South Yorkshire Police
Head of Strategic Workforce Planning and Systems
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Role: Head of Strategic Workforce Planning and Systems
Department: HR & Learning
Location: Force HQ, Carbrook, Sheffield
Salary: £65,772 - £71,190
Hours: 37
Contract Type: Permanent
You will lead a customer-focused Strategic Workforce Planning and Systems function, supporting Districts and Departments across SYP to deliver their people agenda, in line with the force People Strategy. You will be instrumental in leading cultural change both within the HR team and wider organisation and you will be an empowered, integral member of the HR and Learning Leadership Team, reporting directly to the Head of HR and Learning. You will support the Head of HR and Learning in delivering force objectives relating to workforce planning and strategy and provide senior advice and guidance to the Senior Leadership and other internal and external bodies including SYMCA.
Key responsibilities:
People Strategy:
- Contribute to the development of the force-wide People Strategy.
- Comprehend and translate SYP strategic objectives into Strategic Workforce Planning.
- Develop, implement, and manage the HR service areas; strategic delivery plans ensuring alignment to the people strategy, plan on page, force objectives and FIT values.
Strategic Workforce Planning
- Provide strategic direction and advice to the Senior Command Team on workforce planning to meet future demand requirements.
- Engage and influence a diverse range of stakeholders to build relationships and proactively highlight major developments, risks, and issues.
- Ensure any advice is considered in line with the forces approach to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Data Analytics and Process Improvements
- Work with the Head of Human Resources and Head of Learning to develop and embed Oracle, managing the continuous improvement role to identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve service efficiency and effectiveness, and enhance the customer experience.
- Develop and integrate the analytic team and service, engaging stakeholders to determine relevant and timely reporting requirements.
- Collaborates with various departments to align system functionalities with business objectives, providing technical support and driving continuous improvement initiatives as well as joining up the work of Finance and BC&I to develop a 3-5 Strategic Workforce Plan.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Collaborating across HR and Learning, BC&I, Legal Services, and a wide variety of stakeholders; including our local leadership and command teams, Trade Unions, Police Federation, staff networks and external partners including SYMCA, to ensure accurate, timely and professional HR advice services are delivered to the force.
Leadership
- You will lead on the production of the Forces Medium term workforce plan, people resource planning and the production and analysis of HR and Learning performance statistics.
- Lead, develop, motivate, and engage the Strategic Workforce Planning team to enable a high performing culture.
- Manage the teams budget and other resources in line with Financial Regulations and Instructions.
Please refer to the Role Profile for full details of the role responsibilities.
Skills and experience:
- Qualified to level 7 CIPD or equivalent and chartered member of CIPD
- Significant experience in strategic workforce planning including workforce modelling, forecasting and scenario planning in a complex organisation.
- Proven leadership and people management experience including and previous experience of using innovative practices and data to improve performance.
- Previous experience of using analytical consulting to inform organisation decision making and skilled in engaging a diverse range of stakeholders, to build relationships that are based on trust, to work collaboratively and to resolve issues.
- Able to use a range of communication and influencing techniques and methods to successfully negotiate, collaborate and/or effect change and significant experience of delivering transformation from an HR perspective.
- Experience of using HR Management systems to effectively workforce plan and build continuous improvement. Ensuring data quality is an integral part of our quality assurance framework.
- Proven experience as a senior leader in HR, adept at managing conflicting priorities and effectively organising tasks to meet evolving demands
- Has the ability to travel within and outside the force area as required.
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Please submit a CV and covering letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the criteria documented in the Role Profile.
For more detailed information relating to the role, skills, and experience for this role, please click here [https://www.southyorkshire.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/south-yorkshire/careers/talent-acquisition-team-documents/role-profiles/role-profile---head-of-strategic-workforce-planning-and-systems--exec-1-sept-2026.doc?_t_id=uEBmHikZgoLbSYh4nQQa9g%3d%3d&_t_uuid=NBMAj8TWRhWQCUT-wUs3BA&_t_q=Head&_t_tags=siteid%3a9a7e26e6-9ba2-42bf-80ec-103507e5aec9%2clanguage%3aen%2candquerymatch&_t_hit.id=Cds_Soh_Web_Models_Media_GenericMedia/_55e21194-c6c3-4778-9a26-5148824b22e9_en-GB&_t_hit.pos=1] to view the role profile.
