Director Of People

Your job

As a member of the Resources Directorate senior management team, you will lead the Council's strategic thinking on workforce issues; develop effective ways of implementing modern people management strategies and good practice; lead on customer experience by ensuring that our customers are at the heart of all our decision-making and contribute to the leadership of the council.

You will lead on the design, development, and implementation of the Council's strategic approach to customer experience. Working across the organisation with partners and with Members to deliver an improved customer experience for the residents and businesses of Cheshire East.

You will lead on our professional practice in relation to our people and organisational improvement ensuring services are supported and enabled to deliver well for our residents and businesses.

You will be responsible for developing and implementing our Workforce Strategy, policies, provision, procedures, and guidance; and for designing and implementing HR, OD and Culture across the Council. Success will mean ensuring the effective resourcing and development of a skilled, engaged, and empowered workforce and a supportive and inclusive culture that supports the wider transformation of the Council, the delivery of the Corporate Plan and our target operating model. You will also lead on talent management and retention of our workforce to ensure that we are able to respond to the changing nature of working practices for the future.

You will shape organisational culture and a climate in which staff have shared commitment to serving our customers well.

Our shared values

Here at Cheshire East Council, we have a clear set of values:

• Drive: striving for innovation, excellence and high performance.
• Integrity: acting ethically, being accountable and fostering trust.
• Respect: demonstrating empathy and appreciation for others, being inclusive.
• Collaboration: working and learning together with a focus on outcomes.

Co-produced with our staff, these value are critical to us achieving our vision as set out in the Cheshire East Plan. It is important you take some time to understand our values and how you can bring these to life in your day-to-day work.

Further information on the values can also be found via the link Our values.

In this job you will

1. Provide clear leadership on all matters of the Council's Workforce Strategy, including workforce planning, equality, diversity and inclusion and cultural change, bringing about lasting and sustainable transformation.
2. Direct and oversee an integrated service operation for Customer Services, maximising economies of scale, driving improvements in performance but also ensuring that our customers are treated fairly, equitably and understand how to engage with the council in a constructive way. Develop plans across HR, OD, and customer services which support implementation of the Council's Corporate Plan priorities.
3. Provide leadership by developing and shaping the organisation's culture to support the Council's wider transformation.
4. Direct and support organisational design, evaluating the organisational structure and design to achieve Corporate Plan priorities through workforce planning and talent management strategies
5. Be responsible for all aspects of HR including organisation development, workforce planning, skills and talent development, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, employee value proposition, positive employee relations, HR policy, compliance and employee engagement and culture.
6. Provide leadership, to the HR & OD, Customer Services departments including, but not limited to the Contact Centre, recognising that customer engagement is a cross departmental responsibility.
7. Provide advice and assurance to Members and senior management on policy, strategy, statutory and regulatory practices relating to Human Resources and Customer engagement functions.
8. Provide support to and advise Members, senior management colleagues, and employees to deliver the Council's key priorities and services by providing appropriate information, advice and guidance to relevant committees.
9. Drive the Council's statutory responsibility for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for the workforce To promote and act as a leading advocate/champion for equality and diversity in the workplace.
10. Ensure the delivery of high-quality customer services and manage the stakeholder expectations from other Council Directorates.
11. Design and role model change. This includes professional advice to the Chief Executive, the Corporate Leadership Team and colleagues on any new initiative or better ways of achieving the Council's strategic goals.

From time to time you may be asked to undertake work as may be determined by the Chief Executive and/or an Executive Director. This will be up to or at a level consistent with your job role. This supports our commitment to being an effective and enabling council.

In this job you will need

You must be able to demonstrate the following essential requirements:

Qualifications, knowledge, and experience

• Expert knowledge of customer services performance best practice, emerging trends and innovations
• Relevant professional qualifications, substantial post qualification experience with significant senior management experience
• Substantial evidence of political awareness and experience of successful management in a senior position at the political/management interface
• Management experience and skills as well as the ability to make seasoned professional judgements.
• High levels of analytical, creative and interpersonal skills and an understanding of the political environment of the Council.
• Level 7 CIPD qualification or equivalent experience
• Experience in developing and implementing HR strategies.
• Senior management experience leading a HR Department
• Knowledge of Council services, their service proposition and their impact on residents and businesses.

Skills and abilities

• Proven managerial, leadership, networking and influencing skills and managing multidisciplined departments.
• Good understanding of employment law and of current best practice in people and culture, HR, and learning and development.
• Substantial and senior experience of managing people, and leading and inspiring change.
• Understanding and experience of leading on the promotion of equality and diversity in employment and service delivery
• Good standard of computer literacy including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and HR packages
• Plan and prioritise effectively to achieve demanding targets and deadlines.
• Experience in successfully leading employee consultation and engagement
• Work in partnership with Directorates or external organisations to improve residents' quality of life and interaction with Council Services.

If you think this job role is for you, please send your CV to