Workforce Planning and Skills Partner

Heriot-Watt University; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Heriot-Watt University is seeking a forward-thinking Workforce Planning and Skills Partner to join the Human Resources Directorate. You will lead a university-wide skills framework and work with senior leaders to shape workforce strategy across UK, Dubai and Malaysia campuses.

The role focuses on strategic workforce planning, talent development and capability building, delivering practical, data-informed solutions that support sustainability and organisational effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in workforce planning, talent management, or skills-based transformation.
• Experience developing skills frameworks and career pathways within complex organisations.
• Strong understanding of succession planning and talent development methodologies.
• Experience using HR systems to generate strategic workforce insights.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills.
• Proven project management skills with ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to translate strategic objectives into practical, scalable solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of University-wide skills and capability frameworks aligned to priorities.
• Develop workforce planning approaches to support long-term capability needs.
• Analyze workforce demographics and labour market intelligence to identify risks and opportunities.
• Present evidence-based recommendations to senior stakeholders.

Skills

Workforce planning

Talent management

Organisational development

Skills-based workforce

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Project management

Strategic insight

Education

Degree qualified or equivalent in HR/OD/LD/Business

Job description

Role: Workforce Planning and Skills Partner

Directorate: Human Resources Directorate

Contract Type: Full-Time (35 hours per week), Open Ended

Grade and Salary: Grade 7 - £37,694 - £47,389 per annum

Holiday Entitlement

• 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Role Description

Heriot-Watt University is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Workforce Planning and Skills Partner to join the Human Resources Directorate.

Working within the Talent Acquisition team, the post holder will lead the development and implementation of a University-wide skills and capability framework that supports strategic workforce planning, career development, succession management, organisational capability and workforce agility. The role will help shape an evolving skills and strengths-based approach to talent and workforce development across the University. The role will play a key part in ensuring the University has the talent, skills and capacity required to deliver its global strategy across its UK, Dubai and Malaysia campuses.

Working closely with senior leaders, HR colleagues and the Professional and Organisational Development team, the successful candidate will develop practical, data-informed solutions that support workforce sustainability, employee growth and organisational effectiveness.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Skills and Capability Frameworks

• Lead the design and implementation of University-wide skills and capability frameworks aligned to organisational priorities and career structures.
• Identify current and future capability requirements across academic and professional services areas.
• Ensure frameworks support career progression, talent mobility, succession planning, workforce resilience, organisational agility and the effective deployment of individual strengths.
• Promote a consistent and accessible approach to skills development across the University.

Workforce Planning and Talent Development

• Develop and embed workforce planning approaches that support strategic decision-making and long-term capability needs.
• Assess workforce capability against future requirements, identifying skills gaps, strengths profiles, development priorities and opportunities to enhance organisational agility.
• Support succession planning and strengthen talent pipelines for critical and specialist roles.
• Contribute to the University's transition towards a skills-based approach to workforce and talent management.
• Workforce Analysis and Insight
• Analyse workforce demographics, trends and labour market intelligence to identify risks and opportunities.
• Develop workforce forecasts and scenario plans to support strategic workforce decisions.
• Create and maintain workforce metrics, dashboards and reporting that provide actionable insight.
• Present evidence-based recommendations to senior stakeholders.

Stakeholder Partnership and Change

• Build strong relationships with senior leaders and key stakeholders across the University.
• Provide expert advice on workforce planning, capability development and organisational effectiveness.
• Facilitate workshops and consultations to support workforce initiatives and change programmes.
• Assess workforce implications of organisational transformation and support sustainable change planning.

Learning and Organisational Capability

• Design or commission development initiatives aligned to organisational priorities and workforce needs.
• Work collaboratively with learning, leadership and Professional and Organisational Development colleagues to develop approaches that build skills, augment strengths and increase workforce agility.
• Evaluate programme effectiveness and use insights to drive continuous improvement.

Systems, Governance and Continuous Improvement

• Support the development and optimisation of workforce planning, talent and skills systems and processes.
• Establish effective workforce planning standards, methodologies and governance arrangements.
• Promote workforce planning capability across the University and drive continuous improvement in tools and practices.
• Monitor external labour market trends and benchmark activity to inform workforce strategies.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Essential

1. Degree qualified, or equivalent professional experience, in Human Resources, Organisational Development, Learning and Development, Business Management or a related discipline.
2. Significant experience in workforce planning, talent management, organisational development, talent acquisition, or skills-based workforce transformation.
3. Experience developing and implementing skills frameworks, career pathways or workforce planning initiatives within a complex organisation.
4. Strong understanding of workforce planning, succession planning and talent development methodologies.
5. Experience using workforce data, HR systems and reporting tools to generate strategic insight.
6. Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills.
7. Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
8. Proven project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
9. Ability to translate strategic objectives into practical, scalable solutions.

Desirable

1. Experience within higher education or another large, complex and multi-stakeholder environment.
2. Knowledge of organisational design, job architecture and skills-based workforce models.
3. CIPD membership, or progress towards membership.
4. Experience of learning management, talent management or workforce planning systems.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Heriot-Watt University is committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive. We value diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Appointments will be made on merit.

Applications are invited from candidates who are passionate about shaping organisational capability, workforce strategy and skills development within one of the UK's leading international universities.

Heriot-WattUniversity is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-WattUniversity values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our websitehttps://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htmand also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careershttps://disc.hw.ac.uk/.

Use our total rewards calculator:https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htmto see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.