Organisation Design Lead SME

Location: Hybrid – Liverpool or Birmingham preferred

Day Rate: £750 per day via umbrella

Contract: Until 31 March 2027

IR35: Inside IR35

Clearance: BPSS

Travel: Frequent UK travel required

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Interim Organisation Design Lead SME to lead a high-priority transformation across commercial and procurement functions within a complex public sector environment.

This is a hands-on delivery role for an experienced Organisation Design and Development (OD&D) specialist who can take an organisation from operating model decisions through to a fully developed, transition-ready design by 31 March 2027.

Working closely with HR leadership and the wider transformation programme, you will translate strategic operating model requirements into practical organisational structures, clear accountabilities and actionable workforce transition plans.

This is a delivery-focused assignment, not an advisory role. You will be expected to lead and personally produce the analysis, modelling and design artefacts required to drive the transformation forward.

Key Responsibilities

• OD Diagnostics: Assess the current organisation, identifying operational friction points, structural gaps and capability requirements.
• Workshop Facilitation: Design and facilitate organisation design workshops, translating outcomes into tangible deliverables.
• Design Options: Develop and model credible structural options, including organisational boundaries, accountabilities, interfaces and workforce implications.
• Detailed Design: Refine and test the agreed organisation design against the Target Operating Model (TOM), design principles, affordability and workforce requirements.
• Transition-Ready Design: Identify new, changed and redundant roles, producing the design information required by HR and Change teams to support workforce transition.
• Transition Roadmap: Develop a phased implementation roadmap covering milestones, dependencies, workforce risks and governance approvals.
• Executive Reporting: Prepare board-level business cases and decision packs to secure senior stakeholder approval.
• Programme Delivery: Collaborate with the wider transformation programme and delivery partners to achieve agreed milestones.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience delivering end-to-end Organisation Design and Operating Model transformations in complex, highly regulated environments.
• Strong understanding of Civil Service and public sector structures, including the Civil Service Organisational Design framework.
• Practical experience taking organisations from operating model decisions through design options, detailed design, testing and implementation.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to translate HR and financial data into actionable organisational insights.
• Ability to work independently, manage complex design activity and produce high-quality deliverables at pace.
• Current BPSS clearance or eligibility to obtain it.

Working Arrangements

• Hybrid working, with two days per week in the office.
• Liverpool is the preferred location, with Birmingham also an option.
• Frequent UK travel to sites in London, Newport, Liverpool, Birmingham and Norwich is essential.

Who Should Apply?

This opportunity is ideal for an established OD&D specialist or Operating Model practitioner who has personally designed and implemented organisational structures and can demonstrate tangible delivery across diagnostics, design options, detailed design and transition planning.

Candidates whose experience is primarily HR advisory or generalist support, rather than hands-on organisation design delivery, are unlikely to be suitable.

How to Apply

If you have the relevant experience and are interested in this opportunity, please send your up-to-date CV, along with:

• Your availability.
• Confirmation that you are happy with the £750 per day rate via umbrella, Inside IR35 status and frequent UK travel requirements.

Interested? Get in touch today to discuss the opportunity.