Chief People Officer

Job Summary

We are seeking to appoint a permanent Chief People Officer to join an ambitious, values-driven and well-established board of directors who want to make a difference and deliver our aim of providing outstanding physical, mental and social care in a modern health and social care system.

The successful candidate will bring capability and enthusiasm to support our ambitious vision within the context of significant change, transformation and opportunity both within the organisation, the region and the wider NHS. They must demonstrate experience of working in or with large, complex organisations, engage positively and collaboratively at all levels, possess strong relationship‑management and influencing skills, make autonomous decisions, deliver quality and excellence, and embrace the values of the Trust.

They must have an excellent track record of success at director or senior level and experience of partnership working across complex systems. We seek an exceptional, inspirational leader committed to high‑quality care, continuous improvement and enhancing the Trust’s reputation.

As an executive director, you will make a significant contribution to the strategic leadership and direction of the Trust overall, providing strong professional leadership to the Trust’s People Services. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you will:

• Provide strategic leadership across all aspects of our People and Organisational Development agenda.
• Drive workforce transformation and delivery, ensuring the Trust is future‑ready and our people are supported to deliver exceptional care.
• Act as a role model for the Trust’s vision and values, designing, developing and implementing the People Strategy and strategic workforce plans that support the Trust’s purpose, direction and objectives.
• Advise the Trust Board and Chief Executive on complex national and local employment matters, policy decisions, strategies and targets, ensuring statutory compliance.
• Ensure effective training, education structures and processes to support safe, compassionate and modern services.
• Support an open, engaging and inclusive culture that encourages clinical excellence, facilitates multidisciplinary care and promotes partnership working.
• Act as a partner within each place and integrated care system the Trust operates.

• Executive Director Responsibilities – Provide strategic leadership at Board level, ensuring governance, financial sustainability and delivery of organisational objectives while maintaining accountability for workforce, OD and EDI matters.
• Strategic HR – Develop and implement a transformative People Strategy that strengthens employee experience, workforce innovation, employer reputation and compliance with national standards.
• Workforce Planning – Provide strategic oversight of comprehensive workforce planning, ensuring future‑focused models, strong talent pipelines and alignment with strategic and financial plans.
• Talent Management and Succession Planning – Ensure robust talent management, succession planning and senior leadership development programmes.
• Education and Learning – Oversight of teaching, learning and development agenda to build leadership capability, deliver high‑quality training and strengthen partnerships.
• Human Resource Management – Professional leadership for HR, OD and EDI functions, ensuring inclusive, evidence‑based policies and processes that support our values and behaviours.
• Organisational Development – Strategic oversight of OD plans to enable a compassionate, inclusive and improvement‑focused culture.
• Modern and Effective People Services – Ensure high‑quality, digitally enabled People Services that use data and modern systems to drive performance, workforce insights and employee experience.
• Employee Health and Wellbeing – Strategic oversight of a comprehensive wellbeing agenda that promotes compassionate leadership, psychological safety and data‑informed actions to enhance health, wellbeing and attendance.

Qualifications (Essential)

• Masters degree or further postgraduate professional qualification (or equivalent gained through experience) in a related subject.
• Evi…