Head of Medical Workforce

Nhs-1; Kendal; On-site; GBP 67,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Head of Medical Workforce (NHS AfC Band 8b) at Westmorland General Hospital in Kendal. You will lead Medical and Dental staff, advise on terms and conditions, and drive recruitment, retention and workforce transformation.

You will work across the Trust to deliver leadership development, improve patient and staff experience, and support the People Strategy with strong collaboration with executives and training partners.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent postgraduate level ability and experience.
• Appropriate professional and leadership qualification.
• Evidence of continuous professional development including leadership development.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership with portfolio responsibilities.
• Advise on recruitment, retention and attraction of medical staff.
• Deliver high quality specialist advice on medical and dental staff terms and conditions.
• Support development of People Strategy and transformation programmes.
• Collaborate with local health partners to deliver integrated health and care services.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Strategic planning

Coaching & mentoring

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Problem solving

Project management

IT literacy

Education

Master’s degree

Leadership qualification

CIPD Member or Fellow

Tools

e-Rostering

e-Job Plan systems

Allocate rostering system

Job description

Employer University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Westmorland General Hospital Town Kendal Cumbria Salary £66,582 - £77,368 Per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 22/09/2026 23:59

Head of Medical Workforce

NHS AfC: Band 8b

''Creating a great place to be cared for and a great place to work''

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay has a firm commitment to strengthening the diversity of our workforce, and therefore welcome and encourage applications from likeminded people who can support our ambition to become effortlessly inclusive. We are particularly keen to hear from protected groups – including BAME, LGBT+ and people with a disability.

Job overview

The Head of Medical Workforce will be a visible, inclusive and collaborative leader, ensuring the delivery of the Trust’s vision to providethehighestpossiblestandardsofcompassionatecare;the very best patient and colleague experience; and to listen to and involve patients, employees and carers.

They will provide leadership and senior advice in all matters relatingtoMedicalandDental staff and be responsiblefortheprovision of high-quality specialist advice and guidance on Medical and Dental Terms and conditions, Recruitment, Attraction and Retention, the engagement and management of bank and agency workers.

They will work with the Head of Operational People Services to support the Deputy CPO,ensuringtheTrustdeliversits People Strategy by building leadership capability to meet the Trust’s objectives, enabling theteams to delivery of continual improvements in quality, outcomes and service experience for patients, colleagues and citizens. Theywill work at an autonomous seniorlevel withinPeople Services andwillworkacrosstheDivisionsto provide high quality, customer focused advice, guidance and support.They will be expected to work with a range of stakeholders from executives to Resident doctors in training.

They will support the development of Morecambe Bay Integrated CarePartnership,LancashireandSouthCumbriaIntegratedCare Board, leading designated Medical and Dental programmes of work across organisational boundaries.

Main duties of the job

To support the development of the People Strategy, including the associated Cultural and Financial transformation programmes, to ensure that UHMB is a great place to work and has a motivated, engaged and supported workforce to deliver corporate objectives and aspirations.

To provide strategic and operational leadership with portfolio responsibilities, building and maintaining a shared vision of the strategic aims, values and culture of UHMB and establishing clear objectives and priorities to deliver these.

To provide informal coaching and mentoring to senior leaders on their people management approach, developing their capability to effectively address people management issues and deliver required service and cultural change

To work proactively and collaboratively with local health and care system partners in the development and delivery of the local medical and dental bank and rate card for additional work, to deliver more integrated, sustainable, localised health and care services across the geographical area.

Working with the CMO, Medical Education, People Services and OD to develop programmes that are in support of strengthened medical leadership at UHMB.

Providing high quality specialist advice and guidance to the central resourcing team on recruitment, retention and attraction of medical and dental staff.

Working in partnership with the Head of People Performance, Governance and Place to ensure best practice is always adhered to.

Working for our organisation

We operatefrom three main hospitals-Furness General Hospital (FGH) in Barrow, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI), and Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) in Kendal, as well as a number of community healthcare premises including Millom Hospital and GP Practice, Queen Victoria Hospital in Morecambe, andUlverstonCommunity Health Centre.

FGH and the RLI have a range of General Hospital services, with full Emergency Departments, Critical/Coronary Care units and various Consultant-led services.

WGH provides a range of General Hospital services, together with an Urgent Treatment Centre, that can help with a range of non-life threatening conditions such as broken bones and minor illnesses.

All three main hospitals provide a range of planned care including outpatients, diagnostics, therapies,daycase and inpatient surgery. In addition, a range of local outreach services and diagnostics are provided from community facilities across Morecambe Bay.

