Strategic OD&D Director: Redesigning Structures & Culture

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

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