Head of Organisational Development

York College; York and North Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 52,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional educational institution in York and North Yorkshire is seeking a Head of Organisational Development to lead its service improvement strategies and enhance staff wellbeing. You will be responsible for developing training programs, ensuring an inclusive working environment, and implementing strategic OD initiatives. The role requires evidence of successful OD implementation and strong relationship-building skills. This position offers a competitive salary and generous benefits, including a robust pension scheme and 50 days of annual leave.

Benefits

50 days annual leave

Occupational Pension Scheme

Free gym membership

Qualifications

• Evidence of successfully implementing a strategic approach to OD.
• Ability to think strategically about OD Strategy and communicate it.
• Strong commitment to helping people grow.

Responsibilities

• Lead the College's OD strategy and turn ideas into action.
• Create and deliver training and development opportunities for staff.
• Improve staff wellbeing to enhance work environment.
• Work closely with Professional Services teams to foster inclusion.

Skills

Strategic implementation

Relationship building

CIPD membership

Positive approach

Education

CIPD membership or similar

Job description

Head of Organisational Development

Ref: 2526/093

Hours: 37 hours per week (full time)

Salary: £51,981 per annum. Plus generous benefits, including:

• 50 days annual leave per year (including bank holidays and efficiency closures)
• Generous Occupational Pension Scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme)

Overview

You will lead the development and implementation of our Organisational Development strategy to help drive achievement of our strategic objectives. You will ensure that our plans for staff development, well‑being, and culture engage our staff and deliver tangible improvements to service delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead the College’s OD strategy and turn ideas into action.
• Create and deliver training and development opportunities for staff and leaders, with a particular focus on staff in Professional Services roles.
• Find new ways to improve staff wellbeing so that York College continues to be a great place to work.
• As a member of our College Leadership Team, you will work closely with Professional Services teams across the College to make sure everyone feels included and valued.

Experience, skills and attributes

• You will be able to show evidence of successfully implementing a strategic approach to OD turning ideas into action with tangible benefits to the organization.
• You will possess the ability to think strategically in the context of the College’s OD Strategy; communicating the strategic vision to others to secure their engagement, leading to improvements in delivery.
• CIPD membership or similar.
• You will be someone who can think ahead, build strong relationships, and get things done.
• You will demonstrate a positive, practical approach and a real commitment to helping people grow.

About the College

We are a large, regional college serving a population across York and North Yorkshire of more one million people. Each year, we have approximately 4,000 school leavers, 1,000 apprentices, 2,000 adult students, and 400 higher‑level students studying with us.

Our wide range of education options span entry level programmes through to degrees, higher technical qualifications, and accredited professional courses to courses for professional development. Our apprenticeships can be studied from level 2 to level 5 across a range of different career pathways. We are the largest provider of A‑Level and vocational programmes for school leavers in the region; we offer nearly 35 A‑Level subjects and over 80 vocational courses, including a wide range of T‑Level pathways.

We are proud to be part of a consortium of colleges and employers developing the Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology (IoT), designed to increase higher level technical skills for employers.

With a vibrant working environment, excellent transport links to the city centre and surrounding area, plus on‑site parking, you will find York College to be a fulfilling and supportive place to work. As a member of College staff you have full use of the College facilities including free gym membership at the Athletic Suite, our brand new state‑of‑the‑art gym.

Please visit our website here: www.yorkcollege.ac.uk

Want to know more?

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Chris Leng, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, via [e-mail] or 01904 770396.

Please note that the College is closed from 19th Dec to 4th January 2026 inclusive. However, Chris will be checking his e‑mail periodically during that period – please drop him an e‑mail and he will respond and arrange a discussion with you.

Important Notices

See the attached document for Important Notices.

Please note that we do not accept CV applications. If you are viewing this vacancy through any job board then please go to our website www.yorkcollege.ac.uk/job‑vacancies and apply using our application form.

Most correspondence regarding vacancies will be sent via e‑mail, so please check your e‑mail regularly for updates on your application. We would also advise to check your junk/spam folder as some e‑mails may end up here depending on your mail provider settings.

Closing date: 12 January 2026 (9am)

Interview date: 30 January 2026

We are deeply committed to diversity and inclusion and wish to have a diverse workforce. We positively welcome applicants from all under‑represented groups, including minority ethnic groups and those with disabilities. We are proud to be affiliated to the Black Leadership Group (BLG).

As an employer we are committed to promoting and protecting the physical and mental health and well‑being of all our staff. York College has signed up to the ‘Mindful Employer’ charter for employers who are positive about mental health. We are also a certified Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident is a government scheme designed to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with health conditions.

We welcome job applications from anyone who has the requisite skills, qualifications and experience. All applications are considered strictly on merit. Our aim is to appoint the best person for the job, regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age or any other ‘protected’ characteristic. Please note also that we value the contribution of those who have served in the Armed Forces, and are signatories to the Armed Forces Covenant.