HR People Business Partner - Working for Essex

About the role

HR People Business Partner

Fixed Term (12 months maternity leave cover), Full Time (37 hours per week)

Up to £86,131 per annum plus £2,500 car allowance, medical insurance & LGPS

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: 7th May 2025

*Experience the best of both worlds with our flexible hybrid working arrangements. Enjoy the freedom to work from home while still benefiting from in-person collaboration in our Chelmsford offices, typically around 2 days per week.

At Essex County Council (ECC), we are committed to building a world-class workforce. With over 9,000 employees and 1.8 million residents, our HR People Business Partner Team is integral to this mission, focusing on developing strategic approaches to enhance future capability across ECC. We build critical relationships within business functional areas, driving people strategies to ensure improved performance and delivering the workforce strategy and associated initiatives. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex.

Experience Required:

We are seeking a highly experienced and qualified HR leader who has operated at a senior level within large, complex organisations. Reporting into the Assistant Director of People, you will take accountability and ownership within a partnered function in the organisation. You will bring a wealth of knowledge in HR, passion about our people agenda, and a deep understanding of strategic development, employment practice, change management and HR tools and methodologies.

This is an exciting time of change at Essex County Council. We are progressing devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR), and this work will evolve at pace over the next twelve months towards a Mayoral election in May 2026.

As HR business partner, you will play a pivotal role in this, working closely with senior leaders (including executive directors, the chief executive, and councillors) across the organisation, leading and guiding the leadership team by identifying areas for improvement, proactively and successfully leading through this period of significant change, for the benefit of our people, the organisation, and residents. To read more about us please visit: People, Policy, Economy and Public Health - Working for Essex

Day to day, you will;

Lead on strategic level and complex projects and activities, taking a portfolio lead for in an area of specialism
Drive strategic people initiatives, aligned to our organisation goals through innovative solutions and best practices.
Design and implement initiatives to enhance business outcomes
Plan and lead large scale change initiatives, including the stages and phases of project and programme management
Identify risks, create mitigation plans and develop business cases for change programmes
Coach leaders to enhance team performance, prioritise impactful factors, and drive strategic and transformational change
Monitor and evaluate workforce performance, advise within policy framework, and oversee annual performance objectives for Executive Directors and their teams

Read our blog post, ‘a day in the life of a People Business Partner’

About you

A deep curiosity and eagerness to learn about our organisation and the unique character of Essex are essential for success in this role.

Your success in leading strategically, designing, and driving initiatives, coaching leaders and managing change, whilst continuously seeking opportunities for improvement and innovation, will be a testament to your leadership and strategic thinking.

You will have strong collaboration skills - building, managing, and maintaining trusted relationships, acting as a confidant and forming alliances with internal and external stakeholders is at the very crux of this role.

Naturally, your expertise in the legal context and employee relations landscape will be invaluable, you will navigate complex employment laws and regulations with ease, influencing and coaching senior business leaders to proactively manage intricate employee relations issues. In addition, your ability to mitigate organisational risk through the confident application of employment and case law knowledge will support our strategic objectives and ensure a stable and compliant work environment.

Educationally, you are equipped with a degree or equivalent experience and hold professional qualifications to MCIPD, with a preference for FCIPD. These credentials underpin your ability to lead at a strategic level, combining both theoretical knowledge and practical expertise to drive our organisation forward.

We don't settle for mediocrity. Our team operates in an agile environment, continuously striving for professional development and excellence. We don't shy away from challenges; instead, we proactively identify areas for improvement and lead through change for the benefit of our people, the organisation, and residents.

If you are a visionary people business partner with the expertise and drive to excel in this role, we want to hear from you. Join us and make a significant impact, and help shape the future of Essex County Council. For a copy of the full job description please email: resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk.

What's in it for You?

Secure Your Future: Enjoy peace of mind with enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
Health and Wellbeing: We know that your wellbeing is essential. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment for all employees. You will have access to our wellbeing portal, employee networks and more.
Travel in Style: Benefit from our new electric vehicle scheme or choose an annual travel allowance.
Professional Growth: We cover professional fees for approved professions, supporting your career development.

Work-Life Balance: Enjoy the flexibility of hybrid working arrangements, allowing you to balance work with your personal life.

Generous Time Off: Start with 27 days of holiday, increasing with service, plus 8 bank holidays and up to 4 paid volunteer days each year.

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.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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