Head of Employment Policy and Practice

Tower Hamlets London Borough Council; Greater London; On-site; GBP 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Tower Hamlets London Borough Council is seeking a senior leader to head Employment Policy and Practice, shaping policy, employee relations and trade union partnerships to foster a modern, inclusive and high-performing workforce.

Reporting to the Director of HR & OD, you will drive data-led decision-making, lead policy development and workforce governance across the organisation to deliver excellent resident-facing services.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in senior HR leadership roles.
• Expert knowledge of employment law, employee relations and workforce governance.
• Experience operating within a complex, unionised organisation.
• Strong track record of leading organisational change and policy development.
• Outstanding stakeholder management, negotiation and influencing skills.
• Ability to use workforce insight and data to drive evidence-based decisions.
• Membership of the CIPD at Chartered level or equivalent professional standing.

Responsibilities

• Employment Policy Leadership: Designing and implementing progressive, legally compliant and inclusive employment policies.
• Employee Relations Excellence: Leading the Council's approach to complex and high-risk employee relations matters.
• Trade Union Engagement: Building effective partnership relationships that support positive employment outcomes.
• HR Transformation & Continuous Improvement: Driving simplification, modernisation and service improvement across HR processes and practice.
• Workforce Insight & Governance: Using workforce data, analytics and evidence to inform strategic decision-making and organisational improvement.

Skills

Senior HR leadership

Employment law & ER

Unionised environments

Organisational change

Stakeholder management

Workforce data

CIPD Chartered

Job description

People are at the heart of delivering excellent public services. At Tower Hamlets, we are transforming how we support, develop and engage our workforce to build a high-performing organisation that delivers exceptional outcomes for residents.

We are seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Head of Employment Policy and Practice to lead our approach to employment relations, policy development, workforce governance and trade union engagement.

Reporting to the Director of HR & OD, you will provide strategic leadership and professional expertise across employment policy, employee relations, trade union partnerships and HR operations, helping us create a modern, inclusive and high-performing workplace.

About the Role

This is a senior HR leadership opportunity with responsibility for shaping the Council's employment framework and ensuring policies, processes and practices support organisational success.

You will lead the development of employment policy, oversee employee relations practice, build strong trade union relationships and drive a proactive, data-led approach to workforce management. Working across the HR & OD leadership team, you will help ensure our people strategy supports organisational priorities, financial sustainability and workforce excellence.

This role includes:

Employment Policy Leadership
Designing and implementing progressive, legally compliant and inclusive employment policies.

Employee Relations Excellence
Leading the Council's approach to complex and high-risk employee relations matters.

Trade Union Engagement
Building effective partnership relationships that support positive employment outcomes.

HR Transformation and Continuous Improvement
Driving simplification, modernisation and service improvement across HR processes and practice.

Workforce Insight and Governance
Using workforce data, analytics and evidence to inform strategic decision-making and organisational improvement.

About You

We are seeking a highly credible senior HR professional who can combine strategic leadership with deep employment expertise.

You will bring:

• Extensive experience in senior HR leadership roles.
• Expert knowledge of employment law, employee relations and workforce governance.
• Experience operating within a complex, unionised organisation.
• A strong track record of leading organisational change and policy development.
• Outstanding stakeholder management, negotiation and influencing skills.
• The ability to use workforce insight and data to drive evidence-based decisions.
• Membership of the CIPD at Chartered level or equivalent professional standing.

Why Tower Hamlets?

This is an opportunity to influence the future of employment practice across one of London's most diverse and ambitious organisations, helping to create an environment where colleagues can thrive and deliver their very best for residents.

Our Values

Our council is a beacon for diversity and inclusion. We want a borough where everyone feels valued, supported and able to thrive, and a council that works collaboratively to deliver the very best outcomes for residents.

That's why we look for leaders who embody our TOWER values of Together, Open, Willing, Excellent and Respectful

Closing Date: 13th November 2026