Director of Human Resources - Local Government

We have been asked to source an exceptional Director of Human Resources on behalf of a major UK Metropolitan Authority for an interim contract likely to run for 12 months or more. It is important to note that the specialist nature of the challenges within the assignment mean it will only be suitable for candidates who can demonstrate recent Director-level experience within Local Government.

Taking the lead of a large HR department during a major period of change implementation, this unique and interesting challenge will test both the management skills and the transformational skills of the right incumbent. With a decision on permanent leadership likely to be taken quite some time in the future, the interim custodian will play a major part in taking the decision and the organisation to best-in-class over the coming year or so. The assignment will demand a calm head, significant executive experience and a very good understanding of the challenges faced by a modern Council from a community perspective as well as from an HR one.

With the headline aspect of the role being to find a balance between offering ongoing business support and improvement in a time of change organisation-wide, there are a number of other key areas where the right candidate will also need to demonstrate significant experience, including areas such as Industrial Relations (where clear policy and guidance improvement is needed); Equality and Diversity (where the Authority needs dynamic leadership to bring the diversity of the local community to the workforce both within the Council and City-wide); as well as tradition HR areas such as Organisational Development; Recruitment; Planning; and Compensation and Benefits.

In terms of the experience needed: the Council has specified the need for significant and recent Local government experience. Please don’t apply at this stage if you have not worked at HRD level within a County, Metropolitan or Borough Council over the last 3 years, or for less than 3 years. While the Authority is aware this may rule out some highly capable applicants, the current challenges need expert grasp of Council workings, services and idiosyncratic machinations to navigate a successful path to implementation and delivery in HR currently.

If you have been an HRD within Local Government recently/for some time, and you have a strong background in both leadership and driving change; are excited by big challenges and motivated by turn-around/improvement orientated assignments; and are available at reasonably short notice, then we would love to hear from you.

Please apply with a resume and covering note as soon as possible, and suitable applicants should receive a quick response.