Location
Romford

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Grade 11 starting salary of £66,378 per annum

About the Role
Are you passionate about driving continuous improvement, fostering creativity, and championing innovation in talent management? We are seeking a visionary Talent Manager to lead our approach to workforce planning and talent development. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of our organisation by ensuring we have the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time.

Key responsibilities include developing and delivering a forward-thinking talent strategy aligned with our corporate vision, covering workforce planning, recruitment, succession planning, talent pools, and employee engagement. You will design and implement innovative talent programmes such as apprenticeships, graduate schemes, internships, shadowing, and work experience to grow workforce skills and capability.

Providing strategic leadership to the Talent team, you will inspire a culture of creativity and continuous improvement. Using data and evidence, you will inform workforce planning and engage stakeholders in developing local solutions. Collaboration with senior managers to anticipate future talent needs and create progressive career pathways is essential.

You will champion diversity and inclusion, ensuring policies and practices are modern, fair, and inclusive. Leading on strategic resourcing solutions including executive recruitment, you will build strong networks with schools, colleges, universities, and local businesses. Evaluating programme impact and using insight to drive ongoing innovation and improvement will be part of your role.

Additionally, you will contribute fresh ideas to the modernisation of HR & OD, ensuring the service remains future focused, and represent HR & OD in major transformation programmes, managing people-related aspects creatively and effectively.

At Havering, we are ambitious about the future and committed to developing people who can make it happen. As part of our team, you’ll benefit from a competitive salary, excellent Local Government Pension Scheme, flexible working options including hybrid and remote arrangements, generous annual leave with the option to buy additional days, professional development with a commitment to 10 days of learning annually, health and wellbeing support including mental health resources, and an inclusive culture guided by our ICARE values: Integrity, Creativity, Ambition, Respect, Everyone.

Havering is one of London’s most diverse and exciting boroughs, combining a vibrant local economy with some of the capital’s greenest spaces. With excellent transport links, thriving town centres, and strong community networks, Havering offers a fantastic quality of life — whether commuting into the city or enjoying the borough’s cultural and recreational opportunities closer to home.

As a council, we are ambitious, forward-looking, and committed to delivering high-quality services that make a real difference to our residents. We embrace digital innovation, modernisation, and new ways of working to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Guided by our ICARE values, we foster an inclusive and supportive culture where colleagues are encouraged to think differently, bring fresh ideas, and grow their careers.

Experience
Extensive experience designing and implementing talent programmes in large, complex organisations. Proven track record of leading change projects and managing diverse development initiatives.

About you
Excellent interpersonal skills to engage, influence, and inspire others. A creative, future-focused mindset with the ability to innovate, problem-solve, and adapt in a dynamic environment. Commitment to personal and professional growth, with a passion for embracing new ideas and approaches.

Qualifications
Not explicitly stated, but a strong background in talent management and leadership within complex organisations is essential.