This position will initially, in line with current government guidance be based from home, with an expectation of being home based for the foreseeable future. However, if / when government guidelines change the role may then revert to being office based, whilst retaining some flexible working options.

We are looking for HR and OD professionals who are at the top of their game and who are passionate about developing modern, business focussed solutions, and who are not afraid to challenge and try something new. The challenge we have at Essex County Council is massive, the opportunity is even bigger. This is your chance to bring new and modern ways of doing things to one of the biggest county councils in the country, where you will be encouraged to share your ideas, experience and be at the heart of creating and delivering best fit solutions.

If the idea of being part of a team who is making a real difference to public service, and to the lives of the residents of Essex, appeals to you - then this is the place for you. You may currently be working outside of local government or even in the private sector but looking to showcase your skills on a larger stage and focussed on business performance which has a real impact on people's lives.

The opportunity

As a People Business Partner you will develop critical relationships across the different areas of the Council, driving our people and workforce strategy initiatives to ensure we are continually improving performance. Your expertise, credibility and gravitas will be able to influence even the most senior colleagues, helping us to drive our initiatives forward and build a world-class workforce. You'll work collaboratively, providing expert advice and coaching. As senior leader within the ODP team, you'll actively challenge the status quo and will encourage ideas and the use of innovative, digital solutions to improve on performance. You'll monitor, assess and evaluate workforce performance and its impact on the organisation, and play a key role in the Council's business planning cycle.

About you

You'll be educated to degree level or equivalent and hold an MCIPD qualification, or ideally, FCIPD qualification. As a senior HR professional, with significant experience under your belt, you're resilient, curious, adaptable and creative, and lead with ethical and professional integrity. You'll have your own strategies for building your own in-depth knowledge of each area of the business, its language, goals, processes and strategy. Your strong communication skills will give you the ability to forge lasting relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders. You'll have experience of coaching and leading others and will be able to provide advice and support across the different areas of the Council. Driving continuous improvement is an important part of what you do, and you'll actively seek out new ideas and feedback from customers to learn and grow.

About us

At Essex County Council we have a vision to be a county where innovation brings prosperity and we are dedicated to improving the lives of our residents. With a total workforce of over 6,500, Essex County Council is one of the largest county councils in the country and we truly believe our greatest asset is our people. They are fundamentally key to our current and future success.

As part of employment with Essex County Council should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please visit: https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity is key to our success.

Please note that Essex County Council has determined that the off-payroll working rules will apply to this assignment and where a worker elects to provide their services through an intermediary (such as a personal services company) then income tax and primary national insurance contributions will be deducted at source from any payments made to the intermediary.

If you have any queries regarding this role, or require anything further, please email or call us on 0333 013 5888. Lines are open Monday to Friday 08:30 - 16.30.