Overview
Northumberland County Council is undertaking a major transformation to modernise the organisation, improve efficiency, and put residents first. We are building a People and Culture service to enable large-scale change and create a modern, inclusive, high performing organisation. As a Strategic People and Culture Partner, you will play a central role in shaping this journey. Working directly with senior leaders, you will act as a trusted advisor, supporting directorates as they navigate organisational change, workforce transformation, cultural development, and the creation of a future-ready, people-centred council. This is a role for someone who is both strategic and hands-on — someone who can see the bigger picture whilst also building capability, coaching leaders, interpreting workforce insights, and driving tangible improvements in the employee experience.
Responsibilities
* Act as a trusted strategic advisor to senior leaders within your allocated Directorates, enabling delivery of organisational objectives through effective people strategies.
* Drive workforce transformation, cultural change, and leadership development, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities, values, and behaviours.
* Champion inclusion, equality, and wellbeing across the wider Council.
* Leverage data and insights to shape decisions and create an inclusive, high-performing, and future-ready workforce.
* Coach and mentor senior leaders on effective leadership practices, employee engagement, and performance management.
* Facilitate strategic workforce planning, succession planning, and leadership pipeline development.
* Partner with Talent Acquisition and Organisational Development teams to attract, retain, and develop high-calibre talent.
* Lead initiatives to improve employee experience, engagement, and organisational resilience.
* Support organisational change and transformation through robust change management strategies.
* Build strong relationships across the Council and with external partners to deliver sustainable improvements in culture and performance.
* Collaborate with elected members, trade unions, and external partners to deliver sustainable improvements in employee experience and service delivery.
This role is both strategic and hands-on, requiring a deep understanding of organisational dynamics and a passion for creating inclusive, high-performing environments.
Requirements
* A strategic HR and organisational development professional with experience of leading cultural change in complex organisations.
* Strong influencing skills and the ability to work collaboratively at the highest levels.
* A values-driven leader who inspires confidence and champions inclusion, integrity, and accountability.
* Proven ability to deliver innovative people solutions that improve performance and engagement.
* Deep knowledge of employment law and HR best practice.
* Demonstrable experience handling complex ER cases.
* CIPD qualification (or equivalent experience) and a track record of delivering transformation in a public sector or similar environment.
Benefits
* A supportive environment for innovation and transformation.
* Attractive benefits including generous annual leave (starting at 26 days and rising to 31 after 5 years\' service), attractive local government pension scheme, flexi scheme, agile working, leadership development, wellbeing support, and local government discount schemes.
* The chance to make a real difference to our communities and workforce.
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