Head of Strategic People Partners

Overview

Lead Strategic HR Transformation at Buckinghamshire Council

Are you an inspiring and forward-thinking HR leader ready to drive the strategic people agenda for Buckinghamshire Council and make a lasting impact on our organisation? We are excited to offer a great opportunity for a dynamic professional to join us as Head of Strategic People Partners within our Resources – HR & OD team, reporting directly to the Service Director for HR & OD.

As Head of Strategic People Partners, you will lead the delivery of our People Plan and employee relations strategy, driving excellence in culture, inclusion, and the use of HR technology. You will coach and empower Strategic People Partners to deliver workforce planning, retention and skills development across directorates and services, ensuring our HR practices are consistent, efficient, and aligned with organisational goals.

This is a unique opportunity to oversee complex casework, champion innovation, and spearhead change management initiatives. You will advise senior leaders on employment legislation and best practice, proactively shape our employee relations approach, and collaborate with key partners to develop tailored reward and talent strategies. Your commercial acumen, analytical skills, and ability to build constructive relationships with trade unions and employee representatives will be central to your success.

About the role

Key responsibilities include:

 

• Lead the strategic delivery of our People Plan, collaborating across HR and directorates.
• Promote a culture of engagement, inclusion, and innovation in all HR practices.
• Drive proactive workforce planning, talent development, and succession planning initiatives.
• Oversee employee relations strategies, ensuring compliance with evolving employment law.
• Lead complex disciplinary, grievance, and capability casework, supporting managers and employees through change.
• Deliver reports and insights on key people trends and metrics to inform strategic decisions.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the Strategic People Business Partners and Employee Relations team to deliver high performance and expertise.
• Build collaborative relationships with trade unions and employee representatives, promoting constructive dialogue.
• Champion continuous improvement, transformation, and the adoption of new HR technologies.

Other information

For further information on this role and the person specification please see the attached job summary.

Salary: Competitive

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the recruiting manager, please contact: [email protected]

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Resources cover a wide range of specialisms, including Human Resources, Finance, ICT and Business Operations. Our main focus is supporting the other directorates to provide the best possible service to our residents. To do that, we have to make sure we have the right people in the right roles across the organisation. From our finance teams, working strategically to ensure the best value from public money; to HR keeping our employees healthy and happy, each service is vital in making sure Buckinghamshire Council has what it needs to run effectively and efficiently.

As well as providing high quality services to other areas of the Council, you could also be helping us build on the revenue which comes from our external clients. If you are ambitious, customer-focussed and bursting with new ideas, we want to hear from you.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/