People and Organisational Development (POD) Consultant - Human Resources - 80014 - Grade 8

Position Details

Human Resources

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £47,389 to £56,535 with potential progression once in post to £63,606

Grade: 8

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 6th August 2026

This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager.

Background

Department overview 

People and Organisational Development (POD) is one of several directorates within the HR function. POD provides specialist support to the University in Organisational Development, Management and Leadership Development.

We have an established coaching academy and provide management qualifications through our internally run apprenticeship schemes. 

Role Summary

The Organisational Development Consultant is a senior specialist role responsible for partnering with leaders to drive organisational effectiveness, workforce transformation, leadership capability and cultural development. The role provides expert organisational development leadership, translating strategic objectives into practical interventions that enhance performance, engagement, inclusion and organisational resilience.

Working collaboratively with senior stakeholders, HR colleagues and external partners, the post holder will support complex change initiatives, support workforce planning and ensure organisational development activity delivers measurable impact aligned to strategic priorities.

The OD consultant will provide advice on specialist POD / Learning & Development issues, and help to design, implement and deliver various interventions related to staff development.

Main Duties

• Act as the Organisational Development consultant for designated stakeholder needs, developing strong relationships with senior leaders and executive stakeholders. 
• Support the development and delivery of workforce, people and culture strategies aligned to organisational objectives. 
• Provide expert advice on organisational design, workforce planning and capability development. 
• Use organisational data and insight to identify opportunities for improvement and inform decision-making.
• Be a core member of the Coaching academy (1-2-1 coaching of academics and professional service’s staff) and actively support its development e.g. co-ordinating CPD events, evaluation, marketing, developing the non-POD coaches.
• Lead and support organisational change, transformation and culture programmes. 
• Facilitate organisational design reviews, restructure projects and service development initiatives. 
• Ensure the people dimensions of change are effectively planned, managed and evaluated.
• Partner with leaders to strengthen leadership capability and succession planning. 
• Design and deliver interventions that support high-performing teams and effective leadership behaviours. 
• Coach and challenge senior managers to enhance organisational performance and employee engagement. 
• Support the development of talent, career pathways and organisational capability strategies.
• Monitor progress against agreed outcomes and report on benefits realisation.
• Promote evidence-based practice and continuous improvement across organisational development activities.
• Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour in line with university policies. 
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity duties document.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• A postgraduate degree (business, psychology) or relevant professional qualification, for example, PG Cert, C&G trainer or CMI/ILM certificate or diploma;
• Ideally, a coaching accreditation by a recognised body
• Ideally, accredited in at least one of the following psychometric instruments e.g. MBTI, SDI, Hay, Korn Ferry.
• Evidence of literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write clearly for a variety of audiences, and to produce and analyse source material, information and data.
• Authoritative knowledge of the work practices, processes and procedures relevant to the role, including broader sector/commercial awareness.
• Ability to identify issues with the potential to impact protected groups and take appropriate action.

Skills and Experience

• Experienced designing and delivering Organisational Development / learning and development related interventions.
• Proven track record of leading organisational change programmes and culture initiatives. 
• Experience of organisational design, workforce planning and leadership development. 
• Significant experience in organisational development, workforce transformation or change management. 
• Experience of using data and insight to inform strategy and demonstrate impact.
• Experience of managing complex projects and multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent facilitation skills with credibility at senior levels.
• A good understanding of the Higher Education sector, and the challenges and opportunities faced by the University, and how POD can support this.
• An experienced 1-2-1 coach, able to work with senior colleagues in coaching and 360 degree feedback exercises. 
• Excellent writing, presentation and IT skills.
• Demonstrable experience of managing projects from initial concept to delivery.
• An ability to manage competing projects effectively and be flexible in approach as required to support the POD team’s overall effectiveness and delivery requirements.

Informal enquiries to Monique Myers, email: [email protected] 

View our staff values and behaviours here

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.