Chief People Officer

Job overview

The North London NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a permanent, full‑time Chief People Officer to start as soon as possible. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive as an Executive member of the Trust Board, the postholder will lead delivery of the Trust’s People & Organisational Development Strategy. The role provides senior leadership across human resources, workforce and organisational development, equality, diversity and inclusion, and offers professional HR advice to the Board, Executive Team and wider organisation.

NLFT was established in November 2024 following the merger of Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust & Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust. From 1 April 2026, Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust will join NLFT through a planned acquisition.

We provide all-age acute and community mental health services across North London, alongside regional and national specialist services. This is a pivotal time for the organisation, and we are seeking an exceptional senior leader to shape and drive our people agenda.

Applications close Sunday 22 March. Shortlisted candidates will attend a Stakeholder Engagement Panel on Monday 13 April at St Pancras Hospital, with formal interviews on Tuesday 14 April at the same location, involving the Chief Executive, Trust Chair, an external stakeholder and a service user representative.

To speak with Jinjer Kandola, Chief Executive, please contact her Executive Assistant, Deborah Holmes, at [email protected].

Main duties of the job

Overall Responsibilities:

• Ensure relationships are developed with other NHS organisations, local authorities, Integrated Care Systems, and regulators •Ensure the Trust is represented at relevant meetings of national, regional, and local organisations and professional bodies as required •Provide advice and support to the Chief Executive, Chair and the Executive Directors on all matters relating to statutory and legislative requirements relating to their areas of expertise and areas of accountability •Practice visible, compassionate leadership across the Trust, in line with Trust Values •Participate in the Executive Director on-call rota

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Specific Responsibilities:

• Lead the further development and embedding of the Trust’s People and Organisational Development Strategy •Lead the Trust’s organisational development, embedding the ‘North London Way’ and the Trust’s Values in support of our Aims and objectives.
• Strengthen leadership at every level of the Trust, through the design and delivery of high quality leadership development programmes, and provision of advice and support to line managers, in support of positive culture change and innovation •Oversee the Trust’s training and development programmes for staff, ensuring that the requirements are routinely reviewed, and the Trust’s obligations are delivered and that compliance is appropriately reported to the Trust Board •Ensure the Trust has the strong and effective staff engagement ensuring the Trust is recognised as a model employer, with improving NHS Staff Survey results and other workforce indicators •Ensure that there is strong, active and co-ordinated action to support the health and wellbeing of our staff •Act as the Executive Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, managing the EDI Team, to continue to improve EDI across the Trust and improve performance against the NHS Workforce Race and Disability Equality Standards •Interpret and anticipate national, regional and local workforce policy to ensure the Trust’s People and Organisational Development Strategy, Policies and plans support the effective recruitment, retention, leadership and management of staff, in line with the national NHS People Plan •Lead the work across the Trust to develop and implement an annual workforce plan, to ensure an appropriately skilled and experienced workforce at all levels, and that we continue to reduce our reliance on bank and agency staffing •Work closely with other Executive Directors and Clinical Care Group leadership teams to ensure innovative staff recruitment and retention strategies, including new, flexible roles and ways of working, with workforce redesign at the heart of service redesign •Manage the relationship with the external recruitment shared service provider and other external contracts within the People and Organisational Development Directorate •Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of key performance indicators and provide workforce information and assurance to the Trust Board and Board Committees, and to Trust leaders, to facilitate improved individual, team and organisational performance •Ensure there is an effective appraisal and performance management framework for all employees, supporting the delivery of the Trust’s objectives •Ensure productive partnership working with staff representatives, trade unions and Staff Governors, involving them appropriately in strategic and operational planning and work co-operatively with them to enable the delivery of the Trust’s objectives