Strategic People & Culture Partner in Northumberland

Northumberland County Council is in the midst of a major, ambitious transformation programme designed to modernise the organisation, improve efficiency, and above all, put residents first. This is a pivotal moment for the council, and we are building a People and Culture service that can genuinely enable large-scale change and create a modern, inclusive, high-performing organisation. As a Strategic People and Culture Partner, you will play a central role in shaping this journey.

Working directly with senior leaders, you will act as a trusted advisor, supporting directorates as they navigate organisational change, workforce transformation, cultural development, and the creation of a future-ready, people-centred council. This is a role for someone who is both strategic and hands-on - someone who can see the bigger picture while also building capability, coaching leaders, interpreting workforce insights, and driving tangible improvements in the employee experience.

Please note there are two vacancies - one is offered on a permanent basis and one is offered on a 2 year FTC.

Reporting to the Director of People and Culture, as Strategic People and Culture Partner, you will:

• Act as a trusted strategic advisor to senior leaders within your allocated Directorates, enabling delivery of organisational objectives through effective people strategies.
• Drive workforce transformation, cultural change, and leadership development, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities, values, and behaviours.
• Champion inclusion, equality, and wellbeing across the wider Council.
• Leverage data and insight to shape decisions and create an inclusive, high-performing, and future-ready workforce.
• Coach and mentor senior leaders on effective leadership practices, employee engagement, and performance management.
• Facilitate strategic workforce planning, succession planning, and leadership pipeline development.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and Organisational Development teams to attract, retain, and develop high-calibre talent.
• Lead initiatives to improve employee experience, engagement, and organisational resilience.
• Support organisational change and transformation through robust change management strategies.
• Build strong relationships across the Council and with external partners to deliver sustainable improvements in culture and performance.
• Collaborate with elected members, trade unions, and external partners to deliver sustainable improvements in employee experience and service delivery.

This role is both strategic and hands-on, requiring a deep understanding of organisational dynamics and a passion for creating inclusive, high-performing environments.

We are looking for:

• A strategic HR and organisational development professional with experience of leading cultural change in complex organisations.
• Strong influencing skills and the ability to work collaboratively at the highest levels.
• A values-driven leader who inspires confidence and champions inclusion, integrity, and accountability.
• Proven ability to deliver innovative people solutions that improve performance and engagement.
• Deep knowledge of employment law and HR best practice.
• Demonstrable experience handling complex ER cases.
• CIPD qualification (or equivalent experience) and a track record of delivering transformation in a public sector or similar environment.

Northumberland is a county of opportunity - rich in heritage, diverse in communities, and ambitious for the future. We offer:

• A salary of up to £67,561 per annum.
• A supportive environment for innovation and transformation.
• Attractive benefits including generous annual leave (starting at 26 days and rising to 31 after 5 years' service), attractive local government pension scheme, flexi scheme, agile working, leadership development, wellbeing support, and local government discount schemes.
• The chance to make a real difference to our communities and workforce.

Please share your CV with Melanie Bolton, Sullivan Brown Resourcing Partners in the first instance. melanie@sullivanbrown.co.uk Sullivan Brown are our retained recruitment partner and all direct applications for this role will be forwarded to them.