Director of People

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust; Manchester; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust is looking for a Director of People to lead workforce transformation and enhance employee wellbeing. You will work collaboratively with Clinical Group Directors to shape strategies that impact organizational direction and culture. Strong experience in management and service improvement in health or social care settings is essential. This role offers a unique opportunity to influence a large workforce and contribute to innovative practices within a dynamic organization. Join us in making a lasting impact on our communities.

Benefits

Inclusive employer policies

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Proven success in leading service improvement across a complex organisation.
• Significant experience in workforce and organisational development strategies.
• Experience giving advice on employment matters in large organisations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and shape the Employee Health and Wellbeing service.
• Drive strategic workforce transformation and decision-making.
• Engage in national policy development related to workforce.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Employee engagement

Service improvement

Education

Extensive experience in management in a health or social care setting

Job description

Join MFT as our Director of People and drive your career to new heights at one of the largest and most complex NHS Trusts in England.

This newly created role means you have the opportunity to shape, influence, and build how and where you want it to impact. Reporting directly to the Deputy Chief People Officer, you will be working in collaboration with our six Clinical Group Directors of Workforce and OD and will be instrumental in leading, shaping, and guiding the Employee Health and Wellbeing service, Corporate HR Business Partnering, and Medical Workforce teams. Most importantly, you will be horizon scanning, setting the strategic direction and the standardisation of the People Profession across the Trust, using the MFT People Plan as an enabler for change.

You will have autonomy to drive workforce transformation strategically and skillfully, achieved by influencing decision‑making and increasing organisational and individual awareness of exceptional people practice, through the introduction, development, and maintenance of leading‑edge interventions.

As for you, you are passionate about all things ‘people’, recognised as a role‑model leader with a compassionate and supportive style, an eagerness to empower others in decision‑making, with the expertise to encourage our teams to know they make valuable contributions, leading to a high‑performing, inclusive, open, and transparent culture.

Interested? Then please get in touch, we would love to hear from you.

• With extensive experience working at a senior management level in a health, social care, or similar large complex organisations, you will provide effective leadership within the Workforce Business Directorate, ensuring individual contributions are maximised, and development needs are met, creating a truly integrated workforce service.
• With a successful record in service improvement and change, delivered across a complex organisation, you will make a significant contribution to the overall success of the Trust, setting and implementing strategic objectives as part of the MFT People Plan and other key Trust Strategies.
• With significant experience in providing advice on employment matters in a large, complex, multi‑professional organisation, you will lead the development and maintenance of MFT‑wide workforce policies.
• With a thorough understanding and practical experience of delivering large‑scale employee engagement initiatives, you will work with other colleagues to influence how the employee experience shapes organisational direction, strategy, and focus, using the MFT People Plan as an enabler for change.
• With considerable experience in developing and applying workforce & OD strategies, employment law and policies, you will actively engage in national policy development, Greater Manchester and Northwest Region strategy and change, researching best practice across the NHS, ensuring MFT is innovative in its approach to the people profession.

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe. We are an ambitious organisation, serving over 1 million patients and users annually through our 10 hospitals and extensive community services. With a workforce of 30,000 plus, we are a driving force for innovation, clinical excellence, and system leadership across Greater Manchester.

As a senior leader at MFT, you will shape strategy and transformation at scale, working alongside a diverse, high‑performing executive team. Our £3bn plus turnover and leading‑edge digital infrastructure, including the Hive EPR, enable us to deliver integrated, patient‑centred care and drive continuous improvement.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, values‑led culture where your expertise, vision, and leadership will directly influence organisational direction and population health outcomes. You will have the opportunity to lead complex change, champion research and innovation, and develop future talent in a supportive, collaborative environment.

Join us to make a lasting impact—on our Trust, our communities, and the future of healthcare.

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Supporting Documents’ heading.

Candidate Information Pack: To support this vacancy, we have developed a bespoke ‘Candidate Information Pack’ which provides specific information about the role and the Selection Process. To view this pack, please visit: https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/1-2/

Diversity Matters: MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at [e-mail].

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

This advert closes on Tuesday 3 Feb 2026.