Interim Head of HR Shared Services

Working Style: Anywhere worker This means that we come into the office in Chelmsford to undertake activities which benefit from in-person interactions, which tends to average 1-2 days per week

The Opportunity

This isn't a traditional HR job; in fact, the job title doesn't encompass the breadth of the role.

We work within the HR space developing collaboration and trust to deliver better quality HR services at lower cost to our partner organisations. Our operating model is to work with and support HR services with real problems where they may not have the capacity, knowledge, or expertise rather than to look to manage whole services on their behalf.

We have been able to use our scale to negotiate and implement cost reductions in resourcing that benefit our partners, develop their own shared services, or undertake ER casework. We help our partners with organisation design, development programmes, workforce planning, learning & development, and employment vetting to name a few.

You will bring strategic foresight and commercial acumen and will have a demonstrable track record of exploring and executing future options that not only align with our objectives but also consider the financial efficacy of services and their sustainability in the evolving landscape of public sector services.

It's a diverse and growing portfolio that needs an exceptional commercial professional, who can also bring subject matter expertise in a broad range of HR services. You will have extensive commercial experience developing large scale HR services combined with experience of working at a senior level in local government or a comparable regulated organisation. You will have high standards for service delivery, ensuring our partners receive best in class solutions to their HR needs, and that we continue to build our reputation as a provider of choice.

This is a traded service, so yes, we aim to return a surplus to the Council, but we are not motivated solely by profit. We work ethically to find the right solution for our partners ensuring excellence and innovation in the delivery of professional specialist services together with delivering a best value advisory service.

You will be at the forefront of considering the delicate balance between delivering superior services, ensuring financial efficiency, and paving the way for the long-term sustainability of our HR offerings. Your detailed understanding of commercial dynamics and business acumen will be central to navigating the intricacies of this multifaceted role, ensuring that Essex County Council (ECC) continues to stand as an example of excellence.

Further Information

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Please note that Essex County Council has determined that the off-payroll working rules will apply to this assignment and where a worker elects to provide their services through an intermediary (such as a personal services company) then income tax and primary national insurance contributions will be deducted at source from any payments made to the intermediary.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service