Strategic People Partner/ Business Partner

Devon Partnership NHS Trust; Exeter; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust seeks a Strategic People Partner to support HR initiatives within Exeter. The role encompasses workforce strategy development, organisational design, and fostering talent within a dynamic team. Ideal candidates possess a Master's degree and significant experience in HR management, with responsibilities extending across complex employment issues and strategic workforce planning.

Qualifications

• Masters degree or equivalent experience required.
• Postgraduate diploma in HRM or equivalent qualification essential.
• Chartered CIPD Membership preferred.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for HR and OD advice for workforce strategies.
• Advise on plans for organisational change and employee engagement.
• Develop workforce plans and support talent management.

Skills

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Strategic influencing and negotiating skills

Problem solving ability

Education

Masters degree

Postgraduate diploma in HRM

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Strategic People Partner/ Business Partner

Location: Exeter, EX2 5AF
Salary: £53755.00 to £60504.00
Date posted: 23rd May 2025
Closing date: 22nd June 2025

We are looking for a Strategic People Partner/ Business Partner with the enthusiasm and ambition to matchours. This role is a member of our forward thinking and ambitious People Services Leadership Team and joins a strong and diverse group of People Partners.

In the role of a Strategic People Partner/ Business Partner you will be responsible for the development and delivery of professional and highlyspecialised workforce (both HR & OD) advice within a designated Directorateand to contribute to the workforce strategy for that area, whilst ensuring it aligns with Trust-wide workforce strategies and plans.

You will understand the business strategy of the service area you work with and to be an integrated member of the Senior DirectorateLeadership Team, acting as a catalyst for people change and improvements insupport of our Organisational objectives.

This role is available on a full-time basis with a mixed model of home and on-site working.

Interviews are planned to take place on Monday 7 July.

Please ensure you read the JobDescription and Person Specification for full details of this role by clickingon the attachment above.

Main duties of the job

In this role you will be an expert in workforce planning, organisational design and change management, resourcing, learning and development and staff engagement and experience initiatives.

About us

We provide mental health & learning disability services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

Our values

We not only recruit employees based on their qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess and demonstrate the behaviours which underpin the core values of our organisation. These values include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health & learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Job responsibilities

Our Strategic People/ Business Partners are responsible for the development and delivery ofprofessional and highly specialised workforce (both HR & Organisational Development)advice and to contribute to the workforce business plans/ strategy for theirarea.

Their role is a critical friend and mentor to the DirectorateSenior Leadership Team.

Being successful in this role you will:

Be responsible for the development and delivery ofprofessional and highly specialised workforce (both HR & OD) advice withina designated Directorate and to contribute to the workforce strategy for that area, whilst ensuring it aligns with Trust-wide workforce strategies and plans.

Support the development of workforce plansfor each Department/ Directorate including resourcing plans anddevelopment plans.

Advise on plans to deliver improvement programmes through changes to the organisation of work, introductionof new roles and new processes (organisational design).

Advise Directorates/ Departments on approaches to organisational development and employee engagement. This will include the development of plans to enhance staff experience (with analysis of staff survey results), culture, attitudes and values.

Support talent management within the Directorate.

Use workforce information, specifically keyworkforce indicators, to identify areas for improvement (e.g. turnover rates, health and wellbeing indicators, vacancyrates, supervision and career conversation rates) and propose solutions.

Brief leadership teams onchanges to employment policy, procedures and practice within the Trust.

Being a member of the People Services Department and play a keyrole in supporting the review and development of people policies, procedures,tools, training and quality improvement systems.

Please refer to the attached Job Description for further informaiton.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Masters degree or knowledge and expertise gained through in-depth experience to masters degree level equivalent.
• Postgraduate diploma in HRM or equivalent relevant professional qualification.
• Evidence of employment law updates and various other training courses an up-to-date knowledge of HR practices and evidence to continuous personal and professional development in current role.
• Chartered CIPD Membership.
• Workforce Planning methodology.

Skills and Abilities

• Able to foster powerful and productive collaborative working relationships internally and externally
• Excellent written and oral communication skills for a variety of formal and informal purposes
• Able to articulate a vision with clarity
• Exceptional interpersonal skills to be able to coordinate the delivery of effective HR support
• Strong strategic influencing and negotiating skills on complex and sensitive issues
• Politically astute, sensitive, tactful and diplomatic
• Proven ability to effectively manage a range of situations that may evoke a strong emotional reaction.
• Confidence in making presentations and public speaking
• Ability to think strategically
• Ability to analyse and understand business, financial and workforce data
• Use initiative and analysis of data to inform decision-making
• Ability to explore, evaluate and interpret information and options and make decisions and recommendations based on an analysis of options
• To be confident in making difficult strategic decisions and influencing others as appropriate
• Strong problem solving ability, seeking out and exploiting opportunities and innovations
• Ability to work with unpredictable situations and under pressure and to tight deadline.
• Able to manage own workload.
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel
• Team player, flexible and responsive to the needs of colleagues
• Proactive, energetic and enthusiastic; able to inspire and motivate others
• Self-motivated, confident; understands and manages own emotions under stress
• Proactive, versatile and problem solving approach.
• Able to seek and exploit opportunities to advance objectives
• Robust and persistent in pursuit of organisational objectives, has strong drive for improving performance
• Ability to travel between numerous sites to perform duties.

Experience

• Significant and specialist workforce experience in a role providing support to senior management staff in a demanding environment, working with managers to deliver high quality People Services.
• Significant experience of facilitating and managing change.
• Experience in reviewing, producing and implementing HR policies and procedures.
• Experience of HR management and change implementation in a unionised environment.
• Experience of Trade Union consultation and negotiation.
• Experience of training design, delivery and evaluation.
• Experience of working in the NHS.

Knowledge

• Expert level of knowledge in strategic workforce issues, including legislation, NHS policy, and best practice.
• Up to date knowledge of key issues in human resources and in local, regional and national networks and issues outside the organisation and how these impact on the Trust.
• Significant knowledge of UK employment legislation case law and good HR practice in order to deal with complex employee relations issues.
• Understanding of Confidentiality & Data Protection Act.
• Detailed understanding of the principles of change management and able to demonstrate a successful track record of major organisational change.
• Understanding of job evaluation methodology.
• Understanding of NHS workforce strategy.
• Knowledge of business planning, project management and risk management, and how those processes might be applied to organisational change.

Head of Strategic Workforce Business Partnering