Location: Bury
Salary: £88,712 – £96,251
Closing Date: 29th September 2025
Bury Council is on a bold and ambitious journey. Halfway through our 10-year “Let’s Do It!” strategy, we’re transforming how public services are delivered and howmunities engage with them. We’re reshaping our corporate core to increase the pace for delivery of this vision, and now we’re looking for a strategic and operational leader to join us as
Assistant Director of People and Inclusion – who will be the most senior HR/People Professional in the council.
The Role
This is a pivotal leadership role reporting to the Executive Director of Strategy & Transformation. You’ll lead a multidisciplinary HR function including HR Operations, Business Partnering, Payroll & Pensions, Health & Safety, Organisational Development, and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.
You’ll be responsible for:
1. Driving workforce transformation and cultural change across the Council.
2. Leading the development and delivery of our Inclusion Strategy and internal OD programmes.
3. Overseeingplex employee relations and workforce planning in a dynamic, multi-site, unionised environment.
4. Supporting the Council’s improvement journey in key services such as Children’s and Housing Services.
5. Ensuring statutorypliance and delivering high-quality HR services that enable our strategic ambitions.
This is a hands-on role requiring both strategic vision and operational delivery. You’ll be instrumental in shaping the future of our workforce and embedding inclusive, strengths-based approaches across the organisation – driving our People Strategy.
About You
You’re a calm, pragmatic and resilient leader with significant senior HR experience in large,plex organisations – ideally within the public sector. You bring:
6. Strong track record in workforce transformation, employee relations, and organisational development, with the ability to lead throughplexity and change.
7. Deep understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion, and proven success embedding inclusive practices across diverse teams.
8. Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills at all levels, to work with trade unions, Elected Members and senior leaders on sensitive, high-impact workforce issues.
9. The ability to managepeting priorities, lead teams throughplex organisational change, and apply sound planning and delivery skills to achieve both immediate impact and sustainable transformation.
Why Bury?
We’re proud of our progress on our “Let’s Do It!” strategy and we know there’s more to share and more to do. This role offers the chance to make a real impact on our workforce, our culture, and ourmunities.
This is a permanent position paying £88,712 – £96,251 depending on experience. You’ll be based at our Bury campus with agile working arrangements, and you’ll be part of a passionate teammitted to making Bury a place where everyone can thrive.
How to Apply
Bury Council is working in partnership with Hays Executive HR Practice to recruit for this role. To apply, please visit to submit a CV and cover letter, or contact Laura Bennallack – / 0333 010 5299 for an informal discussion.
Closing date for applications: 29th September 2025 23:59pm
Technical Interviews: w/c 6th OctoberShortlisting: Thursday 16th OctoberManager/Stakeholder Interviews: w/c 20th OctoberFinal Interviews: Thursday 23rd October and Friday 24th October
#LI-DNI
#4722386 - Laura Bennallack