Director of People Services

Cipd Hr30; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

An NHS Trust in the East Midlands is looking for a Director of People Services to lead the development of high-performance HR initiatives and workforce strategies. This senior role requires extensive experience in HR management, particularly within healthcare. The postholder will oversee Employee Relations services and work with various teams to ensure optimal support for clinical and administrative departments. The Trust is dedicated to promoting a diverse and inclusive environment for all staff and patients.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Employee assistance programme

Discounted gym membership

Onsite fitness classes

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in senior HR roles within the NHS or similar sectors.
• Proven track record of creating high-performing teams.
• Strong understanding of HR legislation and practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of workforce plans and strategies.
• Oversee Employee Relations services to enhance performance.
• Ensure delivery of a comprehensive HR function across the Trust.

Skills

Leadership

Human Resource Management

Employee Relations

Strategic Planning

Data Analysis

Education

Relevant degree (HR, Business)

Job description

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Director of People Services within University Hospitals of Derby and Burton. The Director of People Services is one of the most senior People leadership roles below Board level with the responsibility for developing and driving a high‑performance People Services Team, to put into place a range of large‑scale initiatives that give our people the best experience in the NHS. They will have responsibility for the oversight and operational delivery of People Services (HR and Workforce) activities and will work closely with the Assistant Directors to deliver a comprehensive and complementary HR and Workforce offer ensuring we service the needs of clinical and non‑clinical departments across the organisation and work in partnership with our staff and staff representatives. The post holder will work in partnership with the Chief People Officer and the Director of Culture to build a high performing People Services Team that facilitates and enables UHDB to be a great place to work and for care. The postholder will be required to operate effectively and with credibility at Board level and across two Integrated Care Systems (ICS’s) and when required regionally and nationally.

Main duties of the job

• To create a first‑class Employee Relations service and climate that enables colleagues to perform at their best, supports the organisation to realise its full potential, and ensures people‑centred, harm‑free approaches to people management.
• Lead the development of short, medium and long‑term workforce plans, redesigning strategies and policies that introduce new ways of working so the Trust has the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, within financial parameters, to deliver the services required by our patients and population.
• Support the Trust in managing workforce costs by tracking spend and developing the reward and recognition framework to incentivise positive behaviours and high performance. Work with staff and staff representatives to secure value for money and best practice through optimising staff terms and conditions.
• Lead the Trust’s people resourcing approach, ensuring best‑in‑class recruitment practices are in place.
• Oversee the workforce systems optimisation programme to maximise interoperability and deliver exemplary data quality and reporting.
• Oversee delivery of the Staff Health and Wellbeing Strategy, ensuring evidence‑based and efficient approaches to staff health, safety and wellbeing, and ensuring colleagues are supported to attend work.
• Ensure inclusive behaviours are embedded across People Services so the team drives a compassionate and inclusive culture across UHDB.

Working for our organisation

As a trusted organisation at the heart of our communities, we recognise the important role we can play in supporting the public, patients, our own people and local partners in achieving the best of health for the local population and the communities in which they live by providing Exceptional Care Together. Our fundamental Values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence underpin how we intend to work as a Trust and the associated behaviours are becoming embedded in all aspects of how we work.

• Development opportunities, both professional and leadership development.
• On‑going support from recruitment to when you join our team and beyond.
• Staff benefits including employee assistance programme, discounted gym membership, onsite fitness classes, car schemes.

Key Facts:

• We see on average 4,810 OP appointments a day.
• We are the 4th busiest Trauma & Orthopaedic outpatients department in England – an average of 2,077 per week.
• An average of 1,115 patients are seen in A&Es across our network every day – 3rd largest in the country.
• Our hospitals admit an average of 195 emergency patients daily.
• Last year we undertook almost 33,700 planned surgical operations in our 57 operating theatres.
• We are one of only 7 Trusts nationally with more than 50 operating theatres.
• We carry out more than 140 elective procedures each working day.
• UHDB is a research active University Hospital with a large and varied portfolio of clinical trials and research opportunities for all staff.

Closing date: 15 February 2026. Interview date: TBC.

Further details / informal visits contact

Contact Amanda Rawlings, Executive Chief People Officer.

Email: [e-mail]

Telephone: [phone]

For a confidential conversation with Amanda Rawlings (Executive Chief People Officer) regarding this opportunity, please contact Executive Assistant Helen Thompson via email at [e-mail].

Supporting Documents for Director of People Services

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust is fully committed to promoting inclusion, equality, diversity and human rights in employment and delivery of its services. The Trust is committed to providing an environment where all employees, patients, carers and visitors experience equality of opportunity by means of understanding and appreciating the value of diversity. As a Trust we promote an inclusive environment and welcome applications from a diverse pool of talent and backgrounds. All individuals are valued and given every opportunity to succeed based on merit. The Trust actively encourages applications from members of our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. These groups are under‑represented in our organisation, and it’s important to us that our workforce reflects the diversity of our communities as much as possible.

Armed Forces and Disability Confident guaranteed interview scheme: To further support the pledges in the Armed Forces Covenant and to make a positive contribution to support ex‑armed forces personnel (veterans) make the transition to civilian life, the Trust has introduced a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for veterans who meets the essential criteria set out in the person specification, to help them overcome barriers to find civilian employment. The scheme will operate for all external recruitment.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to both employing and retaining people with disabilities. This commitment is to guarantee an interview for any candidate that has disclosed a disability under the Equality Act 2010 and who meets the essential criteria set out in the person specification. Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 will be considered upon request.

If you are blind or visually impaired and require application material in an alternative format – such as Braille, large print, audio or accessible electronic formats or you require support / adjustments with your application please contact the recruitment team on 01332 788466.

Join us and help make a real difference to our Trust.