The Role

An opportunity has become available for an experienced Organisational Development professional to join our team at Richmond and Wandsworth Councils in the newly created role of ‘OD Lead – Employee Experience and ED&I’.  This is an exciting period for OD in the Shared Staffing Arrangement that supports the Councils. 

Feedback from staff about the experience of working here is overwhelmingly positive but we know there’s more we can do to support the organisation to meet the challenges of the future, and so are embarking on our ‘Great Employer’ programme to make the Councils a true employer of choice for all groups of staff.   We are determined to become a renowned and diverse organisation of choice for people to work in, retaining and attracting the best people, and developing the skills and expertise for the future. We want to create an environment where there will be more opportunity for people to make changes, shape new ideas and develop their skills and careers.

We know that not all groups of staff in our organisation have the same positive experience of working here and that we have an underrepresentation of some groups at senior management levels.  We’ve been working hard to change this, for example being part of the pilot Workforce Race Equality Standard in Social Care, but we’re still in the early stages of our journey.  Looking forward, we want to engage closely with internal stakeholders to better understand our challenges and determine areas for focus. 

You’ll play a key role in all of this work.  You can expect to be involved in or lead on Great Employer activities including reviewing and embedding our organisational Values and ensuring our onboarding and induction approach gives new staff the best possible introduction to the organisation, all underpinned by strong communication and engagement with staff. You’ll work closely with external ED&I experts to engage with stakeholders, analyse our data and determine and implement agreed actions. You will be our internal expert on ED&I and will be the day-to-day contact for all ED&I queries related to staffing. 

You will have proven experience of planning, agreeing and successfully implementing OD activities of work with clear deliverables using appropriate project management techniques and methodologies.  You will have a passion for ED&I and significant experience of working in this field, with a track record of successfully implementing initiatives to improve outcomes including those of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff.

You will have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with internal and external colleagues at all levels.  You will have strong analytical skills including the ability to evaluate and analyse quantitative and qualitative data and draw appropriate conclusions. 

At Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, we care more about how you work and what you achieve, rather than where you work on any given day. The difference you can make to our local communities is what really matters most to us, service delivery must always come first. We have carefully considered agile ways of working to provide the best experience for residents, stakeholders and our staff. Our agile working strategy actively supports and encourages a dynamic work environment and daily working experience. Agile working helps put the needs of our staff at the centre of everything we do, so if specific flexible working arrangements helps you with this, feel free to let us know.

Your wellbeing and the flexible way in which you can work is and will remain a key priority for Richmond and Wandsworth Councils. We want you to thrive and feel empowered in your work!

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home, compressed hours, term time only, job shares and other arrangements. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.  We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 39 paid days (pro rata) including bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments.

Indicative Recruitment Timeline:

Closing Date:  Sunday 10^th July 2022

Shortlisting Date: W/c Monday 11^th July 2022

Interview Date: W/C Monday 18^th July 2022

Useful Information:

This is a Fixed Term role for 18 months. 

All internal applicants for this secondment must seek permission from their current line manager before applying. Failure to do so may result in the secondment not being authorised.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Please note that the advertised dates for interviews may change due to the current Covid-19 situation. If they do, we will let you know as soon as possible. Your health and wellbeing is our top priority. Should you become unwell due to Covid-19 during the recruitment process we would very much appreciate receiving an update from you as soon as possible.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services.

The application process for this campaign will be anonymised.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

Important Information:

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils