Job overview
If you enjoy leading fast paced strategic change and have a dynamic approach, with great organisation skills and attention to detail this could be the role for you.
The People team at Dartford and Gravesham are introducing this role to provide leadership for 4 crucial areas of activity which are Workforce Information and Planning, Rostering and Non Medical Job Planning, Medical Workforce services and Recruitment and temporary staffing for all professional groups.
The role requires generalist knowledge across all of these priorities and more, as our key stakeholders often have complex or nuanced needs so the ability to support our colleagues to identify employment or legal risks to the Trust and engage with other colleagues for appropriate support is also crucial to success.
The successful applicant will be a highly organised leader, supporting and guiding a leadership and operational team to implement workforce efficiency and control programmes (with targets in the £millions), prepare for and implement the Future Workforce Solution, introduce Job planning to non-ward based clinical staff, continue to improve the quality and effectiveness of our Medical Job Planning, appraisal and revalidation and ensure our Recruitment and temporary staffing services deliver to the high standards set.
This position will not be supported for visa sponsorship. All applicants are expected to have valid right to work document to work in the UK when applying for this position.
Main duties of the job
This role has responsibilities external to the Trust, working closely with colleagues across the Kent and Medway region to explore efficiencies and prepare for the future provision of People services for Kent and Medway Trusts. This is set out in the National People Target Operating model and the Kent and Medway Target Operating model. The role also engages regionally (South East) and oversees the timely provision of national reporting and plans such as annual workforce plans and monthly reporting.
We are looking for an individual with established leadership skills in these priority areas or someone who is able to elevate their leadership and knowledge at pace to deliver on these key time critical strategic priorities at Trust, regional and national level.
We very much look forward to receiving your application if you think you can lead our teams to further success.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Specific Responsibilities
To be the strategic lead for the operational HR services, overseeing the development and implementation of workforce service level agreements and KPI’s across all operational services.
Ensure that all Operational HR Services provide a consistently high quality service to the Trust, which delivers compliance to all statutory obligations and NHS reporting requirements including; provision of monthly workforce returns, rostering effectiveness, robust employment checks, validation and monitoring of professional registration, checking and monitoring of Right to Work status; management and processing of the Disclosure & Barring Service checks.
Work with the People Senior Leadership Team to develop a prioritised plan (based on business value and impact) for the improvement of People processes, policies, systems and contact channels.
Ensure that the trust is developing efficiencies through the use of technology (in particular rostering effectiveness and early adoption of the Future Workforce solution), streamlining and collaborative working.
Lead, define and deliver improvement initiatives and change projects to enhance service performance and employee experience, which deliver measurable improvement and transition to the implementation of the People Target Operating model for Kent and Medway.
Lead on designated trust-wide People projects as and when required; ensuring that benefits are realised, changes are embedded and sustainable and that continuous improvement is ongoing; reporting activity and outcomes to the Workforce Efficiency Steering Group, Trust Leadership Team and Financial Improvement Oversight Group as required.
Participate in the annual strategic business and workforce planning cycle within the Trust, attending the business planning steering and operational groups, co-ordinating and inputting in to the production of guidance, planning and other required documentation to support preparation of plans, articulate confirmed plans and the priorities to deliver these. Support and co-ordinate with People Heads of Service, HR Business Partners, Deputy Chief People Officer, Division leadership and Corporate peers throughout the process.
Senior Operational lead for ensuring monitoring and reporting on progress with delivery of workforce plans and programme management of initiatives to support workforce efficiencies such as controls and reductions for temporary staffing.
Support the Head of Rostering and Non-Medical Job planning to deliver the Trust priority for highly effective rostering for all professional groups; with an emphasis on improvements to availability, net hours and approval lead times to support the Trust to reduce demand for temporary staffing usage.
Support the Head of Rostering and Non-Medical Job Planning with the planning and implementation of Job planning for all non-ward based clinical colleagues; to further improve Trust effective planning and alignment of clinical time to activity and demand.
Please see attached job description for further information.
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience of managing operational HR teams
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Excellent knowledge and understanding of HR / personnel systems.
- Knowledge of Workforce planning approaches and methodologies
- An understanding of the NHS modernisation agenda and demonstrable ability to manage change.
- Knowledge of Recruitment and KPIs
- Knowledge of Rostering systems and their functionality.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to work on own initiative as well as plan and organise own and team’s workload.
- Ability to analyse problems and obstacles and identify potential solutions, using tact and diplomacy at all times.
- Ability to use Word, Excel, Access, ESR and HR databases to an advanced level.
- Ability to effectively manipulate large datasets.
- Ability to present Workforce information in an accessible manner, appropriate to the target audience.
Desirable
- An experienced user of ESR, Healthroster and Trac.
- Knowledge of employment law and demonstrable experience of interpreting and applying it
Education and Training
Essential
- Master’s degree or equivalent level experience.
- CIPD Level 7 qualification or equivalent HR experience.
- Evidence of relevant continuing professional development
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Head of HR Operations with Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust in Darent Valley Hospital. It is listed as a Band 8 role. The advertised salary is £68,852 - £79,638 per annum inclusive of allowances. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 03 Sep 2026.
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