HR Manager

About Shockbyte

Have you ever jumped into a Minecraft world, battled in ARK, or built in Rust? Chances are, you've already played on a Shockbyte server. With 60+ games supported and nearly 1 million customers worldwide, we're one of the largest game server hosting companies on the planet.

We're not just building servers - we're building the future of multiplayer. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Victoria, Australia, Shockbyte powers game servers for players and studios everywhere. We operate globally with entities in Australia, the UK, and the Netherlands, and we run a small-to-medium sized team that's lean, efficient, and trusted to own their work.

Our culture is flat, high-performance, and built on accountability. We minimise hierarchy, keep management layers thin, and trust every person to lead their area. If you want to make a real impact without having to fight through layers of approval, this is the kind of company where that happens naturally.

About the Role

We're hiring an HR Manager to take full ownership of the people function at Shockbyte - reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the executive leadership team.

This is a true generalist role with a strategic edge. You'll manage the full spectrum of HR - from operations and recruitment to compensation, performance, and employee relations - across our entities in Australia, the UK, and the Netherlands, as well as a distributed workforce managed through EoR services globally.

We run a lean, high-performance team. There's no HR department for you to slot into - there's an entire function for you to own. That means you'll need to be genuinely independent: someone who researches, decides, and acts without needing to be pushed or guided. You'll be trusted to make sound judgements, build the right processes, and lead initiatives that deliver real outcomes for the business.

If you thrive in environments where you're handed accountability and expected to run with it, this role is built for you.

Responsibilities

• Own the full HR function end to end - operations, recruitment, compensation and benefits, performance and development, and employee relations.
• Lead and continuously improve the recruitment process, reducing time-to-hire and lifting the quality of candidates brought into the business.
• Review, refine, and maintain HR policies across all jurisdictions to ensure they are current, compliant, and fit for purpose.
• Research and ensure compliance with employment legislation across Australia, the UK, the Netherlands, and any additional regions where we engage staff through EoR arrangements or future jurisdictions we add.
• Partner with the CEO and executive leadership team to align people strategy with business objectives.
• Drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture through clear frameworks for performance management and development.
• Manage compensation and benefits structures, ensuring they are competitive, fair, and tied to capability and results.
• Handle employee relations matters with professionalism, sound judgement, and a focus on fair, evidence-based outcomes.
• Identify and lead HR initiatives that deliver measurable ROI - and deprioritise those that don't.
• Keep HR and company documentation, processes, and systems in good shape so the function runs efficiently and nothing falls through the cracks.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field with a strong HR focus.
• Proven experience as an HR generalist, covering operations, recruitment, employee relations, compensation and benefits, and performance management.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently - you take ownership of your area, make sound decisions, and drive work to completion without being managed closely.
• Experience navigating multi-jurisdictional employment law, or a proven ability to research and apply compliance requirements across different regions.
• Commercial mindset - you view HR through the lens of business outcomes and ROI, and you back your decisions with data and evidence.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to work directly with executive leadership.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a lean, fast-moving environment without dropping the ball.
• Based in Melbourne and able to work from the office on a hybrid basis.

Preferred Skills

• Professional HR certification (e.g. AHRI, CIPD, SHRM, or equivalent).
• Experience working with or within EoR (Employer of Record) arrangements.
• Familiarity with employment legislation across Australia, the UK, and/or the Netherlands.
• Background in high-performance or high-accountability work environments.
• Experience in tech, SaaS, or fast-growing companies where HR operates lean and close to the business.

Benefits

• Hybrid Work - Flexibility to work from home or the office.
• Flexible Working Hours - Work around your peak productivity times.
• Career Growth - Clear progression pathways and long-term opportunities.
• Professional Development Budget - Courses, certifications, and conferences.
• Home Office / Coworking Stipend - Create your perfect workspace.
• Virtual Team Events - Trivia, escape rooms, and epic game nights.
• Company Merch Packs - Hoodies, mugs, and stickers designed for our team.
• Travel Opportunities - Represent Shockbyte at global industry events.
• Free Game Server Hosting - Spin up your own servers and play on us.
• Esports & Gaming Events - Free tickets to tournaments and expos.