What we offer:
We offer generous entitlements and supportive policies to enable a better work-life balance, some of which are listed below:
- A highly competitive salary and access to a generous pension scheme
- Generous annual leave allowance
- A wide range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
- Flexible working arrangements including flexitime and hybrid working.
- A transparent and collaborative team culture underpinned by our core values of Fairness, Integrity & Trust
- Comprehensive range of development and leadership courses to develop your career with South Yorkshire Police
- Employee Assistant Programme (accessible 24/7) offering confidential support and advice.
- Flexible lifestyle benefits such as: Blue Light Card, Company Shop, Cycle to work scheme.
- Committed to embedding sustainability: South Yorkshire Police Sustainability Strategy 2020-2025 (yhrn.police)
- Membership to the Sports and Social Club
- Access to a wide range of staff support groups and networks
Eligibility:
Applicants must meet the minimum requirement checkable history criteria, which must be taken into account for individuals applying to work with South Yorkshire Police in any capacity. A minimum checkable history of 5 years is required for this role and successfully undergoing recruitment vetting procedure is a pre-requisite of employment with South Yorkshire Police.
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Appearance & Standards:
South Yorkshire Police is committed to striking a proportionate balance between self-expression and the need to maintain role sensitive professional standards in dress and appearance. Officers, staff, and volunteers of South Yorkshire Police are permitted to have tattoos visible whilst on duty provided the tattoo is not considered to be unacceptable or otherwise inappropriate. Tattoos will be reviewed as part of the recruitment and selection process.
South Yorkshire Police’s overarching aim is to deliver an excellent police service to support safer communities. The public’s assessment of our excellence is influenced by the level of trust and confidence in us, as an organisation and as individuals. In comparison to the general public, police officers and police staff are held to a higher standard of behaviour and accountability. In applying to join the police, applicants are accepting of these higher standards and understand the implications on their right to privacy.
Vetting Level:
The vetting level for this role is Management Vetting (MV). If successful, your vetting will be reviewed and uplifted. For further information please contact the Vetting Unit on Force_Vetting_Unit@southyorks.pnn.police.uk
South Yorkshire Police’s Key Values:
At South Yorkshire Police we have 3 key values which run through everything we do Fairness, Integrity & Trust, the attached document details the key behaviours we expect all employees to adhere to.
Smarter ways of Working:
South Yorkshire Police is committed to developing working practices which assist staff to balance their personal and professional lives, whilst meeting the needs of the organisation. This in turn enables SYP to provide an outstanding service to the community.
There are 3 different categories as part of this which are: Fixed, Field and Hybrid.
This role has been categorised as a Hybrid role.
Hybrid: Applicable when the work can be undertaken at any location, whether that be a SYP building or from home.
Contact details:
For further information about the role, please contact: Sarah Winkley, Head of HR & Learning, at sarah.winkley@southyorkshire.police.uk
Closing Date: 29th September 2026
Interviews: 12th & 13th October 2026
Closing dates are not normally extended, other than in exceptional circumstances and agreement is made between the Recruitment Manager and the Line Manager for the role.
Candidate Information:
Please note that, should you be successful at the interview stage and before appointment, the relevant pre-employment checks are required. These include references, medical clearance, vetting clearance and sickness absence criteria check.
Diversity & Inclusion:
Applications are particularly welcome from female and ethnic minority candidates.
It is really important to us that the department represents the community we serve, in order for us to provide the best service, utilising a range of backgrounds, experience and skills. We support and value all officers and staff and the unique experiences they bring to the role. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from these valuable underrepresented groups.
If you are from an underrepresented group and want to find out more about the support we can offer, please contact our dedicated team on positiveaction@southyorks
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