Associate Director - Workforce & Learning

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council is on a bold improvement journey—strengthening our organisation, modernising services and creating the conditions for our workforce and managers to be their most effective. We are seeking an exceptional strategic leader to shape and deliver a modern, technology enabled workforce & learning offer that accelerates our transformation.

As Associate Director, you will play a pivotal role in building an agile, confident and high performing organisation. You will lead the development and delivery of our Workforce Strategy, champion a culture of continuous learning, and embed modern approaches that maximise self-service, digital capability and business intelligence.

We are looking for a credible and forward-thinking leader with significant senior-level experience in transforming HR/OD services within complex environments. You will drive innovation, empower teams, and ensure our workforce and managers have the tools, skills and insights they need to deliver excellent services to residents.

• Leading and delivering our organisation-wide Workforce Strategy and associated delivery plans.
• Transforming HR & OD to create a modern, agile and digitally enabled function.
• A key senior stakeholder in delivering a best-in-class ERP solution that drives self-service, streamlines processes and enhances data integrity.
• Strengthening workforce and financial data to support confident, compliant decision-making.
• Driving cultural and behavioural change to ensure managers lead high performing teams with confidence.
• Providing strategic workforce leadership to the Corporate & Senior Leadership teams, Cabinet, and all key customers and users.
• Overseeing HR operations, policy, OD, employee relations, governance, payroll, pensions, workforce intelligence, inclusion, wellbeing, leadership development, apprenticeships and talent pipelines.

Dudley is ambitious, inclusive and evolving. Join us and help shape a modern council where people, performance and technology come together to deliver the best possible outcomes for our communities.

For an informal discussion please contact Balvinder Heran, Chief Executive, via Jo Cook – Joanne.Cook@dudley.gov.uk

For more information and to apply, please visit Dudley Council Jobs.

Application Process: Applications close: Tuesday 3 March 2026. Please submit your CV and supporting statement/summary with your application. The recruitment process will be to undertake technical interviews with longlisted applicants to confirm the shortlist. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to assessment centres and attend final interviews. Please indicate any periods you are unavailable.

Workplace Attendance: Working in the office 3+ days a week (pro-rata) or onsite full time.

All applicants must be able to provide documentation to prove their right to work in the UK. Please note: Dudley MBC does not currently offer sponsorship for candidates without the Right to Work in the UK.

If you require support completing an online or paper application form and/or interview techniques, please contact Dudley Adult and Community Learning on 01384 818 143 or acl@dudley.gov.uk who can support with Digital Skills and Job Applications.

If you have a disability and require assistance in making an application please contact the HR Resourcing Team via HR.Resourcing@dudley.gov.uk.

Dudley Council will check the information that you have provided against any details already held for accuracy and completeness. The Council will check, share and cross match your information both internally within the council and with external organisations to protect public funds and prevent or detect crime, only where the law allows us to do so.