Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development (HR & OD)

The Organisation

The Health Research Board (HRB) is a statutory agency under the aegis of the Department of Health. As the lead agency in Ireland responsible for supporting and funding health research, generating health information and promoting the use of evidence in policy and practice, we are motivated and inspired by our vision - for better health through excellent research, data and evidence.

The HRB is now seeking suitable applicants for the role of Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development (HR & OD).

The Role

Reporting to the Director of Corporate Operations, the role of Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development (HR & OD) is a key senior leadership role and will be responsible for a modern, professional HR & OD function that enables a high performing, values driven Public Service organisation. They will also have line authority over the Facilities function.

The role will design and deliver people strategies covering workforce planning, capability building, organisational design, cultural development, talent & leadership, engagement and evidence informed people practices aligned to Better Public Services - Public Service Transformation 2030. They will also be responsible for promoting a positive and collaborative organisational culture and ensuring the HRB has the skills, processes and capabilities needed to continuously develop, improve and adapt to changing needs.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for, but not limited to the following:

• Strategic HR Management
  • Provide strategic leadership across all HR & OD domains, ensuring people strategies, organisational development initiatives, and workforce priorities are fully aligned with organisational outcomes, long term capability needs, and the ambitions of Transformation 2030.
  • Shape and steer a forward looking, integrated People Strategy, anticipating workforce, skills, cultural and organisational challenges arising from policy, demographic, technological and public service reform trends, and positioning the organisation to meet future service demands with agility and resilience.
  • Act as a trusted strategic adviser to senior leadership, bringing insight, foresight and authoritative HR expertise to inform decision making; leveraging data, evidence and external best practice to guide strategic choices on workforce capability, organisational effectiveness, culture, leadership, and people centric transformation.
  • Oversee / Support the development and design of KPI/KPO frameworks and Business Management processes, using performance data and insights to drive informed decision-making, strengthen strategic workforce and capability planning, and enhance organisational performance and accountability.

• Relationship Building & Management
  • Build trusted relationships with staff, leaders, unions, and external partner
  • Facilitate collaboration across departments and cross functional initiatives
  • Strengthen internal communication channels to improve understanding, alignment and engagement.

• Cultural Intelligence
  • Apply cultural awareness and sensitivity in HR policy, leadership support, recruitment, engagement and OD initiative
  • Support leaders to recognise and navigate cultural differences to build inclusive, respectful, and high trust team
  • Ensure decisions and interventions consider diverse perspectives and foster equity.

• People Strategy & Workforce Planning
  • Develop and periodically refresh a People Strategy aligned to organisational objectives and Better Public Services 2030, translating strategy into clear roadmaps, KPIs and outcome measures.
  • Lead integrated workforce planning, capability mapping and succession planning using the Civil Service Capability Framework.
  • Apply strategic management principles to ensure workforce planning anticipates change, mitigates risk, and supports long term organisational resilience.
  • Ensure plans are evidence informed using HR analytics and insights.
  • Proactively review and develop flexible, innovative ways of working, including the use of emerging technologies.

• Recruitment, Selection & Onboarding
  • Deliver a robust Recruitment, Selection and Retention process including induction, probation management, and early tenure development supports.
  • Embed diversity, inclusion, and cultural intelligence into all recruitment processes to ensure fairness and broaden representation.
  • Monitor recruitment KPIs and report to senior leadership.
  • Introduce digital recruitment tools and streamline onboarding.

• Organisational Development, Culture & Change
  • Foster an inclusive, engaged, and psychologically safe workplace.
  • Implement EDI strategy, mandatory training, wellbeing supports, and survey led engagement.
  • Diagnose organisational effectiveness and lead OD interventions including organisational design, role clarity and process improvements.
  • Lead strategic change management programmes including co design, readiness, adoption, and benefits realisation.
  • Use cultural intelligence to understand diverse perspectives, enable inclusive engagement, and support behavioural and cultural change.
  • Partner with leaders to embed evidence informed, collaborative ways of working.

• Employee Engagement, Wellbeing & People Experience
  • Lead organisation wide engagement cycles, action planning, recognition initiatives and continuous listening.
  • Ensure wellbeing supports reflect diverse needs, cultural awareness and employee voices
  • Shape hybrid/blended working policies in line with Public Service direction.

• Talent, Leadership, Learning & Development
  • Deliver a positive Learning and Development programme aligned to organisational needs.
  • Build leadership capability through targeted pathways, coaching, action learning and talent management
  • Apply strategic management in talent planning to ensure future capability and succession readiness.
  • Oversee digital learning, L&D strategy and ensure evaluation demonstrates impact.
  • Lead and optimise the annual PMDS cycle, linking outputs directly to capability frameworks and talent planning.

• Employee/Industrial Relations (IR/ER) & Policy Governance
  • Provide strategic leadership on IR/ER including constructive union relationships, complex case management, and WRC/Labour Court representation as required.
  • Use relationship building and management skills to maintain trust based, solution focused interactions with stakeholders.
  • Ensure compliant, up to date HR policies and procedures across all HR domains.

• HR Operations, Systems & Insights
  • Ensure efficient HR operations including HRIS accuracy, payroll liaison, pensions/benefits administration (where applicable) and high quality HR service delivery.
  • Utilise HR technology and analytics to provide evidence based dashboards and insights for leadership decision making.

• OD & Innovation
  • Deliver organisational change programmes and embed new ways of working.
  • Apply structured change management, engage stakeholders, and track benefits realisation.
  • Champion innovation in people practices such as skills passports, capability marketplaces, digital learning and AI enabled insights.

• Facilities and Sustainability
  • Deliver facilities and environmental sustainability initiatives in line with regulations and organisational needs.
  • Apply structured change management and stakeholder engagement to ensure adoption and impact.

The Person

The successful candidate must have a strong track record of strategic HR and OD leaderships, as well as experience at a senior level within a complex organisation. They will demonstrate experience in talent and leadership development, as well as a proven track record in workforce planning and organisational change. The role will also require strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to build and maintain impactful, relationships with internal and external stakeholders. The successful candidate also have a strong understanding and experience of EDI, wellbeing and cultural development.

Essential Criteria

The successful candidate will demonstrate evidence of:

• A NFQ Level 9 qualification (Master's or Postgraduate Diploma) in HR, OD, Business or related field
• A minimum of 10 years HR experience, with at least 5 years at senior leadership level and strategic HR & OD leadership in a complex organisation
• Experience in talent and leadership development, and a proven track record in workforce planning and organisational change
• Significant experience in public sector HR leadership, and an understanding of public service pensions and HR policy governance
• A proven track record of credible stakeholder management across senior leadership, unions, sector bodies, and / or oversight forums / HR Networks
• Expertise in Capability based recruitment/selection and performance development, and strong HR analytics capability.
• A strong understanding and experience of EDI, wellbeing and cultural development
• A CIPD qualification or membership

Desirable Criteria

The successful candidate may demonstrate evidence of:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and influencing skills
• Strong ICT and digital capability
• Strong Interpersonal skills and a demonstrable track record in building and maintaining impactful partnerships with stakeholders (internal and external).

Application and Further Information

For further information and to apply for the role visit www.forvismazars.com/ie/en/executiverecruitment.

All enquiries relating to this role should be directed to the Executive Recruitment Team by email to [email protected] or by telephone on +353 (1) 449 4400.

Forvis Mazars will be managing all aspects of this recruitment project on behalf of the Health Research Board. No enquiries or canvassing should be made directly to the Health Research Board.

Deadline for applications: 12 noon, Monday, 27th July 2026.

The Health Research Board is an equal opportunities employer with a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion at all levels of the organisation.