Job Details
OD and Leadership Senior Advisor
Contract: Permanent
Location: Fire Service Headquarters, Swinton (and other sites across Greater Manchester as required)
Interviews: 1st July 2026
Your role:
We’re looking for an experienced and forward-thinking Organisational Development (OD) & Leadership Senior Advisor to play a key role in shaping leadership and organisational culture across the organisation at a critical point for Greater Manchester.
This is an exciting opportunity for an OD professional to lead the design, delivery and evaluation of leadership development and organisational development interventions that support GMCA’s strategic ambitions and drive high performance.
Reporting to the OD & Leadership Manager you will work at the heart of People Services, partnering with senior leaders and stakeholders to enable transformational change, strengthen leadership capability, and foster a culture of accountability, inclusion and continuous improvement.
In this role, you’ll:
Lead the development and delivery of leadership and management development programmes across GMCA
Design and implement OD diagnostics, interventions and cultural change initiatives to enhance organisational effectiveness
Partner with senior leaders to identify business needs and translate them into practical leadership and OD solutions
Manage and deliver programmes of work and projects, including commissioning external partners where appropriate
Develop strategies to build leadership capability, improve performance, and strengthen organisational culture
Lead coaching, mentoring and performance development initiatives to support leaders at all levels
Analyse workforce and leadership data to identify gaps and inform evidence-based interventions
About you:
We are looking for a credible and experienced OD and Leadership professional who can operate confidently and build strong relationships across a complex organisation.
You will bring:
Experience
Proven experience delivering organisational development initiatives to improve organisational effectiveness
Strong track record of designing and delivering leadership and management development programmes
Experience of diagnosing organisational issues and implementing effective OD interventions
Experience working with senior leaders and influencing at all levels
Experience of managing projects, programmes and budgets
Skills & Knowledge
Excellent relationship-building, influencing and stakeholder management skills
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use data to inform decision-making
Strategic thinking with the ability to translate organisational priorities into practical people solutions
Strong facilitation, coaching and communication skills
About us:
As an employer, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is made up of a number of key Greater Manchester strategic functions and service providers including; Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS); Waste and Resources; Environment; Work and Skills; Research; Public Sector Reform; Police, Crime and Criminal Justice; Homelessness; the Greater Manchester Ageing Hub and the Commissioning Hub.
We value the diversity of our employees, and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects our diverse communities across Greater Manchester. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals, irrespective of people's age, disability, Trans status and Non-binary identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability.
To find out more about working for us please click here: https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/
Our offer:
In return for your hard work, we offer our employees a competitive package as part of our offer that you can find out more about here: GMCA offer - Green book.docx
Mandatory Information:
Employees on the redeployment register will be given priority for any vacancies in the first instance. If employees are identified as a match from the register then the vacancy may be withdrawn or put on hold pending an outcome.
For this opportunity, you must be able to prove you have the right to work in the UK - if in doubt please visit the following link Employers' right to work checklist - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Please note we are not a licenced sponsor.
Hybrid working
This role is part of GMCA’s hybrid working scheme. As part of our commitment to ‘Build Back Fairer’ in Greater Manchester following the Covid-19 pandemic, we have evolved our management methods by trusting and empowering staff to deliver their work in the best way that suits the business and their individual needs, and supports health and wellbeing. Our hybrid working policy sets out a flexible approach, combining attendance at our [Manchester city centre office / Fire and Rescue service HQ in Swinton / other location] with remote working, typically from home; the location of work is primarily dictated by the needs of the business: ‘Do what is right for you and the business on that day’. If appointed to the role you will work with your manager to agree and regularly review the best working pattern for you, your team and your work.