Lead - Resident Doctors

NHS; Worthing; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare foundation trust in Worthing is seeking a Senior HR professional to support Resident Doctors by providing expert HR advice, managing complex cases, and driving improvements in staff engagement. The ideal candidate will possess significant experience in HR Business Partnering and a Master's degree in a related field. A proactive approach to improving workforce metrics and contributions to wellbeing initiatives is essential.

Benefits

Flexibility in working arrangements

Wellbeing programme

Learning and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Significant HR Business Partnering and Employee Relations experience addressing NHS workforce issues.
• Experience advising in MHPS casework.
• Experience dealing with complex investigations, hearings, and organisational change.

Responsibilities

• Provide first-line advice on sickness absence management for Resident Doctors.
• Lead professional senior HR support to improve GMC survey results.
• Design and deliver HR training to improve manager awareness.

Skills

Employee Relations

HR Business Partnering

Medical staffing knowledge

Complex investigations

Education

Master’s degree in HR-related subject

Job description

Job summary

Are you a senior HR professional with experience in complex employee relations and a passion for supporting medical staff? Do you thrive in dynamic environments and have the drive to improve staff experience, engagement, and wellbeing?

We’re looking for an outstanding senior HR professional with strong employee relations and knowledge of medical terms and conditions to join our Employee Relations team and lead on delivering a high-quality, proactive HR service for our Resident Doctors.

In this key role, you’ll work closely with clinical leaders, medical education teams, and medical workforce colleagues to provide expert advice on a wide range of people issues. You’ll support doctors in difficulty, manage highly sensitive sickness absence cases, support complex MHPS investigations and Employment Tribunals, and ensure our medical workforce is well-supported, engaged, and aligned with Trust values.

You’ll play a leading role in driving improvements in staff engagement and workforce metrics, contribute to wellbeing initiatives for this staff group, and support the ongoing development of HR policy and training across the Trust. This is an opportunity to shape a progressive, people-focused approach to medical workforce support with real impact on staff and patient care.

Main duties of the job

This newly created role provides first-line HR advice to clinical leaders on sickness absence cases involving Resident Doctors, supports Doctors in Difficulty, and Maintaining High Professional Standards processes and Employment Tribunals. Working with Medical Education and Medical Workforce teams, the role focuses on improving staff engagement and workforce metrics, helping to build a well-supported, high-performing medical workforce. The postholder will manage complex case work.

About us

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSx) values diversity and inclusion and is committed to putting patients first. We offer staff networks, buddy support for new members, and are a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust. We support learning and development, flexible working where possible, and a wellbeing programme to help staff balance work and life commitments.

As a university trust and leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training. We aim to help you grow and develop throughout your career and hope you will have a long, rewarding experience with us.

Candidate information pack and further details are available with the application.

Details

Date posted: 18 September 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for Change

Band: Band 8a

Salary: £55,690 to £62,682 per year, pro rata

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 279-7405281-SEP25

Job locations: Worthing, BN11 2DH

Job responsibilities

1. Ensure that doctors, managers, and medical leaders have access to high quality HR advice for Resident Doctors and that customer experience, innovation and improvement are core components of their work.
2. Work with Directors of Medical Education, Clinical Tutors and Medical Education Managers to provide education and training of doctors, leading on the management of all doctors in difficulty matters for Resident Doctors.
3. Provide first-line advice on sickness absence management for Resident Doctors, including highly complex/sensitive cases, through guidance and coaching.
4. Lead professional senior HR support and coaching to improve GMC survey results, staff engagement, and workforce metrics for Resident Doctors, enhancing patient care and efficiencies.
5. Support the Guardian of Safe Working in implementing remedial actions and understand the aims and principles of their role.
6. Lead and manage the Trust’s Nurse Fellows and, with the Health, Wellbeing and Engagement Manager, be responsible for Health and Wellbeing provision for Resident Doctors.
7. Lead on HR projects to enable workforce initiatives, maintain up-to-date knowledge of NHS employment legislation, and adopt good practices.
8. Design and deliver HR training to improve manager awareness and capability and to support HR initiative roll-out.
9. Contribute to the formulation and implementation of HR policies and procedures; research and write HR policies and toolkits/guidance/SOPs as required.
10. Manage a personal caseload of complex cases and Employment Tribunals, leading on the most difficult cases to achieve corporate aims and objectives.

This role is eligible for sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration Skilled Worker route, subject to meeting UKVI requirements including skill and salary thresholds and role-specific criteria.

Person Specification

Essential

• Educated to a Master’s or equivalent level in an HR-related subject
• Significant HR Business Partnering and Employee Relations experience addressing NHS workforce issues
• Experience advising in MHPS casework
• Medical staffing experience, including knowledge of all Medical and Dental Terms and Conditions
• Experience dealing with complex investigations, hearings, and organisational change

Desirable

• Current experience and knowledge of issues affecting Resident Doctors in the NHS

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Essential

• Evidence of developing understanding of equalities issues
• Evidence of championing diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to the role)

Other information

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check: This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and a DBS submission will be required.

Certificate of Sponsorship: Applications from job seekers who require Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome and will be considered alongside all applications. For further information see the UK Visas and Immigration website. Guidance on overseas criminal records checks is available as part of the application process.

Employer details

Employer name: University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

Address: NHS Jobs, Worthing, BN11 2DH

Employer’s website: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/