People are at the heart of everything we do. Working closely with every area of the Combined Authority, our HR team plays a key role in enabling our organisation to deliver for our region.
From recruitment and learning and development to wellbeing and organisational culture, our specialists are here to ensure colleagues feel supported, valued and empowered to do their best work. Meet some of the team dedicated to helping our organisation grow and succeed.
Hi, I’m Jenny and my role here at the Combined Authority is HR Operations Manager. I have overall responsibility for the operations side of the HR Team. As well as the operational side of HR, which includes the whole employee lifecycle from recruitment through to employee relations, reward and offboarding, we also have a Learning and Development team and a Systems and Projects Team.
I love my job, I work with a fantastic team who are all really dedicated, committed and maybe most importantly, fun to work with! I think it would be fair to say our jobs are varied and no two days are the same, which makes the roles in HR even more interesting and rewarding.
The Combined Authority is an evolving, ever-changing organisation and has great values and behaviours that we all embrace. Its vision is to transform lives and communities across the West Yorkshire region and in HR, we are proud for our contribution to that vision.
Since joining the Combined Authority, I have been given many opportunities to develop both personally and professionally. I’ve met people who have become close friends, started a Level 5 apprenticeship and have been able to contribute to some very exciting projects that improve the lives of people across West Yorkshire.
Working with the Combined Authority has enabled me to achieve a better work-life balance through flexible working, allowing me to adapt my working hours to balance work, studies and home life.
I’m very grateful for the opportunities that have been presented to me and I’m looking forward to seeing how my career develops going forward.
Being part of the HR team for almost three years has given me the opportunity to grow significantly as an HR professional thanks to the variety of work I get to be involved in.
I am fortunate enough to work with a team that has such a wide range of knowledge and experiences that they can share with me and allow me to further develop in my role. Working for the Combined Authority has provided many benefits but the work-life balance is the one that I value the most, especially since becoming a father for the first time.
I work with many amazing colleagues across several directorates and being able to support them in their role brings me a lot of joy in part of what I do. The Combined Authority has been on a journey of growth and change and there is no better time to be joining the team than now
My role is really varied and no day is ever the same which makes it interesting! I get involved in many areas of HR which has allowed me to develop both professionally and personally – from workforce planning to executive recruitment and organisational design.
The HR team is a fab team, we are a diverse set of colleagues who really get on and support one another – it’s one of the main things I enjoy about working at the Combined Authority. As everyone who works with me knows I like to inject a bit of humour and light heartedness into my role – whilst remaining professional and credible.
I feel that it’s important that as HR professionals, we are seen as real people with personalities and not just a corporate function.
Hi, I'm Catherine, an HR Support officer within the Learning and Development team. I primarily look after the day-to-day administration of training for the Combined Authority, right through from new starter inductions to our Internal Management Programme.
Since starting around 18 months ago, I've had the privilege of working with a supportive and friendly team that encouraged me whilst completing my Level 3 CIPD qualification and allowed me to gain a Professional Train the Trainer qualification.
I've grown within my career immensely and can see the impact my role is having on enabling those working around me to deliver a brighter future for the people of West Yorkshire.
The flexible hours and hybrid style of working made doing my job that much easier. I can be in the office around friendly faces in collaborative spaces or working from home when I need quieter focus time but with help just a call or message away. Being part of a culture of change with true purpose to improve lives and communities really is the reason I come to work each day.
Hear from colleagues in other teams across the Combined Authority and find out more about working life by visiting our Life at West Yorkshire Combined Authority page.
