Service Director People - HR Business and People Relations

Job Overview

This is a place where you can ….Lead People. Shape Culture. Deliver Change.

We are seeking an experienced People Leader to join the People Leadership Team as Service Director People – HR Business Partnering and Employee Relations. Reporting directly to the Chief People Officer, you will play a critical leadership role, deputising for the Chief People Officer on operational HR matters and leading the delivery of strategic, professional and business-focused People services across the Trust.

This is a unique opportunity to influence workforce strategy, organisational transformation and employee experience at scale. You will lead our HR Business Partnering, People Relations, Medical Staffing and Corporate HR functions, ensuring delivery of high-quality, consistent and impactful people services that support our ambition to be a great place to work and deliver outstanding care.

Interview Date - Monday 3rd August 2026

Main duties of the job

You will:

• Provide strategic workforce leadership across the Trust, supporting major transformation, service redesign and organisational change initiatives
• Lead on complex employee relations matters, working in partnership with Trade Unions, senior clinicians and executives.
• Shape and deliver workforce strategies that improve performance, engagement, inclusion and organisational effectiveness.
• Oversee key operational People services including HR Business Partnering, People Relations, Medical Staffing and service level agreements across payroll, pensions, occupational health and employment legal services.
• Advise Executive Directors and senior leaders on complex workforce issues, risk and governance matters.
• Champion a compassionate, inclusive and high-performing culture aligned to our values.
  
  

About You

You will be a credible and influential senior People professional with substantial experience of leading large-scale HR services in a complex organisation. You will bring:

• Significant experience of strategic HR Business Partnering and Employee Relations leadership.

A track record of leading workforce transformation and organisational change.

Exceptional stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation skills.

Experience working with Trade Unions and managing highly complex workforce challenges.

Strong commercial, governance and workforce analytics capability.

A commitment to compassionate, inclusive and values-led leadership.

Working for our organisation

There's a place for you at CNWL, we are passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient's own home.

Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people. We're always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we're hoping to find our future leaders and we'll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.

With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more - whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• Consistent “Best Practice” People practices set in accordance with National NHS Workforce standards.
• Provide lead professional and strategic HR Business Partnering advice and manage and develop the Strategic Human Resources service providing direction and support to the Human Resources Business Partners and acting as a source of specialist knowledge on professional issues.
• Provide information and expert advice and support to Divisions across the organisation in order to facilitate the development and management of staff and the modernisation of services, ensuring that they are consistent with national Best Practice initiatives and legislation

Drive the delivery of the Trust Strategic Workforce Plan agreed local and national Human Resources, Workforce Planning and Workforce Development strategies.

Provide expert advice and support to the Chief People Officer on all People Management activity, take responsibility for implementing national and system level changes and strategies impacting the Trust workforce.

Provide guidance, leadership, training and coaching to develop skills and competencies of the People team to ensure the consistent delivery of a high-quality service through the provision of professional updates and information.

Evaluate and inform the Trust wide People team about the latest research and developments in employee relations, pay and conditions of service, employment law, workforce development and training.

To be the lead link with the Trust’s external parties such as solicitors/Acas/other legal representatives in relation to Employment Tribunal casework or other external legal challenges, representing the Trust with these forums as appropriate.

Develop, review and monitor appropriate performance monitoring and reporting arrangements in order to measure the quality and quantity of activity across the range of Services to the function operating under a service level agreement or contract.

Lead on specific Trust wide People strategic plans, ensuring the Trust has effective establishment control, management of key workforce metrics through the Business Partner score card, e.g. the reduction of turnover, sickness absence and ER casework and improvements relevant Equality and Inclusion initiatives Trust Wide and developing and implementing measures to support managers to meet these objectives.

Person specification

Qualifications And Professional Registration

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
• Postgraduate qualification at Master’s level, or equivalent senior-level professional experience

Chartered Member or Chartered Fellow of the CIPD (MCIPD/FCIPD), or demonstrable equivalent senior professional standing.

Evidence of substantial continuing professional development relevant to strategic People leadership.

Management or leadership qualification, or equivalent senior leadership experience.

Desirable criteria

• Project or programme management qualification, e.g. PRINCE2/MSP, or equivalent experience.
• Coaching, mediation or organisational development qualification.
  
  

Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant senior leadership experience within a large, complex organisation.
• Experience contributing to organisational strategy and translating strategic objectives into workforce delivery plans.
• Experience operating as a senior People leader and trusted adviser to Executive Directors, senior clinicians and senior operational leaders
• Experience presenting complex workforce matters to Board, Committee or Executive forums.
• Extensive experience leading a strategic HR Business Partnering function.
• Experience developing and implementing organisation-wide People strategies, frameworks and delivery plans.
• Experience supporting major operational services to improve workforce outcomes and organisational performance.
• Demonstrable success in influencing senior leaders through complex workforce challenges
• Extensive experience leading employee relations services within a highly unionised environment.
• Significant experience advising on highly complex employee relations matters involving legal, financial, reputational and organisational risk.
• Experience leading collective consultation and negotiation with recognised Trade Unions and professional bodies.
• Experience managing Employment Tribunal cases and working effectively with legal advisers.
• Experience developing HR policies, procedures and guidance in partnership with staff representatives.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Experience deputising for a People Director, Chief People Officer or equivalent senior role
  
  

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Expert knowledge of employment law and employee relations best practice.
• Expert knowledge of NHS Terms and Conditions of Service, Agenda for Change and relevant medical staffing frameworks.
• Expert knowledge of workforce policy development, consultation and governance arrangements.
• Advanced understanding of strategic workforce planning methodologies.
• Advanced understanding of organisational development, organisational culture and engagement principles.
• Advanced understanding of people analytics and evidence-based workforce decision making
• Understanding of NHS workforce policy, the NHS People Promise, NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and national workforce priorities.
• Detailed knowledge of equality legislation and workforce equality standards, including WRES and WDES.
• Knowledge of NHS governance, regulatory and assurance frameworks, including CQC requirements.
• Understanding of the NHS Leadership Framework and NHS Leadership Code.
  
  

Skills and Competencies

Essential criteria

• Communication and influencing Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Workforce analytics and insight Ability to interpret complex workforce data and translate findings into actionable recommendations. E AF/I
• Experience developing workforce dashboards, scorecards and performance reporting.
• Leadership and people management Ability to lead, coach and develop high-performing professional teams.
• Experience working collaboratively across organisational and professional boundaries.
  
  

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Essential criteria

• Equality, diversity and inclusion Demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging.
• Experience leading initiatives that improve workforce equality outcomes.
• Ability to use workforce equality data to identify and address inequalities.