Chief People Officer

NHS; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health organization in Plymouth is seeking a Chief People Officer on a fixed-term contract to shape HR strategy and culture. You will lead workforce transformation, ensuring staff experience aligns with the NHS 10-Year Plan. Ideal candidates will have extensive HR experience at the Board level, promoting equality, diversity, and innovative workforce solutions. This pivotal role enables you to empower staff, drive organizational change, and participate directly in a rewarding healthcare mission.

Benefits

Career development opportunities

Modern working environment

Commitment to work life balance

Qualifications

• Substantial experience operating at Board level or as Deputy with board exposure.
• Strong professional background in HR and Organisational Development.
• Demonstrable experience of leading organisations to drive improvements in leadership.

Responsibilities

• Champion Trust Values, shaping a healthy, inclusive culture.
• Lead workforce redesign and achieve clinical transformation.
• Provide expert strategic advice to the Chief Executive and Board.

Education

Master's degree or equivalent

CIPD Fellow

Job description

Executive Director Appointment - Chief People Officer

Joining us on a twelve to eighteen month fixed term contract/secondment basis as our Chief People Officer, you will play a central role in shaping the future of our organisation and ensuring our people feel valued, supported and empowered to deliver outstanding care. This is a pivotal Executive Board position, reporting directly to the Chief Executive, where your leadership will influence culture, workforce transformation and long term organisational success.

We are seeking an inspiring, collaborative, and forward thinking leader with a strong professional background in HR and Organisational Development. You will bring credibility, confidence and compassion, alongside substantial experience operating at Board level or as a Deputy with some board exposure with a proven track record of leading people functions in a large complex organisation.

Your leadership will drive workforce transformation, enabling new ways of working that bring our Trust strategy and the NHS 10-Year Plan to life and ensuring our communities not just today but for future generations to come.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to lead meaningful change, strengthening a culture that is empowering and genuinely committed to learning and improving. You will join an Executive Team united by a clear sense of purpose and a shared commitment to making University Hospitals Plymouth a great place to work and receive care.

Main duties of the job

Your Impact

As Chief People Officer, you will:

Champion and continue to embed our Trust Values, shaping a healthy, compassionate and inclusive culture where colleagues feel a sense of belonging and purpose.

Lead workforce redesign and productivity programmes, ensuring our staffing models are fit for the future and aligned to clinical transformation and financial sustainability.

Lead the development and delivery of a new, evidence-based People Strategy that strengthens and improves staff experience across the organisation.

Drive the future transformation of People Services, using technology, automation and data-driven innovation to improve customer experience for staff and leaders.

Advance system working, ensuring our organisation is an active and influential partner across the wider health and care landscape.

Strengthen partnership working with trade unions, system partners and community organisations.

Provide expert strategic advice to the Chief Executive and Board, influencing decision-making and shaping workforce strategy at the highest level.

About us

We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Job responsibilities

Workforce Transformation and Delivery

Lead delivery of the workforce aspects of the NHS 10-year plan, including exploration and implementation of innovative workforce models that enable and empower left shift (out of hospital, prevention, community care) in partnership with clinical and operational leaders.

Partner with system and regional HR leaders to share best practices and accelerate adoption of new workforce solutions.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Champion a Trust-wide approach to EDI, driving cultural change so University Hospitals Plymouth is an employer where everyone can thrive.

Oversee the design and delivery of EDI programmes with impact, from recruitment practices to career progression pathways.

Support the Trust in meeting and exceeding statutory equalities duties and foster a workplace free from discrimination and disadvantage.

Integrate social value and anchor institution principlesusing the Trusts position to promote local employment, inequalities reduction, apprenticeships, and community impact.

HR Systems, Processes, and Manager Empowerment

Establish and embed consistently high standards of HR systems and processes that support managers to lead, develop, and support their teams.

Drive continued digital innovation in HR, ensuring managers and staff have accessible and effective tools for people management across the employee lifecycle.

Work closely with our CDIO on innovative models for process automation to enable more efficient ways of working.

Leadership Capability Development

Strengthen leadership and management capability at all levels of the Trust through targeted training, development programmes, and interventions.

Develop and deliver succession plans and talent pipelines for critical roles.

Lead the Board and senior leadership team development, creating an environment of high trust, ambition, and accountability.

Digital Transformation and Workforce Analytics

Lead adoption of digital HR technologies (e.g., e-rostering, automation, AI-enabled talent management) to enhance operational efficiency and staff experience.

