Associate People Business Partner

NHS; Exeter; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an Associate People Business Partner to support the People Strategy across Care Groups, delivering HR advice and workforce planning.

You will work with senior managers to enable a great place to work, handle change and workforce redesign initiatives, and contribute to recruitment and retention to support safe patient care.

Qualifications

• Relevant degree or equivalent qualification, CIPD membership preferred.
• Experience in the NHS or public sector is desirable.
• Strong knowledge of employment legislation and HR best practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality HR advice across complex and sensitive issues, including change management and workforce planning.
• Support implementation of the People Strategy across Care Groups and engage with service leads using workforce data for strategy development.
• Assist in recruitment, retention, and workforce redesign, including hard-to-fill posts and collaboration with recruitment teams.

Job description

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Associate People Business Partner

The closing date is 04 October 2026

In this dynamic role, you'll support the People Business Partner in driving strategic people initiatives across our Care Groups. You'll work closely with senior management to develop workforce plans, provide expert HR advice, and champion best practices in people management.

This is a fantastic opportunity to influence key business decisions and contribute to a positive organisational culture, all while ensuring safe and efficient patient care.

Main duties of the job

For more detail about the main duties of this role, please see the job description section below. As a key member of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, you will be joining an exceptional team working together to help our patients to stay healthy, when they need it most.

About us

Stretching across Northern, Eastern and Mid Devon, we have a workforce of over 15,000 staff, making us the largest employer in Devon. Our core services, which we provide to more than 615,000 people, cover more than 2,000 square miles across Devon, while some of our specialist services cover the whole of the peninsula, extending our reach as far as Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

We deliver a wide range of emergency, specialist and general medical services through North Devon District Hospital and the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford).

Alongside our two acute hospitals, we provide integrated health and social care services across a variety of settings, including community inpatient hospitals, outpatient clinics, and within peoples own homes. We also offer primary care services, a range of specialist community services, and Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC).

Our state-of-the-art equipment, leading technologies and strong links to local universities put us at the forefront of research and innovations, enabling us to provide world-class care to our local communities.

Its never been a more exciting time to join the Royal Devon, as youll help to shape our services as we continue along our integration journey.

Job responsibilities

More detail about the role:

As an Associate People Business Partner, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the implementation of the People Strategy across our Care Groups. You will provide high-quality, customer-focused HR advice on a wide range of complex and sensitive issues, including change management, strategic resourcing, workforce planning, employee experience etc. You will work closely with your service leads, using workforce data to support the development of strategies and initiatives to enable the delivery of a 'great place to work' for our staff at Royal Devon.

Your expertise will also be crucial in managing organisational changes, supporting consultations and workforce redesign initiatives. This includes inputting into Care Group organisational design, engaging and working in partnership with Staffside representatives to facilitate harmonious employee relations.

Furthermore, you will provide expert advice on recruitment and retention processes. This may include supporting and attending career events, developing strategies for "hard to fill" posts, and working with the Marketing and Executive & Specialist recruitment teams to attract candidates.

To excel in this role, you should possess a relevant degree or equivalent qualification, with CIPD membership being preferred. A thorough understanding of current employment legislation and HR best practices is essential, along with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Experience in delivering HR advice in a large organisation, particularly within the NHS or public sector, is highly desirable. You should also have a proven ability to manage change and implement organisational strategies effectively.

Personal attributes such as a proactive, customer-focused approach, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to prioritise effectively are crucial for success in this role. You should be an enthusiastic team player, capable of motivating others, and committed to continuous personal development in line with the Trusts values.

Other requirements for the role include the ability to travel independently across Trust sites, a full UK driving licence, and access to a vehicle with appropriate business insurance.

Working Pattern: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Interview Date: To be confirmed

For further information please contact: Claire Turner, People Business Partner, [e-mail]

As an inclusive employer, the Royal Devon values diversity and is committed to creating a culture of inclusivity where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential. We believe in fostering a sense of belonging and actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, cultures, and abilities. We recognise the advantages of having a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

Preference will be given to staff with Priority and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon.

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust reserves the right to close vacancy when sufficient applications have been received.

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was established in April 2022, bringing together the expertise of both the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust.

We will work together to maintain a culture that develops and supports you and your team.

This might include funding for a care certificate, a degree or leadership qualifications. Or it might include days off to study, engage in CPD or rotational placements to help you hone your skills. Wherever you are heading in the NHS, we'll help you get there.

Looking after you is important to us.

We stride to help our staff create a healthy work-life balance through flexible working schemes and our family friendly policies.

If you're starting out in the NHS, you'll start with 27 days paid annual leave (plus bank holidays), rising to 33 days plus bank holidays.

You’ll benefit from access to our own comprehensive occupational health services, including counselling, onsite wellbeing activities and groups.

Salary is not the only financial benefit

You’ll have access to an extensive range of staff discounts on shopping, fitness and leisure options and you can spread the cost of technology and home appliance purchases from major retailers.

You will also have access to other benefits including:

National discount services such as the Blue Light Card and Health Service Discounts.

Salary sacrifice options including our OFSTED rated outstanding nursery onsite at Exeter

Car lease schemes.

The NHS Pension scheme (one of the most generous and comprehensive in the UK).

Cycle to work scheme

General Requirements

• See job description text above, and (where applicable) you can download a copy of the full job description
• See job description text above, and (where applicable) you can download a copy of the full job description

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

£49,387 to £56,515 a yearper annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

185-218-14229

Job locations

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust