Description
This is a high-profile opportunity to lead organisation design and development across the Defra Group at a time of significant organisational pressure and change.
As Head of Organisation Design & Development, you will bring deep professional expertise and practical leadership to the design and restructuring of Core Defra and its agencies and arm’s-length bodies.
The role sits in the Workforce Strategy & Transformation directorate and will be central to enabling the Rightsizing pillar of the Workforce Strategy and Transformation Programme.
Responsibilities:
- Lead organisation design and restructuring across the Defra Group, aligning structures with political direction, including devolution and the future Civil Service, and enabling delivery of Defra’s organisational outcomes.
- Lead OD&D work in Core Defra, agencies and arm’s-length bodies, ensuring expert resource is deployed to the highest-priority organisational and transformation challenges.
- Work confidently with Directors General, HR Directors and ALB leaders, providing trusted evidence-based advice, constructive challenge and practical organisational solutions.
- Play a central role in the Workforce Strategy and Transformation Programme, particularly enabling the Rightsizing pillar through organisation design expertise and delivery.
- Provide expert consultancy across organisation design, organisational development, culture and behaviour, team effectiveness, transformation and change, and workforce strategy, with organisation design as the principal focus.
- Lead the central OD&D service and act as Head of Practice, setting professional standards, assuring quality and strengthening OD&D methods and capability across the Group.
- Lead, coach and develop a team of around seven Grade 7 OD&D practitioners, building bench strength, professional confidence and a cohesive, inclusive and high-performing service.
- Manage demand, priorities and practitioner deployment across the Group, balancing urgent restructuring activity with longer-term organisational development.
- Commission and procure specialist OD&D contractors where needed, integrating them effectively into the team and ensuring quality, value and delivery.
- Use organisational evidence, workforce insight and professional judgement to shape options, recommendations and implementation plans that are practical and sustainable.
Person Specification:
- Deep professional expertise in organisation design and development, with substantial experience of leading complex organisation design and restructuring.
- A strong track record of operating in a large, complex organisation and translating strategic, political or operational requirements into practical organisational solutions.
- Experience of influencing and advising at the most senior levels, including providing credible constructive challenge and building trusted relationships across organisational boundaries.
- Demonstrable expertise across organisation design, organisational development, culture and behaviour, team effectiveness, transformation and change, and workforce strategy.
- Experience of applying evidence-based OD&D practice, models, data and organisational insight with professional rigour.
- Experience of leading an expert service and senior practitioners, developing capability and bench strength while managing competing demand and priorities.
- Experience of commissioning or managing specialist external expertise and ensuring it is integrated effectively into delivery.
- Excellent communication, facilitation and relationship-building skills, with the judgement to move between strategic advice and practical implementation.
Benefits:
- Salary of £69,931 - £83,981 per year
- £20,259 contribution towards Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- Flexible working options
- Culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%