At AKQA (part of WPP) our Talent & Culture discipline sets the standard for how we support and develop our people. We deliver operational excellence and trusted HR advice that helps the business perform at its best. We partner closely with leaders to manage employee relations, performance, development, and organisational change with rigour, care, and commercial focus.
As People & Culture Business Partner, you will proactively lead HR initiatives that support the recruitment, retention, and development of talent across our New Zealand studios in Auckland and Wellington. Partnering with managers across all disciplines, you’ll advise on employee experience opportunities and challenges, identify development needs, and support succession planning, balancing compliance with a thoughtful, people-first approach.
At AKQA, you’ll work in an innovative and inclusive culture surrounded by some of the brightest minds in their fields. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn and grow within a creative and technically advanced team, and have access to ongoing personal and professional development. At AKQA, we are committed to both your career growth and your work/life balance, working in a hybrid in-studio/WFH model.
ROLE REQUIREMENTS
- Manage the full employee lifecycle with the People Coordinator.
- Ensure smooth onboarding, changes, and exits, with consistent policy application.
- Provide trusted, compliant HR advice to leaders and employees.
- Lead employee relations matters and support key People cycles.
- Maintain and improve People policies, processes, and systems.
- Support HRIS implementation and contribute to broader change initiatives.
- Partner with leaders on performance and succession planning.
- Support talent mapping and development planning to strengthen accountability and capability.
- Support payroll coordination and SOX controls.
- Deliver reporting and data analysis, using insights to improve attraction, engagement, and retention.
- Contribute to People & Culture communications and wellbeing initiatives, and support AUNZ collaboration.
QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS
- 5+ years’ HR generalist experience in a cross-functional organisation.
- Strong commercial judgement and a track record of practical, stakeholder-led HR advice.
- Confident leading projects end to end, with experience in HR systems and process improvement.
- Clear communicator with strong stakeholder management skills, able to influence and build trust at all levels.
- Detail-focused, adaptable, and proactive; strong Excel skills and confidence using automation.
- Collaborative, bringing initiative, curiosity, and fresh thinking to strengthen the People function.
We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.
AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.
About WPP
WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.
AKQA Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about AKQA and has not been reviewed or approved by AKQA.
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Parental & Family Support — Policies include fully paid parental leave for all parents, adoption support, and family leave for caregiving needs. Additional supports such as subsidized backup childcare and regional enhancements reinforce family care.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage offers multiple plan options with full preventive care, mental‑health resources, and dental and vision coverage. Some regions provide 24/7 virtual doctor access and supplementary healthcare budgets for services not covered by insurance.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time‑away provisions include generous paid holidays with increases over tenure and a companywide year‑end closure. Special, study, and event‑based leave (e.g., weddings, moving) broaden the range of available time off.
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What We Do
The imaginative application of art and science. AKQA is a design and communications company that employs 2,200 professionals in 29 studios across five continents. Awarded two Cannes Lion Grand Prix’s in 2019, and recently named by Gartner and Forrester as one of the world’s leading experience design and innovation agencies.
