Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development

About the role:

Horsham District Council is seeking an experienced HR professional to lead on the provision and development of the council’s HR management and Organisational Development service, including corporate Health and Safety, Business Continuity and Emergency Planning.

This is a permanent, full-time role, ideally starting on 1 September 2025.

We are committed to serving the interests of our residents and businesses and are determined to ensure we can continue to be a successful and high performing council. We recently moved to new offices in the centre of Horsham town that supports our hybrid working model.

Reporting to the Director of Resources, as Head of HR & OD, you will be highly professional, business-minded and forward thinking. You will ensure that the council’s strategic and operational objectives are delivered through HR strategies, policies and processes, optimising employee engagement and maximising staff and organisational effectiveness, focussing on staff development, health and wellbeing, and an inclusive culture. More specifically, you will:

• provide an advisory service to the council on the full spectrum of HR / OD matters;
• support and implement organisational changes and the wider Local Government Reform and devolution;
• develop and maintain effective relationships with management, trade unions and staff;
• analyse and interpret employment statistical information and trends.

About you:

To succeed as Head of HR & OD, you will have a persuasive manner and considerable expertise relating to HR policies and employment conditions/ legislation, organisational change and development, including that which applies to the public sector. In addition, you must have:

• full chartered membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (Chartered MCIPD), or equivalent;
• experience of leading and managing change programmes;
• good knowledge of health and safety legislation and its application, alongside knowledge of equalities legislation and responsibilities;
• experience of leading a team to achieve quality service delivery.

A main work stream for 2025/26 will be supporting the transition of the Council’s outsourced payroll to a new platform, including methods of salary related data transfer on a timely basis from HR to Payroll in an agreed format and process. Previous experience of HR/ Payroll system configuration, including employee self-service, would be welcome.

For an informal discussion about this role please email Dominic Bradley, Director of Resources, at Dominic.Bradley@horsham.gov.uk.

PPA

Applicants invited for interview will be asked to complete a Thomas’ Personal Profile Analysis (PPA) which provides a rapid and deep insight into behavioural preferences and communication style.

About us:

We have a friendly and supportive working environment and being a smaller Council, you can really get to know everybody.

We encourage and support our employees to have a healthy work life balance by offering 28 days’ (207.2 hours) annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata), and flexible/hybrid working options where applicable.

We offer a generous benefits package including an online platform offering discounts from online retailers and access to a car lease scheme. Staff are also eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), where the Council contributes circa 20% of pensionable salary.

To support employees’ professional development the Council provides reimbursement for professional subscriptions and a number of training opportunities, including extensive in-house learning resources, short courses, Apprenticeships, and qualifications such as Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM), Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Visit our Jobs and careers page to find out more about Working for Horsham District Council and Our employment commitments.

To apply:

If you would like to apply for the role, we highly recommend you show clearly within the ‘Experience Section’ of the application form how you meet the essential criteria detailed within the Role Profile when applying. If you do not make this clear, it is unlikely you will be shortlisted for interview.

Internal applicants, if you would like to apply for the role, please submit an expression of interest to HR@horsham.gov.uk explaining clearly how you meet the criteria and what you feel you can bring to the role.