HR & OD Business Partner (Projects, Policy and Trade Unions)

Priority Candidates will be considered in the first instance

Wigan Life Centre South

Salary: Grade 10, £45,091 - £49,282 per annum.

37 hours per week

We're on a journey to build a workforce reflective of our Borough.

We are committed to fostering diverse teams where everybody can bring their authentic selves to work and feel that they belong. If you want to work for a Council where everybody is encouraged to meet their full potential and make a difference in our neighbourhoods, we would love to hear from you!

Your role:

Join us at an exciting time of transformation within HR & OD. As Business Partner (Projects, Policy & Trade Unions), you'll lead the development of a new function, shaping how we deliver strategic HR & OD projects and workforce policy across the Council. You'll oversee a portfolio of high-profile programmes, providing leadership to a team of Assistant Business Partners and Project Support Officers, work closely with senior leaders and Trade Unions, and help drive our ambitious Progress with Unity priorities in line with our OD Plan. This is a unique opportunity to influence the future of workforce transformation, build a high-performing team, and make a lasting impact across Team Wigan.

About you:

We're looking for a strategic and ambitious HR & OD professional who thrives on turning ideas into action and delivering real organisational impact. You'll bring strong project and programme management experience along with experience of leading policy development, excellent stakeholder engagement skills, and the confidence to work with senior leaders, Trade Unions and partners to drive change. You'll be passionate about developing people, creating innovative solutions and shaping modern workforce policy and practice. Most importantly, you'll be excited by the opportunity to help build and lead a newly established function, influencing the future of HR & OD and making a lasting difference across Team Wigan.

About us:

Wigan Council has been voted ‘Overall Council of the Year’ at the APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) Awards. We are signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment ensuring that your service will be continuous or 'unbroken' between the supporting organisations.

The Progress with Unity plan is a place movement for change for the next decade, bringing a new era for Wigan Borough. It draws on the strengths of our individual organisations, recognising that together we can achieve much more for our communities by delivering on our 2 place missions; create fair opportunities for all children, families, residents and businesses and make our towns and neighbourhoods flourish for those who live and work in them.

You’ll join a forwardthinking HR & OD service at an exciting point of transformation, helping shape a modern, peoplecentred offer that supports our workforce and communities to flourish.

The contractual hours for this post will be worked across a range of locations to meet the needs of the role and the service. Work will be carried out across Council buildings and/or community venues across the borough. It is our priority to ensure that the role is fulfilled effectively and while there is some flexibility to work from home when service delivery allows, the expectation is that staff will attend the workplace for a minimum of two days per week. However, depending on service requirements, you may be required to work your full contractual hours on site at Council buildings and/or community venues.

Here at Wigan, we are proud to support flexible working patterns, when the service can accommodate this. We also take a blended approach to where we work, depending on the work we do. This may include working from home, the office, or the community. We like to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits click here to find out more about working for #TeamWigan.

To be appointed to this role you must be able to prove your right to work in the UK, and you must maintain a valid (active) right to work. Please note, at present we are not a licenced sponsor. Please visit the link below to check you qualify to apply. Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Prove your right to work to an employer

For an informal discussion about this role please contact Sophie Lingard at s.lingard@wigan.gov.uk

Interview date:

Priority Candidates: Friday 21st August 2026

All other candidates : Tuesday 25th August 2026

To view the details relating to this position, please click the links below: