Working hours: 37 hours per week

Contract type: Permanent Colchester City Council is committed to delivering high-quality and accessible services to its residents, visitors and businesses. They are a local government authority providing a diverse range of public and commercial services across Colchester and is the second largest district in Essex. If you passionate about people, organisational development, driving meaningful change and thrive in an environment where your expertise in strategic Human Resources, Workforce Planning and Employee Relations directly shapes an organisation’s future, this could be the perfect role for you. At Colchester City Council, we’re not just about policies and procedures, we work with our Services to build a workplace fit for the future, where people can develop, grow, feel valued and thrive. Our People Business Partnering team plays a crucial role in making this happen, and this is the perfect opportunity for someone to join us. Duties of the role As a People Business Partner, you’ll work closely with senior leaders, managers and their teams across a diverse and complex organisation to deliver strategic HR solutions that will drive high performance, engagement, and positive workplace culture. Key areas of responsibility include: Workforce Planning & Talent Management – Ensuring we have the right people in the right roles who will be ready now and in the future.
Employee Relations – Acting as a trusted advisor, helping managers navigate complex HR issues and foster a positive workplace culture.
HR Strategy & Organisational Change – Driving culture transformation and supporting leaders in delivering meaningful change.
Learning & Development – Helping shape and develop the future leadership within the organisation.
Trade Union Engagement – Building and maintaining strong, collaborative relationships to support positive employee relations. To be successful in this role, you will have CIPD Level 5 or above or working towards it (or proven equivalent experience) Proven Skills: In a Strategic HR role, ideally within the public sector or a complex organisation.
Strong knowledge of employment law, employee relations, and HR best practices.
Confidence to partner with senior leaders, challenge constructively and diplomatically, and influence decision-making.
A passion for workforce planning, learning & development, and employee engagement.
Ability to manage change and transformation in a dynamic environment.
A proactive, solutions-focused mindset—someone who doesn’t just identify problems but drives meaningful solutions.
What we offer
A truly supportive team who value collaboration and innovation.
Flexible hybrid working—because we know life isn’t just about work.
A real opportunity to shape the future of our workforce and drive change.
Excellent benefits package, including Local Government pension and professional development opportunities including payment of professional fees.
The satisfaction of making a real difference in people’s working lives.
Other benefits include: A generous annual leave entitlement, including two extra company holidays during the Christmas period.
Gym, travel and online retail discounts
If you are excited by this opportunity and want to be part of a team that’s driving change, making a real impact, and putting people at the heart of everything we do, we’d love to hear from you! For an informal discussion about this vacancy, please contact Lead People Business Partner loraine.cook@colchester.gov.uk to arrange an informal Teams chat.

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