Head of People

Head of People

Salary: £79,876 per annum

Location: Leeds

Key Points:

• Permanent
• 37 hours pw
• Applications for part time / job share will be considered
• Closing date - 7 June 2026 at 23:55

If this post is advertised on a full-time basis, please note that the Combined Authority will consider requests for part-time working and/or job share. Please discuss your preferred working requirements with the manager at interview.

We are seeking a strategic, proactive, motivational Head of People to lead our people, talent and culture agenda across the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. You will shape and drive our end-to-end people strategy, strengthening organisational performance, building future capability, and cultivating an inclusive, high-performing culture.

As Head of People, you will serve as a trusted advisor across the organisation, working closely with the senior leadership team. Alongside leading HR operations, your focus will be on strengthening organisational capability, driving change, developing leadership, and embedding our core values into everything we do. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced leader to shape the future of the Combined Authority through excellent people leadership, enabling our large and diverse workforce to
deliver meaningful outcomes for the people of West Yorkshire.

You will join us at a pivotal point in our journey, as we continue to develop our future ways of working and embed a culture of continuous improvement. We are looking for an innovative, confident people leader who can deliver at pace in a public-sector environment. As proud winners of the VERCIDA Disability Champion Award 2026 and the Gender Equality Champion Award 2025, we are committed to creating an outstanding employee experience and a workplace where everyone can thrive.
 

It is an exciting time to be joining the Mayoral Combined Authority. We have a wide variety of impactful projects that we are working on which will help shape the West Yorkshire region. To find out more about the work the Combined Authority is involved with, take a look at our latest news stories.

It is important that you demonstrate how your breadth of experience, knowledge and skills align with the role when applying. We have therefore created comprehensive guidance for candidates, and you are strongly urged to read this before completing your application form.

Please visit our Advice for Candidates webpage to find this guidance and further support in completing your application form. Visit our 'Life at West Yorkshire Combined Authority' webpage to find out what our staff have to say about working here.

This post is subject to vetting clearance.

Due to the nature of this role, it is a requirement that the successful applicant will be subject to relevant vetting checks at the appropriate level and any job offer will be conditional subject to successful vetting clearance. Applicants should be aware that it is not possible to make meaningful vetting enquiries in many jurisdictions outside the UK. Vetting clearance cannot therefore be granted if the applicant has not been resident in the UK for the relevant minimum period and comparable vetting enquiries cannot be made in jurisdictions where the individual has been residing.

The relevant periods are three years for NPPV 1&2 and five years for NPPV3

The Role
Reporting into the Assistant Director of People and Transformation, your key responsibilities will include:

Providing strategic leadership across all aspects of people management by:

• Setting direction and enabling the HR team to deliver a customer focused service
• Creating the conditions for a positive organisational culture
• Securing a future-ready talent pipeline

Leading, supporting and empowering HR colleagues to develop and deliver:

• A suite of people related strategies, including the overarching People Strategy and key
• “anchor” strategies (e.g. resourcing, talent, leadership and employee engagement)
• Quality measures to ensure initiatives are impactful and aligned to organisational priorities

Working collaboratively with senior leaders and key stakeholders to:

• Drive change and build an inclusive, high performing organisation
• Provide expert HR advice and challenge
• Champion diversity and inclusion
• Continuously evolve people strategies to attract, develop and retain the best talent

Please review the Role Profile for more information about the responsibilities.

About You
• Strategic Workforce & Talent Planning - Experience in designing onboarding, leadership development, and workforce planning frameworks for a growing organisation. Demonstrated ability to align the people strategy with wider organisational goals and targets.
• Organisational Culture & Employee Experience - Expertise in implementing Equity,
Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives in a unionised environment alongside actionable
employee engagement strategies. Previous experience of building, scaling, and measuring an inclusive, high-performance company culture. Demonstrable ability to build programmes of work that champion staff wellbeing and drive strong employee retention.
• Change Management & Leadership – Proven ability to lead employees smoothly through periods of growth, restructuring, or crisis. Confidence to coach senior leaders, challenge assumptions, and mediate complex organisational issues at the highest level.
• HR Operations, Technology & Compliance – A clear understanding of modern HR
performance management programmes and the ability to evaluate and implement scalable tools to measure success and forecast needs. Strong working knowledge of public sector governance, employment legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Emotional Intelligence & Interpersonal Skills – Demonstrated the ability to build
relationships across all departments and gain buy-in from various internal stakeholders. Sound judgment in handling sensitive employee relations and ethical grey areas.

• Qualifications and CPD - Completion of a CIPD Level 7 Advanced Diploma, or an accredited Postgraduate Diploma / Master’s degree within HR, with evidence of ongoing professional development. 

Our Offer
Alongside a competitive salary, we offer an excellent benefits package including:
• Work your way – From flexible and agile working options, including a flexi-time scheme to help you balance your personal life and career.
• Time to recharge – Enjoy 28 days of annual leave (with increases based on length of service), plus all Bank Holidays.
• Free greener travel across West Yorkshire – Cover your commute sustainably with unlimited free bus and rail travel using the MCard  (Zones 1–5).
• Secure your future – Benefit from a highly competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Investing in you – Take advantage of fully funded professional development, regular training, and up to 3 paid volunteering days per year.
• Grow with us – Incremental salary progression for most roles and annual cost of living increases.
• Family first – We offer enhanced parental and bereavement leave, plus other family-friendly policies to support you when it matters most.
• Your wellbeing, our priority – Access 24/7 free confidential counselling services and the Headspace app for you and up to 5 family or friends.
• Modern workspace in a prime location – Work in bright, contemporary offices just a 2-minute walk from Leeds Train Station, fully equipped with the latest tech.

To Apply
If this sounds like your next role, please complete the application form and tell us within the supporting statement why you would be a great fit for our role and how your skills, knowledge and experience align with the requirements under the ‘About You’ section of the advert and criteria within the Role Profile. Please visit our Advice for Candidates webpage and review the guidance on this page for support in completing your application form.

If you would like to discuss this role in more detail, please contact Sarah Milne