Job Description

Interim Business Manager

Temporary (6 months), Full Time

£350 to £400 per day PAYE/Umbrella

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: 21st October 2026

The Role The Business Manager will play a pivotal role in supporting the effective leadership, management and delivery of the People & Organisation Development (POD) Service. Working closely with the POD Leadership Team and senior stakeholders, you will lead and coordinate business planning, performance management, governance, financial oversight and service improvement activities, ensuring priorities remain aligned to organisational objectives and strategic outcomes. This role requires a strong HR background and experience operating within a People, HR or Organisational Development environment. You will act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, providing challenge, insight and coordination to support informed decision-making, service performance and continuous improvement. The successful candidate will be highly organised, proactive and confident in working with senior leaders, translating complex information into meaningful insights, managing competing priorities, and ensuring the effective operation of the People & Organisation Development Service. Accountabilities Lead and maintain the People & Organisation Development Service Plan, ensuring priorities, actions and performance measures are effectively managed and delivered. Work closely with the POD Leadership Team to support strategic planning, business management and the delivery of organisational objectives. Develop, monitor and report on service performance, providing high-quality management information, dashboards and reports for senior leaders. Coordinate governance arrangements across the service, ensuring effective management of risks, issues, decisions and compliance requirements. Support the development, monitoring and management of budgets, financial forecasts and resource plans across the service. Provide strategic and operational support to the POD Leadership Team, identifying opportunities for improvement, efficiencies and service enhancements. Analyse and interpret workforce, financial and performance data, providing insights and recommendations to support decision-making. Lead the coordination of leadership meetings, ensuring actions, decisions and priorities are effectively captured, communicated and progressed. Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders across the organisation, influencing and supporting delivery of service priorities. Monitor progress against key objectives and performance indicators, challenging delays and supporting corrective action where required. Ensure effective business management systems, processes and records are maintained in line with organisational requirements. Contribute to the continuous improvement of governance, performance management, business planning and service delivery across People & Organisation Development. The Experience You Will Bring Significant experience working within Human Resources, Organisational Development, People Services, or a related people-focused function, preferably within Local Government. Experience in a Business Manager, Service Manager, Programme Office, Corporate Planning or similar role supporting senior leadership teams. Demonstrable experience of business planning, performance management, governance, service improvement and operational management. Experience of supporting senior leaders through the provision of strategic advice, management information and business intelligence. Strong understanding of governance, risk management, performance reporting and organisational planning processes. Experience of budget monitoring, financial reporting and resource planning. Ability to analyse, interpret and communicate complex information, performance data and workforce metrics clearly and effectively. Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and workstreams simultaneously. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare concise reports and briefings for senior audiences. Proven ability to build effective working relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels. Evidence of adopting a structured, proactive and solution-focused approach to business management and service delivery. Educated to GCSE level or equivalent through relevant experience. Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to HR, organisational development, business management or leadership. Relevant professional qualification such as CIPD, ILM, CMI, Prince2, APM or equivalent experience. Why Essex? As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we are dedicated to making a positive difference for residents, communities and businesses across the county. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you. In March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, on our careers site. Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying. Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs. At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone. As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email essexsharedservices@essex.gov.uk Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Further details can be found on our careers page. Downloads Our Ways of Working | About Us | Organisation Behaviours