About the Role
and our Ideal Candidate
About the roles
We are recruiting up to two Strategic HR & OD Business Partners to support the London Borough of Sutton through a period of significant transformation and service delivery.
These roles sit within our Shared HR Service (hosted by the Royal Borough of Kingston) and the remit is to work closely with Sutton Council services and senior leaders.
This is an exciting opportunity to either:
1. Play a key role in delivering Sutton’s transformation programme, One Sutton, or
2. Partner with senior leaders across core directorates, driving organisational performance and workforce strategy
Final role allocation will be based on candidates’ skills, experience and organisational priorities.
What you’ll be doing
As a Strategic HR & OD Business Partner, you will operate as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, working at both a strategic and operational level.
Depending on your role focus, you will:
3. Partner with senior leaders and directorates to drive organisational performance and change
4. Lead organisational design, workforce planning and transformation activity
5. Support large-scale change programmes, including One Sutton
6. Use insight and data to shape HR & OD interventions and priorities
7. Support the development of inclusive, high-performing teams and leadership capability
8. Provide expert advice on complex people and organisational challenges
9. Embed corporate priorities including EDI, talent and succession planning
About you
We are looking for experienced HR & OD professionals who:
10. Have strong Business Partnering experience in a complex organisation
11. Are confident influencing and working with senior stakeholders
12. Have experience of organisational change, transformation and workforce planning
13. Are able to work with leaders to shape and embed culture change
14. Demonstrate sound knowledge of employment legislation and HR practice
15. Bring a collaborative, pragmatic and solutions-focused approach
Experience within local government or the public sector is desirable but not essential.
Additional information
This recruitment campaign is being run to fill up to two Strategic HR & OD Business Partner roles supporting Sutton Council and therefore although working in the shared service with Kingston, the majority of office presence time will be required specifically in our Sutton Civic Offices - we do operate a hybrid working model.
One role is expected to focus on the One Sutton transformation programme, while the other will support directorate-facing HR & OD delivery.
All roles are employed by the Royal Borough of Kingston as the host employer for the shared HR service, while supporting Sutton services.
We welcome applications from both internal and external candidates. Internal applicants will be considered for secondment opportunities where applicable.
As part of your application, please indicate whether you are interested in:
16. Transformation-focused role
17. Directorate-focused role
18. Either role
Apply now to join a friendly, inclusive and outcomes focused team and to help shape services that make a real difference to Sutton’s residents.
About Us
This is an exciting opportunity to join a progressive HR, People and Organisational Development (OD) Service that focuses on our residents' needs, across the Royal Borough of Kingston and London Borough of Sutton. We are building a strategically focused OD service that is responsive to developing culture and capability, and enabling our workforce to provide the services needed for the communities we serve.
This represents a stand-out chance for an experienced HR and OD practitioner to play a key role in driving forward organisational development and change, specifically in Sutton. This is a great place to be a HR and OD Professional!
About One Sutton
As a council, Sutton delivers vital services that make it a great place to live and work - supporting vulnerable residents and maintaining our parks, streets and roads.
However, demand for services including Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, temporary accommodation and SEND continues to increase, while funding reduces. Sutton is addressing a £30 million budget gap over the next three years.
In response, we are transforming how we work.
One Sutton is our cross-council transformation programme - bringing together our people, services and communities to create a council that is:
19. More people-focused and community-led
20. Place-based in its approach
21. Digital-first and innovative
22. Driven by value and outcomes
Our Offer To You
As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across however big or small; will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.
Employees have access to a wide range of benefits to enable staff to achieve a work life balance, some of which include:
23. A generous annual leave entitlement of 25-32 days, plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply) depending on service and grade.
24. A unique opportunity to shape transformation and services within Sutton.
25. Flexible and hybrid working.
26. The opportunity to work across a shared HR service (Kingston & Sutton).
27. Enhanced Maternity, Paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependents leave.
28. Three volunteering days per year in Kingston or Sutton.
29. Flexible and agile working arrangements using Google Chromebooks.
30. Learning and development portal offering a range of courses.
31. Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres.
32. Interest free season ticket loans.
33. Local Government Pension Scheme.
34. Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme.
35. Electric vehicle leasing scheme.
36. Confidential health & wellbeing and counselling support.