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Strategic Workforce Planning Lead

Department for Transport

Apply before 11:55 pm on Tuesday 6th January 2026

? Location: Birmingham, Hastings, Leeds, Swansea (Hybrid)

? Salary: £57,515 - A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

? Contract Type: Permanent – Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

It’s an exciting time to join the Department for Transport’s Strategic Workforce Planning team. This is a high-profile role that sits at the centre of bringing together a wide range of insights that shape both our current and future workforce plans. You’ll help craft the narrative that enables senior leaders to understand the changes needed to ensure we have the right workforce capacity and capability, and the part they play in achieving it.

We’re looking for someone with strong workforce planning experience, ranging from in-year forecasting and reporting to longer-term strategic planning. Strong numeracy and technical modelling skills are essential, but equally important is your ability to turn data into clear, compelling insight that informs decisions and drives action.

You’ll also enjoy working collaboratively and building strong relationships, as this role involves frequent engagement with stakeholders at all levels across the organisation.

Top Responsibilities

* Leading on the development and evolution of workforce demand planning practices to forecast the size and shape of the Department’s future workforce demand (grade, profession, directorate etc).

* Leading on the reporting of in-year workforce trends and the delivery of quarterly workforce reviews and annual workforce business planning with senior stakeholders.

* Engaging with the Strategic Resourcing team and other HR colleagues to translate the workforce demand plan into a strategic workforce plan, including guidance on appropriate balances of build/buy or other options.

* Leading on workforce planning activity relating to the Department’s Places for Growth programme of work, re-balancing more of our workforce from London to outside of London.

* Using internal and external data to understand trends and build insights in relation to the workforce to tell our workforce ‘story’. Use these to identify and bring to life workforce risks and issues.

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

* Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here

* 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).

* 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.

* Access to the staff discount portal.

* Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.

* Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.

* 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.

* Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

About you

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

* Using data and evidence to make decisions and influence - interpreting data to create and present evidence-based insight and Using data to highlight trends and inform planning. Undertaking workforce data modelling/ scenario planning.

* Digital proficiency - effectively using digital Advanced capability of Excel.

* Planning and problem solving – making decisions using own initiative, with good planning and organisation skills. Strong problem-solving ability when working with multiple stakeholders.

* Building and managing relationships and partnerships - consulting and collaborating with key stakeholders, including experience of building effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders

* Demonstrate a working knowledge of strategic workforce planning principles, people analytics, HR data and MI.

If you do not already hold the following qualification, then you must be willing to work towards this once in role:

Relevant professional qualification or knowledge - Full or part-qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) or willing to work towards this.

How to Apply
? Read the full job description and apply using the link provided.

This vacancy closes at 23:55 on Tuesday 6th January 2026