Director of People & Organisational Development

Manchester is a thriving, modern city with a global reputation for culture, leisure and sporting success. Not only one of the fastest-growing cities in Europe, and a vital engine of economic growth for the north west and the UK, we’re also a pioneer in public service reform, reshaping services in ways that influence thinking far beyond our boundaries. There’s no better place to bring your talents than one of the country’s most dynamic public service organisations in one of Europe’s most progressive cities.

We have an ambitious City Plan.  To deliver this the council must be a great place to work, with a culture we can be proud of and an absolute commitment to the highest standards of performance and conduct. That’s what this job is all about: you’ll lead one of the biggest, busiest, most complicated and most rewarding core city People functions in the country, from inclusive recruitment to talent management and building great career pathways to supporting all our people to feel valued at work.

We’re proud of our successes such as our award-winning approach to employee engagement setting a new benchmark in organisational development and our new EDI plan furthering the work started in our race review.  We are also clear-eyed about where we need to do more or think differently.

As one of the fastest growing and most diverse local labour markets in the country, our priorities include the continuous improvement of workforce representation at all levels, strengthening equality, pay, and fairness, supported by the implementation of our new HR & Finance system. We are also pursuing a renewed focus on culture and behaviours and an integrated talent strategy developing world-class leaders.

We want to meet people with a sophisticated mix of expertise, experience and leadership skills, who can immediately establish a strong, credible reputation and momentum for change. Your communication, negotiation and influencing ability will be exceptional, and you must bring a track record of consolidating and strengthening large, complex organisations.

You’ll be joining a strong, well-respected, politically and financially stable city, with highly valued partnerships. The professional opportunity to deliver a high performing service and lead an exceptional team shouldn’t be missed. We know this job will be a major enabling factor in us achieving our vision for Manchester, and we’re really looking forward to meeting experienced, optimistic leaders who can make it all happen.

For more information on this fantastic opportunity, please view the role profile, the Corporate Services Team Corporate Structure, and the dedicated microsite - all linked below.

Download role profile

View the People & OD Organisational Structure

Visit the dedicated microsite

To apply:

To apply for this job please click on the Apply button below and fill out the requested information. When prompted, please submit your CV and a Supporting Statement of no more than 1000 words.

With your CV, please also provide the names and contact details of two referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be contacted if you reach the final stages, and we will not contact referees without your permission.

Your supporting statement should express why you are interested in this role and what experience you can bring to the organisation. The statement should tackle the specific requirements of the role; outlining examples and outcomes showing how you meet those requirements.