employment related referees. Please note that you cannot submit your application without attaching your resume. A cover letter is not mandatory, but may be added if so desired.

Candidates must have the right to live and work in Australia to apply for this position.

If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise at time of application. 

Applications Close: 5.00pm Monday 21 April 2025

Pre-employment Screening

In the event you are shortlisted for an interview, and are then selected to progress to the next stage following interview, you must be prepared to undergo the following pre-employment screening processes as part of the selection process:

• A pre-employment physical examination, including hearing, drug & alcohol assessments.
• Please include two referees in your resume for reference checking purposes - please ensure your referee details are current.
• Provide the applicable Working with Children Check number if the role applied for requires a Working with Children Check.
• Council may also check authenticity of certificates and qualifications.

Privacy Statement

As part of the recruitment process, Cowra Shire Council will be collecting information about you. This information is private information for the purposes of the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act. This information will be included in the recruitment file and only accessed by members of the Recruitment Selection Panel. 

Equal Employment Opportunity