Senior People and Culture Lead (12-month Maternity Cover)

NHS; Salisbury; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organisation is seeking a Senior People & Culture Lead in Salisbury for a 12-month maternity cover. The ideal candidate will work closely with Regional Directors, developing and delivering people strategies that enhance performance and culture. Responsibilities include coaching, building leadership capabilities, and using people data to influence outcomes. This role offers a salary range of £55,000 – £60,000 per year, alongside benefits such as private medical insurance and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Group pension

Private medical insurance

Discounts on everyday purchases

Emergency wage access

Wellbeing support

Continuing professional development

Qualifications

• Proven track record as a Senior HR Business Partner or OD leader.
• Strong knowledge of employment legislation and workforce planning.
• Comfortable with national travel and visible across services.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships as a strategic partner to Regional Directors.
• Develop tailored people plans aligned to organisational strategy.
• Coach managers to strengthen leadership capabilities.

Skills

Strategic partnership

Organisational change management

Leadership capability development

Data-driven decision-making

Effective communication

Education

CIPD Level 7 qualified or equivalent

Job description

Job Summary

HCRG Care Group is seeking a Senior People & Culture Lead to join our team for a 12‑month maternity cover. The role is ideal for an experienced professional who thrives in complex environments, delivers immediate impact, and drives meaningful change while working closely with Regional Directors.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic partner to Regional Directors, building trusted relationships and ensuring people strategies directly support operational and service delivery goals.
• Develop and deliver tailored people plans for each region, aligned with organisational strategy, KPIs, and local priorities.
• Embed organisational change, ensuring recent transformation programmes are sustained, capability is built, and managers feel confident in leading new ways of working.
• Coach and support managers to strengthen leadership capability, particularly in areas such as absence management, performance management, and employee engagement.
• Create clear links between people data and business outcomes, helping leaders understand how areas such as absence, agency usage, and retention influence performance.

Qualifications

• Experienced Senior HR Business Partner / OD leader with a proven track record of partnering senior stakeholders to deliver people strategies that drive performance and culture.
• CIPD Level 7 qualified (or equivalent experience) with strong knowledge of employment legislation, organisational development, and workforce planning.
• Skilled in embedding change, ensuring changes are sustained through capability building, coaching, and cultural alignment.
• Highly confident in building manager and leadership capability, particularly around absence management, performance, engagement, and succession planning.
• Adept at using people data and insights to influence decision‑making, spot risks, and link people practices to service KPIs.
• Strong communicator and influencer, able to build trust quickly with Regional Directors and senior managers with diverse leadership styles.
• Comfortable with regular national travel and maintaining a visible presence across services.
• Commercially astute, balancing organisational goals, colleague wellbeing, and service user needs.
• Values‑driven leader championing inclusion, wellbeing, and engagement.
• Resilient and adaptable, thriving in a complex and changing environment.

Benefits

• £55,000 – £60,000 per year with group pension
• Private medical insurance with fast access to specialists and mental health support
• Access to My Reward Hub for discounts on everyday purchases
• Wages available as earned to help cover emergencies and avoid overdraft fees
• Wellbeing support including mental and physical health resources, legal, debt, and career coaching
• Access to eLearning, bespoke career pathways, and continuing professional development through The Learning Enterprise
• A culture that encourages ideas and innovation, backed by ring‑fenced funding
• High clinical and quality standards with most services holding good or outstanding ratings from the Care Quality Commission

Additional Information

Pay: £55,000 – £60,000 a year.

Contract: Fixed term, 12 months.

Working pattern: Full‑time.

Location: HCRG Care Group, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2PF.

Equal opportunities and disability‑confident employer committed to inclusive practices.

Recruitment

Applications are accepted online; if you are keen to join our team, please apply as soon as possible.