Strategic HR Business Partner

Wollborg Michelson Personnel Service Inc; Oldbury; On-site; GBP 57,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council is recruiting a Strategic HR Business Partner to shape workforce strategy and drive organisational performance across the council. You will work directly with Executive Directors, senior leaders and elected members to transform how people are led, developed, and supported.

You will harness workforce data and insights to anticipate challenges, design strategic solutions, and partner with Centres of Excellence to deliver future-focused people initiatives that

Qualifications

• Significant experience operating as a senior HR Business Partner or equivalent.
• Proven track record influencing senior leaders and supporting organisational transformation.
• Experience of workforce planning, organisational design and people strategy development.
• Strong commercial and organisational awareness, with the ability to balance long-term priorities with operational realities.
• Excellent analytical capability, with the ability to interpret workforce data and translate insight into meaningful action.
• Outstanding relationship‑building, coaching and influencing skills.
• The confidence to challenge constructively whilst building credibility and trust.
• A passion for organisational improvement, leadership excellence and high‑performing cultures.

Responsibilities

• Advise Executive Directors and senior leaders, helping them anticipate future challenges and make informed decisions that support long-term organisational success.
• Translate workforce insights into workforce strategies and solutions that improve performance and resilience.
• Collaborate with Centres of Excellence across Organisational Development, Learning & Development, Workforce Planning, Talent Acquisition and HR Policy to deliver tailored solutions.
• Commission interventions at the right time and place, creating space for genuine strategic partnering.
• Influence big agenda items such as organisational transformation and leadership capability.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Influence senior leaders

Analytical capability

Relationship building

Coaching and mentoring

Job description

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Job Title: Strategic HR Business Partner

Salary: Band I, SCP 44-47 (£57,444 - £60,973 per annum)

Hours: 37 hours per week

Location: Sandwell Council House, Freeth Street, Oldbury, B69 3DE

Contract: Permanent, Full time

Ready to help shape the future of Sandwell Council, we’re building something special. This is more than a traditional HR Business Partner role.

This is an opportunity to play a leading role in helping Sandwell Council achieve its ambition of becoming an Outstanding Council, working alongside Executive Directors, senior leaders and elected members to shape the future of our organisation, our workforce and the services we deliver to our communities.

Following a retirement and career progression, we have two permanent Strategic HR Business Partner opportunities available within our People Services team.

If you’re an experienced strategic HR professional who thrives on influencing at the highest levels, enjoys using insight to drive better decision-making, and is passionate about helping organisations achieve their full potential, we’d love to hear from you.

Why Join Us?

This is a rare opportunity to operate as one of the Council’s most senior people professionals.

Working directly alongside Executive Directors, Corporate Leadership Team members and senior leaders, you’ll have the freedom and autonomy to shape thinking, bring fresh perspectives and help shape strategic decisions that impact the organisation as a whole.

You’ll be part of a forward-thinking HR & OD function that is moving beyond traditional HR support to become a truly strategic partner to the business. You’ll help leaders move conversations away from instinct and towards insight, bringing meaningful workforce data, evidence and future-focused thinking to the table. You’ll provide the challenge, support and strategic perspective needed to make better decisions and achieve better outcomes.

This is an opportunity to influence the big agenda; organisational transformation, workforce planning, leadership capability, culture, organisational design and the future shape of our workforce.

About The Role

You’ll act as a trusted adviser, coach and critical friend to Executive Directors and senior leaders, helping them anticipate future challenges, identify opportunities and make informed decisions that support long-term organisational success.

This role isn’t just about solving today’s challenges. It is about shaping the future, helping leaders anticipate tomorrow’s world and making a difference.

You’ll use workforce intelligence, labour market insight, people data and organisational analytics to identify emerging trends, risks and opportunities, translating them into workforce strategies and solutions that improve organisational performance and resilience.

A key feature of this role is our new HR operating model. Working alongside specialist Centres of Excellence across Organisational Development, Learning & Development, Workforce Planning, Talent Acquisition and HR Policy, you’ll focus on strategic workforce priorities while drawing on expert support to deliver tailored solutions. Acting as the link between business needs and specialist expertise, you’ll commission interventions at the right time and in the right place, creating the space for genuine strategic partnering

About You

We’re looking for a strategic thinker, trusted adviser and influential leader who is comfortable operating at the highest levels of a complex organisation.

You will bring:

• Significant experience operating as a senior HR Business Partner or equivalent strategic people leadership role.
• A proven track record of influencing senior leaders and supporting organisational transformation and change.
• Experience of workforce planning, organisational design and people strategy development.
• Strong commercial and organisational awareness, with the ability to balance long-term priorities with operational realities.
• Excellent analytical capability, with the ability to interpret workforce data and translate insight into meaningful action.
• Outstanding relationship‑building, coaching and influencing skills.
• The confidence to challenge constructively whilst building credibility and trust.
• A passion for organisational improvement, leadership excellence and high‑performing cultures.

Most importantly, you’ll be ambitious for Sandwell, excited by change and motivated by the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on the future of our organisation.

Why Sandwell?

This is an organisation with ambition, momentum and a genuine commitment to improvement. You’ll join a Council that is challenging itself to think differently, work differently and continually improve as we work towards becoming an Outstanding Council.

In return, you’ll have the opportunity to influence strategic decisions, shape workforce priorities, develop future leaders and help create an organisation where people and services can thrive.

#WeAreSandwell