Head of Workforce and Organisational Development

North Northamptonshire Council; Kettering; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme with life cover

Hybrid and flexible working

Generous leave entitlement (28 days, 与

Job summary

North Northamptonshire Council is seeking a transformative Head of Workforce and Organisational Development to shape our future workforce and leadership capability.

You will lead strategy, culture change, talent management, and organisational design across the council, working with the Director of HR and OD to attract, develop and retain talent.

This senior role offers a unique opportunity at a pivotal stage in our journey, with hybrid working and a focus on outcomes.

Qualifications

• Significant experience of workforce strategy, organisational development and transformation.
• Expertise in leadership development, talent management and succession planning.
• Strong commercial, analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders constructively.
• Experience translating ambitious people strategies into measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic workforce planning and organisational design.
• Drive leadership, talent and succession development.
• Shape culture and employee engagement.
• Oversee organisational effectiveness and performance improvement.
• Lead workforce transformation and modernisation programmes.
• Utilise workforce analytics for evidence-led decisions.
• Champion innovative learning and organisational capability.

Skills

Strategic workforce planning

Leadership development

Transformation leadership

Stakeholder influencing

Tools

Microsoft Teams

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Haylock House, Kettering and various other locations within North Northamptonshire

Head of Workforce and Organisational Development

Job Reference Ref/126918/9515

Number of Positions:

1

Contract Type:

Full Time

Permanent

Salary Range:

Working Hours:

37

Location:

Haylock House, Kettering and various other locations within North Northamptonshire

Closing Date:

01/11/2026

Job Category:

Human Resources

Organisation:

North Northamptonshire Council

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28days, rising to 33days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About the role

Head of Workforce and Organisational Development

Shape the future of our organisation and make us even more AMAZING!

North Northamptonshire Council is on an ambitious journey of transformation, and we're looking for an exceptional leader to help us build a workforce that's ready for the future.

As Head of Workforce and Organisational Development, you'll lead our people and organisational development agenda, driving the culture, leadership, talent and organisational capability needed to deliver excellent services and improve outcomes for our communities.

Working alongside the Director of HR and OD, the HR Management Team and senior leaders across the Council, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping how we attract, develop and retain talent, strengthen leadership and create a high-performing organisation where colleagues can thrive.

This is not a traditional HR role. It's a strategic leadership opportunity to influence organisational direction, lead transformational change and make a lasting impact across one of the largest local authorities in the country.

Technical assessments via Microsoft teams will take place week commencing 9 th November 2026, followed by in person interviews on Wednesday 18 th November 2026.

What will you be doing?

What you'll do

You’ll lead and deliver:

• Strategic workforce planning and organisational design
• Leadership, talent and succession development
• Culture change and employee engagement
• Organisational effectiveness and performance improvement
• Workforce transformation and modernisation programmes
• Workforce analytics and evidence-led decision making
• Innovative approaches to learning, development and organisational capability

You’ll be a trusted adviser to senior leaders, helping to solve complex organisational challenges and ensuring our workforce is equipped to meet the demands of the future.

About you

You’ll be an experienced and influential workforce and organisational development leader with a strong track record of delivering transformational change in a complex organisation.

You’ll bring:

• Significant experience of workforce strategy, organisational development and transformation
• Expertise in leadership development, talent management and succession planning
• Strong commercial, analytical and strategic thinking skills
• The ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders constructively
• Experience translating ambitious people strategies into measurable outcomes
• A passion for creating inclusive, high-performing workplaces where people can succeed

Most importantly, you’ll be a visible, collaborative leader who understands that great organisations are built through great people.

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future workforce, culture and capability of North Northamptonshire Council at a pivotal stage in our journey.

If you’re passionate about developing people, leading change and building organisational excellence, we’d love to hear from you.

Join us and help create a workforce that is skilled, engaged and ready for tomorrow.

About us

Our Values and Behaviours

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

• Customer-focused
• Respectful
• Efficient
• Supportive
• Trustworthy

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

Disability Confident Employer

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

The council obtained the Gold status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)