Head of Organisation Design & Development

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA); Bristol; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) seeks a Head of Organisation Design & Development to guide the Defra Group’s future structure amid political direction and devolution. You will lead the design and restructuring of Core Defra, agencies and ALBs, delivering measurable organisational outcomes.

You will head a seven-strong Grade 7 OD&D team, partnering with Directors General, HR Directors and ALB leaders to advance organisation design, development, culture, and workforce

Qualifications

• Experience leading organisation design and transformation at scale.
• Ability to translate complex requirements into deliverable organisational solutions.
• Strong stakeholder engagement with senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Lead organisation design and restructuring across the Defra Group, aligning structures with political direction, including devolution and future Civil Service, delivering Defra's organisational outcomes.
• Lead OD&D work in Core Defra, agencies and ALBs, ensuring expert resource is deployed to top-priority organisational and transformation challenges.
• Provide trusted evidence-based advice to Directors General, HR Directors and ALB leaders, offering practical organisational solutions.
• Play a central role in the Workforce Strategy and Transformation Programme, enabling the Rightsizing pillar through organisation design expertise and delivery.
• Provide expert consultancy across organisation design, organisational development, culture and behaviour, team effectiveness, transformation and change, with organisation design as the principal focus.
• Lead the central OD&D service and act as Head of Practice, setting professional standards and strengthening methods across the Group.
• Lead, coach and develop a team of around seven Grade 7 OD&D practitioners, building bench strength and high performance.
• Manage demand, priorities and practitioner deployment across the Group, balancing urgent restructuring with longer-term development.
• Commission and procure specialist OD&D contractors and integrate them into the team, ensuring quality and delivery.
• Use organisational evidence and workforce insight to shape options, recommendations and implementation plans.

Skills

Organisation design

Team leadership

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

OD&D expertise

Job description

This is a high-profile opportunity to lead organisation design and development across the Defra Group at a time of significant organisational pressure and change. With the Permanent Secretary now established in the organisation, Defra is considering how its structures should evolve in response to political direction, including devolution and the future Civil Service, while ensuring the Group is organised to deliver Defra's organisational outcomes. As Head of Organisation Design & Development, you will bring deep professional expertise and practical leadership to the design and restructuring of Core Defra and its agencies and arm's-length bodies. You and your team will work directly with Directors General, HR Directors and ALB leaders, offering trusted advice and constructive challenge and translating complex requirements into deliverable organisational solutions. The role sits in the Workforce Strategy & Transformation directorate and will be central to enabling the Rightsizing pillar of the Workforce Strategy and Transformation Programme. Organisation design will be the strongest emphasis, alongside organisational development, culture and behaviour, team effectiveness, transformation and change, and wider workforce strategy. You will lead a team of around seven Grade 7 practitioners, strengthen its bench strength and professional practice, manage demand across the Group and bring in specialist OD&D contractors where required. This is a practical, delivery-focused role for an experienced practitioner who can shape the organisation while building a strong, resilient and responsive OD&D service.

• Lead organisation design and restructuring across the Defra Group, aligning structures with political direction, including devolution and the future Civil Service, and enabling delivery of Defra's organisational outcomes.
• Lead OD&D work in Core Defra, agencies and arm's-length bodies, ensuring expert resource is deployed to the highest-priority organisational and transformation challenges.
• Work confidently with Directors General, HR Directors and ALB leaders, providing trusted evidence-based advice, constructive challenge and practical organisational solutions.
• Play a central role in the Workforce Strategy and Transformation Programme, particularly enabling the Rightsizing pillar through organisation design expertise and delivery.
• Provide expert consultancy across organisation design, organisational development, culture and behaviour, team effectiveness, transformation and change, and workforce strategy, with organisation design as the principal focus.
• Lead the central OD&D service and act as Head of Practice, setting professional standards, assuring quality and strengthening OD&D methods and capability across the Group.
• Lead, coach and develop a team of around seven Grade 7 OD&D practitioners, building bench strength, professional confidence and a cohesive, inclusive and high-performing service.
• Manage demand, priorities and practitioner deployment across the Group, balancing urgent restructuring activity with longer-term organisational development.
• Commission and procure specialist OD&D contractors where needed, integrating them effectively into the team and ensuring quality, value and delivery.
• Use organisational evidence, workforce insight and professional judgement to shape options, recommendations and implementation plans that are practical and sustainable.