Strategic Workforce Planning Consultant

Birmingham, Bristol, Exeter, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Reading, Warrington, York

Job Summary

Are you passionate about shaping the future of the workforce using data and insights? We’re looking for a Strategic Workforce Planning Consultant to join our team at Defra, where you’ll play a vital role in helping us plan for the people and skills we need to deliver for the environment, the economy and the nation. To achieve Defra’s outcomes the Strategic workforce planning team play a critical role in ensuring Defra has the right people, skills, and structure to deliver its priorities, now and in the future. Collaborating with HR and business leaders, we drive a consistent, strategic approach to workforce planning and action planning, helping to embed best practice and build capability across the group. Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Job Description

In this exciting and varied role, you’ll work closely with HR Business Partners, HR Expert Services teams, and senior leaders across the department to develop and embed workforce planning strategies that are aligned with our organisational goals. You’ll use your analytical expertise and relationship-building skills to help turn workforce data into actionable insights, supporting teams to make informed decisions about their current and future workforce needs. You’ll also enable the development of workforce planning capability across the organisation—building confidence, sharing best practice, and helping to embed a strategic approach to people planning. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys working collaboratively, thinking ahead, and making a real impact on how we shape and support our people.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support Workforce Planning Activities: Assist in the development and implementation of workforce planning frameworks, tools, and guidance that support departmental priorities and business needs.
• Collaborate with HR Teams: Work closely with HR Business Partners and HR Expert Services teams to support the delivery of workforce planning initiatives, providing relevant data, insights, and coordination.
• Build Workforce Planning Confidence: Help build workforce planning capability across HR and the wider business by offering guidance, resources, and informal coaching.
• Provide Data and Insights: Collect, analyse, and interpret workforce data to identify trends and support evidence-based decision-making.
• Contribute to scenario modelling and forecasting activities.
• Contribute to Strategic Discussions: Support conversations with HR and business stakeholders by preparing materials, summarising insights, and helping to translate workforce data into practical recommendations.
• Support Capability and Skills Planning: Contribute to skills gap analysis, succession planning, and talent pipeline development by providing data and supporting tools.
• Coordinate Delivery: Track and prioritise workforce planning activities using project management approaches, ensuring timely progress and alignment with wider HR initiatives.
• Promote Collaboration: Build effective working relationships across HR and business teams, helping to ensure a joined-up approach to workforce planning.

In this exciting and varied role, you’ll work closely with HR Business Partners, HR Expert Services teams, and senior leaders across the department to develop and embed workforce planning strategies that are aligned with our organisational goals. You’ll use your analytical expertise and relationship-building skills to help turn workforce data into actionable insights, supporting teams to make informed decisions about their current and future workforce needs. You’ll also enable the development of workforce planning capability across the organisation—building confidence, sharing best practice, and helping to embed a strategic approach to people planning. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys working collaboratively, thinking ahead, and making a real impact on how we shape and support our people.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support Workforce Planning Activities: Assist in the development and implementation of workforce planning frameworks, tools, and guidance that support departmental priorities and business needs.
• Collaborate with HR Teams: Work closely with HR Business Partners and HR Expert Services teams to support the delivery of workforce planning initiatives, providing relevant data, insights, and coordination.
• Build Workforce Planning Confidence: Help build workforce planning capability across HR and the wider business by offering guidance, resources, and informal coaching.
• Provide Data and Insights: Collect, analyse, and interpret workforce data to identify trends and support evidence-based decision-making.
• Contribute to scenario modelling and forecasting activities.
• Contribute to Strategic Discussions: Support conversations with HR and business stakeholders by preparing materials, summarising insights, and helping to translate workforce data into practical recommendations.
• Support Capability and Skills Planning: Contribute to skills gap analysis, succession planning, and talent pipeline development by providing data and supporting tools.
• Coordinate Delivery: Track and prioritise workforce planning activities using project management approaches, ensuring timely progress and alignment with wider HR initiatives.
• Promote Collaboration: Build effective working relationships across HR and business teams, helping to ensure a joined-up approach to workforce planning.

Person specification

To thrive in this role, you’ll bring a blend of analytical thinking, collaborative working, and a proactive mindset. You’ll be comfortable working with data, engaging with stakeholders, and supporting the delivery of workforce strategies that make a real difference. We’re Looking For Someone Who Can Demonstrate:

• Experience in workforce planning or related areas, such as HR analytics, HR business partnering, business planning, organisational strategy, or organisational development.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex workforce data, identify trends, and support scenario modelling and forecasting.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills, with the confidence to support HR Business Partners and collaborate across HR and business teams.
• A consultative and proactive approach, with the ability to contribute to strategic discussions and offer evidence-based recommendations.
• Familiarity with workforce planning tools, methodologies, and best practices.
• Good working knowledge of spreadsheets, databases, and business intelligence tools, with the ability to present insights clearly and effectively.
• A collaborative mindset, with a willingness to learn, share knowledge, and support capability-building across the organisation.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Data Analysis and Presentation Skills

Alongside your salary of £41,220, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £11,941 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Learning and development tailored to your role

An environment with flexible working options

A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

Application Process . After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 22nd September 2025. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website. Do not leave completing the tests until the last minute in case you experience any access or technical issues. There may not be technical support available after business hours and after 2pm on the closing date of 22nd September 2025. While the tests should work on most operating systems and modern browsers with a good internet connection, we cannot guarantee that every combination will work. At the beginning, the test will check which browser you are using, and alert you if it is likely to be incompatible. It is highly recommended that you complete the online tests on a desktop computer, not a mobile phone or tablet. Please note that online tests associated with this vacancy are not subject to time limits.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ONLINE TEST MAINTENANCE

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 4:00pm and 7:00pm on 14th September 2025 . There will be up to 1 hour during this time where candidates will not be able to access tests. All online tests will be affected. Impact for Candidates Candidates who are taking a test when the downtime starts will have their test paused. They will be able to pick up where they left off after the downtime. They can do this by accessing the test again from their application centre. Candidates will not be able to launch new tests during the downtime. Candidates reporting issues should be advised to return to take the test after 7:00pm on 14th September 2025.

Upon successful completion of this test, you will be asked to provide a CV and a Personal Statement (no more than 500 words). The Personal Statement should demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the Person Specification section of the advert. Further details around what this will entail are detailed on the application form.

Sift

Should there be a large number of successful applications, there will be an initial sift assessing the Personal Statement. Those who pass the initial sift will either be progressed to a full sift or straight to interview. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours, Experience, Technical and Strength based questions. If selected to attend an interview you will be required to make a short, informal presentation to the panel. Those invited to interview will be provided with further information as part of the interview invitation process. Your interview will be conducted virtually via MS Teams.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application. However, all examples and statements must be truthful, factually accurate, and based on your own experience. Plagiarism—including presenting others’ ideas or AI-generated content as your own—may result in withdrawal of applications or disciplinary action for internal candidates. Please refer to our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Contract

This is an 18 Month Fixed-term Appointment as a Strategic Workforce Planning Consultant advertised in various locations as listed in the advert. This is a temporary role for 18 months with a view to permanency subject to approval. Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs offered a fixed term role will be considered on a loan opportunity (civil servants) or secondment opportunity (accredited NDPBs) for the length of the role. Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return. Responsibilities will include those listed within the advert. The terms and conditions on which you will join can be discussed with the vacancy manager at the point you are offered a role.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s). Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes. Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes. The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations. Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to DEFRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Near Miss Candidates

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Vetting

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in a new window) checks. Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in a new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in a new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact : Name : HR Resourcing Delivery Email : HRResourcingDelivery@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here