Director of People Services

NHS; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in the East Midlands is seeking a Director of People Services to oversee HR operations and drive improvements in staff experience. This senior role requires extensive expertise in managing employee relations and workforce planning in a complex environment. The director will ensure the organization has the right talents in place and promote a healthy workplace culture. Ideal candidates will have a CIPD qualification and a successful HR leadership track record.

Benefits

Development opportunities

Employee assistance programme

Discounted gym membership

On-site fitness classes

Qualifications

• Experience of building a positive approach to managing employee relations.
• Successful track record in a senior HR role in a complex unionised environment.
• Evidence of success in workforce planning and pay improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of workforce plans and policies.
• Support Trust in managing workforce costs and performance recognition.
• Oversee delivery of the Staff Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

Skills

Positive approach to managing employee relations

Successful track record in Human Resources

Workforce planning within complex organizations

Evidence of resource optimization

Education

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)

Job description

Director of People Services

Closing date: 15 February 2026

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.

Interview date: TBC

About us

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.

In return we will offer:

• 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.

Job responsibilities

Please see attached Job description and Person Specification. To apply please click APPLY FOR THIS JOB this link will take you to the TRAC Recruitment Site. You will need to register if you do not already have an account.

Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click on the link to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship. Impacts of the changes to the UK immigration policy | NHS Employers

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)

Experience

• Experience of building a positive approach to managing employee relations

Skills and Ability

• Successful track record in a senior role in Human Resources role in a complex unionised environment
• Evidence of success in workforce planning within a large and complex organisation, including optimisation of resources and pay improvement in the public or commercial sector

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.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust