Organisation Development Consultant

CO-OP; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

28 days holiday

Pension with contributions

Private healthcare

Company car or car allowance

Onsite gym

Staff discount

Cycle-to-work

Virtual healthcare

24/7 support service

Training and development

Job summary

Co‑op is seeking an Organisation Development Consultant to join our specialist team and help shape how we work, grow and perform across our UK businesses. You will partner with senior leaders to diagnose challenges and design practical, system-wide solutions that improve effectiveness, culture and ways of working.

You’ll lead cross-functional projects, apply systems thinking, and build governance and accountability models.

Qualifications

• Experience applying organisation development or systems thinking in complex organisations.
• Strong consultancy skills with ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Ability to connect strategy, structure and culture to organisational performance.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior leaders to diagnose and solve complex organisational challenges.
• Lead organisational effectiveness projects from discovery to recommendations.
• Design organisational structures and operating models aligned to strategy.
• Apply systems thinking to identify root causes and improvement opportunities.
• Develop governance frameworks and accountability models.
• Analyse qualitative and quantitative insights to inform decisions.
• Research internal and external practices to support evidence-based recommendations.
• Support leaders to improve performance, collaboration and ways of working.
• Help navigate large-scale transformation and change initiatives.
• Build trusted relationships across Co-op and provide specialist consultancy.
• Influence senior stakeholders and drive practical solutions to business challenges.
• Connect strategy, workforce capability and culture to performance outcomes.
• Develop clear narratives from data and insights to guide actions.

Skills

Organisation development

Systems thinking

Stakeholder management

Change management

Data-driven insights

Strategic thinking

Job description

We're looking for an Organisation Development Consultant to join our specialist Organisation Development team and help shape how Co-op works, grows and performs.

This is a unique opportunity to work across our diverse businesses, from Food and Logistics to Insurance, Funeralcare and Support Centre functions, helping leaders tackle some of their most important organisational challenges.

Why this role matters

At Co-op, we're committed to building an organisation that's fit for the future. As part of a small, highly regarded team of internal consultants, you'll work with senior leaders across the business to uncover the root causes behind complex organisational issues and design practical solutions that improve effectiveness, performance and ways of working. You'll help leaders understand how strategy, structures, ways of working, capability and culture interact to influence organisational performance. Working on issues that often sit beyond individual functions, you'll bring a whole-system perspective to improve effectiveness across the Co-op. Your insight and influence will help shape major decisions that impact colleagues, customers and communities across the UK.

What you'll do

• Partner with senior leaders and executives to diagnose and solve complex organisational challenges
• Lead organisational effectiveness projects from discovery and analysis through to solution design and recommendations
• Design organisational structures and operating models that support business strategy and performance
• Apply systems thinking to understand organisational challenges, uncover root causes and identify opportunities to improve performance
• Develop governance frameworks, decision‑making processes and accountability models
• Analyse qualitative and quantitative insights to identify patterns, root causes and opportunities for improvement
• Research internal and external practices to inform evidence‑based insight, challenge and recommendations that helps leaders make better organisational decisions
• Support leaders to improve organisational performance, collaboration and ways of working
• Help businesses navigate large‑scale transformation, redesign and change initiatives
• Build trusted relationships across Co‑op whilst providing specialist consultancy expertise
• Experience applying organisation development, organisation effectiveness, organisation design or systems thinking approaches within complex organisations
• Strong consultancy skills, with the ability to influence and build credibility with senior stakeholders
• Ability to connect strategy, structure, workforce capability and culture to understand organisational performance and identify practical solutions to business challenges
• Confidence working with data, insight and evidence to develop clear recommendations and compelling narratives
• Curiosity, resilience and a proactive approach to navigating ambiguity and solving problems

This role would suit someone who enjoys making sense of complexity, asking the right questions and helping leaders design and create lasting organisational change. In return, you'll have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of high‑profile projects, build relationships across the whole of Co‑op and make a tangible impact on how our business operates and succeeds.

At Co‑op, we're owned by our members. And because we're owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you're not just taking a job, you're joining a movement. We're an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we're powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you'll also receive:

Benefits

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Private healthcare
• Company car or £6,000 car allowance
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co‑op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream - early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle‑to‑work scheme

A place you'll belong

We're building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.