Organisational Development Partner

Job Introduction

The West Midlands Combined Authority is working to become the best place to work and belong, creating an environment where people feel valued, supported and able to contribute their best. To deliver for the region, we need to continue building the capability, confidence, leadership and culture of our people, making sure our values are embedded in the way we work every day.

We are recruiting three permanent OD Partner roles within People and Culture Services: x1 OD Partner (Learning) and x2 OD Partner (Culture). Both roles will help deliver high-impact organisational development, learning, culture and engagement interventions that support our People & Culture Strategy.

Role-specific focus areas.

For the OD Partner (Learning) role, you will lead WMCA’s core organisational learning infrastructure and capability offer. This will include the Learning Management System, mandatory learning strategy, corporate learning catalogue, learning quality assurance, blended learning, and the design and sustainability of our informal learning offer.

For the OD Partner (Culture) roles, you will lead WMCA’s organisational culture and leadership architecture. This will include leadership and colleague forums, corporate induction, engagement and onboarding insight, values and behaviours, behavioural frameworks, OD toolkits and targeted culture interventions across teams and directorates.

What you’ll be doing.

• Lead the design, delivery and evaluation of organisational development, culture and learning interventions that build capability, strengthen leadership and teams, improve performance and embed organisational values.
• Act as the organisational lead for learning design and delivery, shaping and continuously improving WMCA’s blended learning offer, corporate learning catalogue and organisation-wide learning initiatives.
• Lead the procurement, implementation and ongoing management of the corporate Learning Management System, alongside ownership of the mandatory learning strategy and associated statutory, regulatory and organisational requirements.
• Use employee engagement data, people diagnostics and organisational insight to identify development needs and translate them into practical, evidence-led learning, culture and OD interventions.
• Lead WMCA’s coaching and mentoring offer, ensuring programmes are sustainable, inclusive and evaluated to support continuous improvement.
• Facilitate workshops, focus groups, team development and leadership development activity, while providing expert advice to managers and teams on organisational development, culture and behavioural change.
• Maintain effective approaches for measuring the impact and return on investment of learning, culture and OD activity, using findings to improve programmes, delivery quality and employee experience.
• Manage external providers and supplier relationships, supervise and develop Assistant OD Partners, and work collaboratively across OD, Transformation, Learning, Inclusion and wider People & Culture teams.

What’s essential.

• Significant experience designing, delivering and evaluating learning, organisational development and culture change interventions within complex organisations.
• Strong knowledge of learning theory, organisational development, culture and current HR and EDI practice, with the ability to apply these effectively to build capability and improve performance.
• Experience using organisational, people and culture data to identify needs, inform decisions and measure the impact and return on investment of interventions.
• Strong stakeholder management, influencing and relationship-building skills, with experience working collaboratively across teams, functions and external partners.
• Excellent communication, presentation and facilitation skills, with the confidence to advise, engage and influence colleagues at all levels.
• Strong analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, work effectively in ambiguity and adapt to changing requirements.
• Experience managing, supervising or developing others, with a pragmatic, inclusive and solution-focused approach.
• Qualification to at least Level 5 in an OD or L&D professional-related field, with evidence of continuing professional development.

Location.

The location for these roles is 16 Summer Lane, Birmingham, B19 3SD with at least 2 days a week spent in the office.

How to apply.

Applying for a role with WMCA is straightforward. Follow these steps to get started.

Create your Careers Account. Register with your name, email address, and a password.

Build your Profile. Upload your CV to help populate your career and education details.

Write your Supporting Statement. Make sure to address each of the required essential criteria.

Submit your application. Do one final check and once complete, click submit.

Please note, we reserve the right to close any vacancy from further submissions when we have received sufficient applications from which to make a shortlist. Please apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Anonymised Applications.

Your uploaded CV won’t be visible after submission. Our process is anonymised, and only the information in your profile is used for shortlisting. Be thorough in each section. It’s your chance to showcase your skills and experience.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We cannot stop anyone from using AI to help write application content. Used right, it can be a great tool. If you choose to use AI, then use it as a helper rather than relying on it wholly to write your application.

Applications that rely too heavily on AI may be rejected during shortlisting. For help on how to write a supporting statement, please visit the FAQs section of our careers site.

Reasonable adjustments.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Team (careers@wmca.org.uk).

Salary and benefits.

We advertise salary ranges, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees. Requests for salaries above the maximum advertised range will not be considered.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).
• Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme where you can build an additional pot of money alongside your pension with contributions exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs).
• 28 days paid annual leave (with an option to purchase more) + Statutory days.
• EV car benefit scheme
• Healthcare plans.
• Discounted gym membership, will writing, and mortgage advice.
• An option to buy a bicycle, including e-bikes and adapted pedal cycles, at a discounted rate.
• 3 days of paid leave each year to volunteer.
• Interest-free financing through SmartTech to buy the latest technology
• Discounted shopping with over 2,000 big-name retailers, and more. You can now also obtain a Costco membership through the WMCA.
• Boundless unlocks unlimited entry to top-rated UK attractions and loads of extra benefits and discounts.
• Eye Care Scheme, offering a free eye test and a financial contribution towards your glasses.

For more information, please visit the benefits page on our career site.

Why join WMCA?

WMCA is laser-focused on improving the West Midlands, bringing economic growth, jobs, homes, and better journeys to the region. We target local needs where it matters most, ensuring everyone has a job that pays well and has access to safe and affordable places they can call home.

We put people and place at the heart of everything we do, working hand in hand with our partners to direct funding where it's needed most. What you do, really matters. Your expertise will help make a big difference, improving people's lives, every day.

Our Values and Behaviours.

Fostering an environment where people feel valued, included, supported, and proud to contribute to our region is important to us at the WMCA. Our behaviours are more than statements; they guide how we work, make decisions, and treat one another - they set the standards we hold ourselves to and the experience we want others to have.

• Collaborative - We work as one organisation. Together we build trust, connection and shared purpose across teams, partners and residents to create the biggest impact for our region.
  
  
• Driven - We are focused on outcomes. We perform at our best to unlock productivity and delivery, achieving the greatest regional impact.
  
  
• Inclusive - We value difference. Creating an environment where people belong, and feel psychologically safe, so we can all thrive and shape a West Midlands built for everyone.
  
  
• Innovative - We are courageous. We embrace new ideas and challenge the status quo to continuously improve and shape the future of the West Midlands.

Creating an inclusive workplace.

WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as the RACE Code Quality Mark, Armed Forces Covenant (Gold status) and has been recognised as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. We’re a Disability Confident Employer with ‘Leader’ status, committed to interviewing applicants with disabilities who meet all the essential role criteria.

We are also proud to be a Ban the Box employer, which means we do not ask about criminal convictions at the initial application stage, and will only ask after an offer is made as part of our onboarding checks, which helps us remove barriers for people with past convictions and supporting fair opportunities for all.

We recognise that certain groups, such as women and people of colour, may be less likely to apply for roles if they feel they do not meet all the requirements. However, we encourage individuals who are passionate about the role and want to make a difference to still apply. We value potential and encourage applicants to highlight their skills, including transferable ones, even if they don't fit the traditional "perfect candidate" mould.

We gladly consider part-time, flexible, and job share arrangements, so please don't let these factors deter you from applying

Right to Work in the UK

Proof of Right to Work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Non-UK applicants (excluding Ireland) would be required to hold a relevant Visa from the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).