Assistant Director, People and Change - Basildon Borough Council

Essex County Council; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Basildon is seeking an Assistant Director of People and Change to lead HR transformation. You will develop workforce strategies and oversee TUPE processes. The ideal candidate has extensive public sector HR experience, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to equality and community wellbeing. This is a hybrid role with a daily rate of £350.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in service transformation and strategic workforce planning.
• Deep knowledge of employment law, TUPE, and contract management.
• Strong leadership, influencing, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the redesign and modernisation of the HR service.
• Develop and implement a forward-thinking Workforce Strategy.
• Provide expert guidance on TUPE transfers and stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Service transformation

Strategic workforce planning

Stakeholder engagement

Employment law knowledge

TUPE management

Job description

Overview

Assistant Director, People and Change - Basildon Borough Council

Basildon Borough Council

Temporary, Full Time

£350 per day, Dependant on Experience

Location: Basildon

Closing Date: 8th October 2025

Essex County Council are delighted to be supporting Basildon Borough Council to recruit for the role of Assistant Director People and Change.

Please note, this is a temporary role for a period of 6 months, with the possibility of an extension. This is hybrid working opportunity, with the expectation of being in the office 3 days per week.

Basildon Borough Council is seeking a strategic Assistant Director of People & Change to lead a transformative agenda across our workforce services. This pivotal role will drive the redesign of our HR function, ensuring it is fit for purpose and future-ready as we prepare for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

Key Responsibilities

• Service Restructuring: Lead the redesign and modernisation of the HR service, aligning structure, roles, and processes to deliver high-impact, customer-focused outcomes.
• Workforce Strategy: Develop and implement a forward-thinking Workforce Strategy that supports organisational priorities, talent development, and cultural transformation.
• TUPE Leadership: Provide expert guidance and operational leadership on TUPE transfers, ensuring smooth transitions and effective stakeholder engagement and providing knowledge transfer to the team.
• LGR Readiness: Play a key role in preparing the organisation for LGR, including workforce planning, change management, and inter-authority collaboration.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong relationships with the Chief Executive, the Leader of the Council, Members, Trade Unions, senior leaders, and external partners to foster a collaborative and inclusive working environment and provide high level advice.
• Committee involvement – lead, attend and advise on relevant Service, scrutiny and Appointments and Appeals Committee meetings as the senior HR representative for the Council

Candidate requirements

You will be an experienced HR leader, preferable within a local government or similar environment with:

• A proven track record in service transformation and strategic workforce planning.
• Deep knowledge of employment law, TUPE, and contract management.
• Strong leadership, influencing, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience in public sector HR and navigating complex organisational change.

Why choose Basildon Council?

The UK Government created Basildon as one of the first generation of post-war New Towns in 1949. The ambition was that, “Basildon will become a city which people from all over the world will want to visit.” Fast forward to today and Basildon is the largest economy in Essex and an established centre of excellence for engineering and manufacturing. Basildon boasts some of the most advanced technical facilities in the UK and is home to a number of innovative companies, large and small as well as a population of more than 180,000.

Basildon have four corporate plan ambitions, the strategic themes for their work and are defined as follows:

1. People - Supporting happier, healthier, and safer communities where everyone feels they belong.
2. Places - Creating high-quality homes, green spaces, and vibrant towns across our six unique areas.
3. Promise - Driving economic growth, better education, and more opportunities for residents to thrive.
4. Public Service - Delivering ambitious, modern services residents can trust and be proud of

Basildon Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults, and expects all employees, contractors and volunteers to share its commitment to prevent abuse, harm or exploitation.

The Council applies a robust recruitment vetting process. If you are successful you will need to undergo a Pre-employment Vetting Procedure.

If you require any additional information on this role, please contact [e-mail]