Our Community Service for adults are provided in people's homes ,community centres, clinics, GP Practices, community hospitals. Our aim is to work with people to help them remain independent , improve their health and manage their conditions through high quality care , advice and support.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• TosupportthedevelopmentofthePeopleStrategy,includingtheassociatedCultural and Financial transformationprogrammes, to ensure that UHMB is a greatplace to work and has a motivated, engaged and supported workforce to deliver corporate objectives and aspirations.
• To provide strategic and operational leadership with portfolio responsibilities, building and maintainingasharedvisionof thestrategicaims,valuesandcultureofUHMBandestablishing clear objectives and priorities to deliver these.
• To provideinformal coaching and mentoring to seniorleaderson their people management approach,developingtheircapabilitytoeffectively addresspeoplemanagementissuesand deliver required service and cultural change.
• To work proactively and collaboratively with local health and care system partners in the developmentanddeliveryofthelocal medicalanddental bankandratecardforadditional work, to deliver more integrated, sustainable, localised health and care services across the geographical area.
• WorkingwiththeCMO,Medical Education,People ServicesandODtodevelop programmes that are in support of strengthened medical leadership at UHMB.
• Providing high quality specialist advice and guidance to the central resourcing team on recruitment,retentionandattractionofmedical anddentalstaff.
• Workinginpartnershipwith the Head of People Performance, Governance and Place to ensure best practice is always adhered to.
• Advising on national and international recruitment.Responsiblefor reviewing and agreeing salary offers on appointment.

Person specification

Qualification

• Master’s degree (or equivalent postgraduate level ability and experience)
• Appropriate professional and leadership qualification
• Evidence of continuous professional development including leadership development
• Member of the CIPD
• Fellow of the CIPD
• Membership of NAMPS

Knowledge & Skills

• Ability to manage complex projects within, and across, organisational boundaries
• Fully competent in the use of e-Rostering, e-Job Plan systems and software (Allocate or other system providers)
• Good organisational, communication and time-management skills
• Ability to work on own initiative, organising and prioritising own workload to set deadlines.
• Ability to adapt leadership style to circumstances to get best results out of others
• Ability to creatively apply knowledge to resolving complex issues
• Detailed understanding of workforce opportunities and challenges facing Morecambe Bay
• Broad knowledge of best-practice approaches to people management
• Developed knowledge of employee relations and up-to-date employment law
• In depth, specialist knowledge of Medical and Dental TCS
• Ability to manage complex projects within, and across, organisational boundaries
• Good organisational, communication and time-management skills
• Ability to work on own initiative, organising and prioritising own workload to set deadlines.
• Ability to adapt leadership style to circumstances to get best results out of others
• Ability to creatively apply knowledge to resolving complex issues
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of 10-Year NHS Health Plan

Experience

• Experience in leading Medical Staffing / Workforce teams and providing high-level support to leadership teams on Medical and Dental employment Issues
• Demonstrating experience of managing and resolving complex employee relations issues (MHPS)
• Specialist Knowledge and understanding of Medical and Dental Terms and Conditions
• Specialist knowledge on service level planning which includes job planning and rostering of Medical and Dental Staff
• Evidence of adopting problem solving approaches to complex issues and situations
• Evidence of working in a unionised environment and liaising with the BMA etc.
• Evidence of adopting problem-solving approaches to complex issues and situations
• Exposure to Employment Tribunal preparation – ability to demonstrate learning
• Involvement in the delivery of service improvements (ideally using recognised improvement methodology or OD framework)
• Evidence of budget administration

Personal Attributes

• Positive approach to change and to learning new skills
• Excellent oral & written communications skills
• Well organised and ability to work under pressure
• The ability to analyse and interpret data
• Competent user of IT
• The ability to work to tight deadlines
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to build good working relationships with individuals at all levels
• Good understanding of the NHS agenda and national challenges
• The ability to judge situations, make decisions and apply appropriate solutions
• Able to adapt to the needs of a diverse environment
• Passion for a just, learning and fair culture

Other

• Ability to travel as required
• Flexible approach to work
• Demonstrate a commitment to always respecting and displaying the Trust’s values

PLEASE NOTE THAT SHORTLISTED APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED BY EMAIL.

The Trust promotes flexible working opportunities where ever possible to enable staff to balance their work and home life. We are committed to Equal Opportunities and aim to be EffortlesslyInclusive .

The trust operates a No Smoking Policy.

Only those applicants who demonstrate clearly how they meet our Person Specification will be shortlisted for Interview.

We reserve the right to close a job advert early where sufficient applications have been received.

The Trust does not offer interview expenses to shortlisted candidates unless indicated in the advert

If the post is subject to Disclosure & Barring Service checking, (formally CRB) a charge of £49.50 for Enhanced and £21.50 for Standard clearance and additional to this a £4.90 administration fee will be made to the successful candidate(s). This currently only applies to roles Band 6 and above and Medical & Dental posts.

Anyone newly appointed to the trust under the Agenda For Change contract, will be subject to the completion of a satisfactory 6 month probationary period. This will give the new staff member an opportunity to become familiar with the role and working environment.

We have introduced a new system called Pre-Onboarding, specifically to support you right the way through to your first few months in your new role with us atUHMB. This bespoke site has lots of useful information to help you settle into your new roleincluding: what to expect from the recruitment clearances process, where to get a uniform, when you'll get paid etc. As well as information on a number of our services i.e. Infection Prevention, Anti-fraud, Inclusion and Diversity, Care Certificates and much more.