Champion workforce analytics, using data to drive decisions on recruitment, retention, wellbeing, and productivity.

Organisational Development

Lead, model, and enable the Trusts journey toward inclusion and compassionate culturefrom strategy to delivery.

Design and commission OD programmes and initiatives that drive organisational change, staff wellbeing and engagement, and outstanding patient care.

Adapt reward and recognition frameworks to incentivise and embed Trust values.

Teaching and Learning

Work closely with the CMO and CNO to create an integrated Education and learning function catering for the needs of all sections of the workforce, to go live in 2026/7, ensuring excellence in clinical, managerial, and professional development.

Forge strong partnerships with education providers and system partners to attract, retain, and continually develop the best talent.

Workforce Planning and Performance

Develop and deliver strategic and operational workforce plans, proactively forecasting needs now and for the future.

Oversee recruitment and retention strategies for a diverse, skilled workforce.

Monitor and report workforce performance metrics to Board and managers.

Staff Voice and Co-production

Promote productive partnership working with staff and trades unions.

Lead improvements in staff satisfaction through regular engagement and responsive action.

Amplify direct staff voice, involvement, and co-production in policy, practice, and culture, going beyond consultation to genuine empowerment.

Provide professional leadership, vision, and direction for the Trusts Operational HR Services, Medical Workforce, Employee Relations, EDI, and Organisational Development.

Advise the CEO, Board and senior leaders on sensitive workforce matters.

Set and monitor the highest standards of confidentiality, integrity, and compliance in all people actions.

Provide executive leadership for People workstreams and projects for the One Devon and working collaboratively with system partners across Devon and Cornwall and beyond.

Contribute to and lead elements of the implementation of the system-wide People Plan.

Proactively engage with the South West and national CPO networks to ensure engagement and relevant leaning from best practice.

Executive Director Responsibilities

Contribute fully to the Trusts overall strategy, Board effectiveness, and achievement of strategic and financial objectives including leadership of wider workstreams to support financial sustainability alongside delivery on year-on-year efficiencies within the workforce function.

Maintain Board-level oversight and accountability for all corporate HR, organisational development, and EDI matters.

Participate in the Executive Director on-call Rota.

Maintain eligibility with Fit & Proper Persons Requirements.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to Master's degree level or equivalent
• Evidence of continuing professional development, with project management/leadership being particularly desirable
• Good knowledge of NHS regulatory frameworks, safety, financial procedures and statutory regulations
• CIPD Fellow

Knowledge & Skills

• Track record of successful organisation wide project management, including as Senior Responsible Office (SRO)/Sponsor of significant, formal programmes and projects
• Substantial change management capability with proven and measurable results, based on and promoting positive culture and organisational values
• Highly developed leadership, negotiation and influencing skills with the ability to motivate and engage individuals
• Demonstrable understanding of the structure and framework of the NHS and how the Trust delivers care within this
• Ability to use quantitative and qualitative information to stimulate performance improvement and provide assurance on data integrity
• Ability to think laterally and creatively to develop innovative plans and identify new business opportunities, commercial acumen
• Ability to set out a clear direction, inspire others and assume command
• Ability to grasp critical issues and distil them into clear and manageable priorities, weighing both the costs and benefits
• Understanding of different environments in which the Trust operates - ability to assess opportunities for innovation, revenue generation, partnership and enhanced care

Experience

• Evidence of formal management development
• Proven previous demonstrable experience leading organisations to drive improvements in leadership, preferably in NHS organisations
• Proven knowledge of the NHS financial regime and probity, and considerable proven experience of budgetary management
• Proven track record of strategic HR, OD and workforce management and delivery at a senior level in a large, complex, service-focused organisation, including staff management, change management, performance management, and service improvement
• Thorough proven knowledge and understanding of the concepts and practices of integrated workforce planning in complex organisations, analysing, synthesising and using complex data as the basis for strategic and tactical decisions, and scenario planning
• Demonstrable experience of consultation, negotiation and influencing different stakeholders
• Demonstrable experience of building personal and professional credibility with Board, Management Team, staff, the public and the media
• Demonstrable experience of substantial management responsibility, built on extensive knowledge and understanding of financial, management and clinical issues associated with a large NHS Trust
• Demonstrable experience of designing and implementing consistent HR systems and processes that empower managers

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.

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