HM Revenue and Customs is offering £170,000 for its next chief people officer, who will deliver an “ambitious programme of workforce transformation”.
HMRC is seeking an HR chief to replace Esther Wallington, who was appointed as director general for people and organisational development to drive “cultural, behavioural, and procedural changes” at the Ministry of Defence in May.
They will be responsible for setting and implementing the tax agency’s workforce and workplace strategies and advising the HMRC’s chief executive and board on recruitment, development and management of senior officials.
“As CPO you will deliver an ambitious programme of workforce transformation which includes supporting the business to deliver operating model changes, delivering our new learning model and revising HR processes, tools and support,” the job advert says.
The candidate pack for the role says data has shown the department that its staff are "feeling less positively about their connection to our purpose, and they tell us we need to lead change better".
"We need our leaders to be able to communicate why we need to change, to role model desired behaviours and to enable and empower colleagues to make that change happen," it says.
"Our vision is to be an organisation that is inclusive, respectful and reflective of the customer communities we serve However, our 2023 People Survey showed a decrease in employee engagement after four years of rising or steady engagement scores," it adds, saying the organisation needs to "harness data and insight" to identify interventions that will have the greatest impact on staff engagement.
The pack adds that HMRC is developing its operating model and organisational design "to give us clearer accountabilities as we transform into a digital-first organisation".
"This will require us to have updated skills and capabilities. We need to develop our strategic workforce plan to ensure we have the skilled, motivated workforce we need in the future, including increasing our understanding of our future specialist skills and capability requirements," it adds. It adds that HMRC needs to deliver an employee offer and learning opportunities that attract, retain, develop and motivate "the brightest and best people in today’s competitive employment market".
The successful candidate will sit on HMRC’s executive committee, and will work with other civil service HR leaders to “anticipate and address future workforce challenges”, the job ad says.
They will lead the HMRC Chief People Officer Group, which is “newly expanded” to include staff working in estates, Unity Business Services and the Unity Programme team, which provides shared services to several departments.
The chief people officer will also make "a strategic contribution to wider civil service workforce and workplace policies, strategies and delivery, as one of the most senior HR professionals in the civil service", the advert adds.
The successful candidate must have extensive experience as a senior HR professional in an organisation of more than 60,000 people, and a track record of developing workforce planning in a large and complex organisation.
“This is a once-in-a-career opportunity to make a profound impact and drive transformative change for a better HMRC,” the job advert says.
Applications close on 2 September.