Strategic HR Business Partner (fixed term)

As the Council has a normal retirement age of 65, the maximum age for recruiting new employees will usually be 64 1/2.

This role is specifically working on the HR aspects of our Customer Access Programme, a cross cutting project that has a major impact on the way we deliver our services. There may also be opportunities to work in other service areas.
It’s a hugely exciting time to be working in Newham. The organisation is on a journey and has an ambitious change programmes designed to ensure that we are a modern, innovative and effective public organisation, best equipped to bring about improvements in quality of life and opportunity within the borough and realising our vision of Newham as a place where people want to live, work and stay. The 2012 Olympics brings an unprecedented interest, investment and challenge to the borough. We are committed to delivering a successful event that will catapult Newham onto the world stage. But, equally importantly, we are committed to harnessing the potential of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to deliver a legacy for the people of Newham.
HR is at the heart of the change agenda in the Council – advising and enabling managers to create a workforce that can deliver our ambitious objectives and a working environment that encourages and develops talent from within, helping our workforce to realise their potential within the council. We have relocated over 2000 of the Council’s office based staff into a single location: Newham Dockside in the Royal Docks.
The HR Business Partner model is embedded in the Council and is highly valued.

The role

Taking the lead on all strategic HR issues for your designated service area you’ll work closely with line managers to understand service needs and challenges and tailor HR support to fit. You’ll also play an important corporate HR role, ensuring the council makes the most of its people’s skills, knowledge and potential, and ensuring that our People strategy is embedded in working practices in your directorate. You’ll find Newham an exciting and challenging place to work – an organisation that recognises and values innovation. And you’ll value the strong operational HR support in place that will enable you to focus your energies on adding value.
You should be able to demonstrate significant experience in a senior HR capacity and show how you have managed change successfully in your career to date. Able to establish rapport and trust with senior level colleagues, you have strong communication, presentation and organisational skills, and are comfortable leading on complex project work.
If you are motivated by where an organisation is going rather than where it is today and can see the career potential that an ambitious change programme creates, you’ll recognise the quality of this opportunity at Newham.

For an informal discussion about this role, please call Beverley Williams, Acting Divisional Director for HR on 020 3373 6052.

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.