Head of Organisational Development in Sheffield

Here at Sheffield City Council we are delivering a major, organisation-wide transformation programme alongside a newly launched People Strategy and a significant equal pay and job evaluation programme. This is not a traditional change agenda focused only on people processes; it is a whole organisation reset, spanning culture, leadership, structure and capability.

We are seeking a senior OD leader to establish and embed a brand-new OD function from the ground up. This is a rare opportunity to shape how OD operates across a complex organisation at a pivotal moment of change, with real scope to influence culture, leadership, organisational design and workforce capability at scale.

About the Role

As Head of Organisational Development, you will establish and lead a brand-new small OD function that provides the strategic thread across culture, leadership, organisational design, workforce planning and performance. You will create the OD operating model that brings these areas together into a single, joined-up approach, giving clarity to how OD is delivered and enabling others across the organisation to work consistently within it, embedding expectations into day-to-day decisions, communications, and accountability.

This is an ambitious organisation with a significant transformation agenda to deliver. While important progress has been made, there is much more to do, particularly in strengthening organisational capability, embedding consistent leadership behaviours, and building the systems that will support long-term change at scale.

Working closely with the Corporate Leadership Team, you will help translate organisational ambition into practical, sustainable change. A core focus will be shaping a consistent, organisation-wide approach to leadership and culture. You will also strengthen organisational design capability, improving clarity and effectiveness across structures and develop a more strategic approach to workforce planning so the organisation can better anticipate future needs. Alongside this, you will support the development of a performance management approach that drives improvement and accountability, ensuring it is embedded in a way that is meaningful, consistent and actively supports better decision-making and organisational effectiveness across the Council.

About You

We are looking for someone who brings senior-level experience in organisational development and a proven ability to influence at an executive level across complex organisations. You will be confident operating where priorities are evolving and clarity needs to be created, not just delivered.

You will have experience across organisational design, culture change and workforce planning, and the ability to bring these together into a practical, joined-up approach that delivers real organisational impact. Strong influencing, relationship-building and stakeholder management skills will be essential, alongside the credibility and confidence to engage, challenge and support senior leaders in shaping direction and decisions. You will also be able to translate strategy into clear frameworks and delivery approaches that others can understand, adopt and embed in practice.

Experience of local government is not essential. What matters most is your ability to build something new, shape organisational thinking, and create lasting capability in a complex environment.

This is a role with genuine influence at a pivotal moment for the organisation, where there is both urgency and opportunity to strengthen how it works, develops and delivers for the future. Organisational Development will sit at the heart of that journey, and your work will help define how it moves forward.

If you would like to find out more please see our recruitment partner microsite for details.

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under-represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form. Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.