Interim Chief People Officer

NHS Professionals

14h • Hybrid

About The Position

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Chief People Officer to join our Executive Team. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, you will lead our people strategy and help shape the future of our organisation. This is a key leadership role where you will influence business decisions, strengthen organisational performance, and create an environment where our people can thrive. As our Chief People Officer, you will lead the development of a modern people function that supports both our corporate workforce and the flexible workforce solutions we provide. You will play a central role in helping us build a high-performing, inclusive organisation that is ready for the future.

Requirements

• Be a Chartered Member of the CIPD or have equivalent senior leadership experience
• Have significant experience leading a People or HR function at executive level
• Demonstrate success in delivering large-scale organisational change programmes
• Have strong knowledge of organisational design and workforce planning
• Understand reward, performance and talent strategies
• Have strong knowledge of UK employment law and employee relations
• Build strong relationships with senior leaders and key stakeholders
• Communicate clearly and influence at Board level
• Use workforce data to support decision-making and performance improvement
• Lead with credibility, integrity and a people-focused approach
• Champion an inclusive culture where people can perform at their best
• Be a CIPD member with evidence of continued professional development
• Hold a degree in HR, business, or have equivalent experience
• Have significant senior-level HR / People leadership experience
• Experience leading organisational change
• Experience leading TUPE transfers
• Experience leading workforce planning
• Experience leading organisational design
• Strong knowledge of Employment law
• Strong knowledge of Employee relations
• Strong knowledge of EDI
• Strong knowledge of NHS or public sector workforce frameworks
• Experience developing and delivering people strategies that improve performance
• Ability to build strong relationships and influence at Executive and Board level
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• A strong track record of leading teams and delivering change
• Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

Nice To Haves

• Experience working within the NHS or wider public sector
• Executive coaching or leadership development experience
• Knowledge of Freedom to Speak Up or whistleblowing frameworks
• Experience working with senior government or healthcare stakeholders

Responsibilities

• Lead the organisation's People strategy and align it to business priorities
• Work closely with the Board, Chief Executive and Executive Team as a trusted strategic partner
• Lead organisational design and workforce planning to support long-term success
• Build reward and performance frameworks that attract and retain talent
• Strengthen leadership capability across the organisation
• Develop talent pipelines and future workforce capability
• Lead employee relations and maintain positive trade union partnerships
• Ensure employment law compliance across all people services
• Use data and insight to improve workforce performance and employee experience
• Champion inclusion, wellbeing and a positive workplace culture

Benefits

• Generous annual leave allowance with the ability to buy and sell - 27 days per year, plus bank holidays
• A commitment to talent management & development
• Values Star of the Month! - Our star of the month award enables you to recognise colleagues or teams that have gone the extra mile and they could win £100 worth of shopping vouchers
• Pension – We’ll contribute up to 10% towards your pension if you join our stakeholder pension scheme
• Life Assurance
• Group Income Protection
• Wellbeing Programme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee Engagement & discounts platform

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive