Workforce Business Partner

inploi; Oldham; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

A local public sector organization in Oldham seeks an experienced HR and OD Workforce Business Partner to support workforce transformation and enhance service delivery. The role demands strong HR expertise, the ability to influence stakeholders, and a commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace. This position offers a salary range of £55,593 - £58,896 per annum, alongside comprehensive benefits, including annual leave and a pension scheme.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

LGPS benefit pension scheme

Discounted gym membership

Wellbeing support

Peer support groups

Qualifications

• Proven experience in strategic workforce business partnering.
• Ability to convey complex information effectively.
• Experience in developing talent pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Drive workforce transformation initiatives.
• Support leadership development.
• Design innovative workforce solutions.

Skills

CIPD qualification or equivalent

Strong communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Experience within strategic HR and OD

Job description

HR and OD HR Workforce Business Partner

Ref: 001171
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £55,593 - £58,896 per annum (SM3)
Hours: 36.66 per week
Location: Spindles
Closing Date: Wednesday 3rd December 2025

Role Overview

Oldham Council is seeking a strategic and proactive Workforce Business Partner to work closely with senior leaders across Directorates, driving workforce transformation and supporting the delivery of high‑impact initiatives.

This is a pivotal role focused on strategic resourcing, talent acquisition, retention, leadership development, and service redesign.

You’ll be instrumental in diagnosing workforce challenges, designing innovative solutions, and embedding a culture of high performance and wellbeing. From developing localised “grow our own” talent pipelines to leading organisational development interventions, you’ll help build a future‑ready workforce that delivers excellent services to our residents.

We’re looking for someone with strong HR and OD expertise, excellent stakeholder engagement skills, and a passion for driving change. You’ll be a trusted advisor, a data‑driven strategist, and a champion of inclusion and staff engagement.

If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact and help shape a modern, inclusive, and high‑performing public sector workforce, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now and be part of a team that’s proud, ambitious, and working together for Oldham.

Key Requirements

• Evidence CIPD qualification or equivalent and experience within strategic HR and OD
• Evidence of business partnering with services, providing workforce solutions to support local ambitions.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, being able to convey complex and sensitive information to a range of stakeholders.

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and therefore expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

About Us

We want Oldham to have vibrant, safe neighbourhoods where people are proud to live with opportunities for healthier, more fulfilled lives; and a sustainable, thriving economy. As we look to the future, the challenges may be significant, but so are the opportunities. We’ve identified three missions with our residents and partners, focusing on what will deliver the biggest impact:

A Great Place to Live, Healthier, Happier Lives, and Green and Growing.

We’re looking for candidates who will support us to achieve our ambitions and we encourage you to download our Corporate Plan: Ready for the Future and our Oldham Plan for further information.

Our Values and Behaviours

By driving innovation, investing in our people, and championing our communities, we will ensure that Oldham continues to be a place where everyone can live their best life. To support this, we have three core values which define who we are and how we operate. These are Proud, Ambitious, and Together, and they shape our culture, inform our decisions, and inspire us to deliver on our commitments to the people of Oldham.

We have translated these values into five behaviours which guide our actions and are the standards we hold ourselves to, day in and day out:

• Work with a resident focus
• Support local leaders
• Committed to the borough
• Delivery high performance
• Take ownership and drive change

You can find out more about our values and behaviours on our greater.jobs Oldham page.

Our Benefits Package

At Oldham Council we offer a great benefits package for our employees, which includes the following:

• 25 days annual leave which increases after 5 and 10‑years’ service
• The option to purchase additional annual leave.
• An attractive LGPS benefit pension scheme with the option to make shared cost additional voluntary contributions.
• Discounted gym membership with Oldham Active.
• Staff discount scheme for shopping, entertainment, eating‑out, eating‑in, travel, motoring and more.
• Salary sacrifice scheme for home and electronics and Cycle to Work.
• Wellbeing support, including a Mental Health First Aider network and an Employment Assistance Programme that provides 24 hours access to advice and support.
• Staff recognition and celebration events.
• Peer support groups

Inclusive Recruitment

We work closely with employees to help them work at their best, including making adjustments such as flexible working, describing available working patterns, providing equipment or making changes to the workplace.

If you’re an applicant with disabilities and have previously been in or currently in care, a carer or someone who has served in the Armed Forces and you meet the essential criteria of the role, you are guaranteed to reach the first stage of assessment under our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme.

Data and Privacy

For details of how we use your data please see our privacy notice.

Important Information

Please note that should a vacancy that has been released for internal or external recruitment be deemed suitable for a current employee at risk of redundancy, it can be pulled back at any point, up to the post being formally offered to a candidate who is not at risk of redundancy.

While we embrace the use of AI as an innovative tool to maximise our services at Oldham Council, we are looking for authenticity in applications we receive. We therefore ask you to think carefully if choosing to use AI when completing your application and ask that you ensure you read all instructions carefully and that your application is written by you and reflects your skills, knowledge and enthusiasm.