Job requirements
Essential
7 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Skills & Abilities
Ability to manage competing priorities.
- Skills & Abilities
Experience of successful leadership and organisational change.
- Skills & Abilities
Experience preparing and presenting Board papers.
- Knowledge and Experience
Educated to Master's degree level or equivalent experience in a relevant area.
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience of working at senior managerial level with Medical & Dental colleagues, ideally in an operational and highly unionised environment.
- Knowledge and Experience
Significant experience working with Medical & Dental workforce issues within the NHS.
- Knowledge and Experience
Thorough understanding of current strategic and operational medical workforce issues within the NHS.
Desirable
5 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Skills & Abilities
Advanced data analysis and workforce reporting skills.
- Skills & Abilities
Advanced negotiation and stakeholder management skills
- Knowledge and Experience
Qualification in project management or leadership (e.g., PRINCE2, MSP, NHS Leadership).
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience of conflict resolution and complex employee relations matters.
- Knowledge and Experience
Knowledge of medical education, training pathways and workforce transformation initiatives
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated leader to join Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust as our Head of Medical Workforce & Business (Band 8b).
Working directly with the Chief Medical Officer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering the Trust's medical workforce strategy, ensuring the effective recruitment, retention, development and management of our medical workforce. You will provide strategic leadership across workforce planning, medical education, business management, workforce transformation and organisational development initiatives.
This is a high-profile role requiring exceptional leadership, analytical and stakeholder management skills, with responsibility for leading the Medical Workforce Team, influencing senior leaders across the organisation, and supporting the delivery of high-quality, safe and person-centred care.
We are seeking an individual with substantial experience working at a senior level within healthcare, a strong understanding of NHS workforce challenges, and a proven track record of delivering strategic workforce initiatives and service improvement
Main duties of the job
- Lead the development and implementation of the Trust's medical workforce and recruitment strategies.
- Provide professional and operational leadership to the Medical Workforce Team, ensuring delivery of high-quality workforce services.
- Support the Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Medical Directors with medical workforce planning, job planning, appraisal and revalidation processes.
- Lead on medical workforce business cases, workforce transformation projects and organisational change initiatives.
- Develop workforce solutions that improve recruitment, retention, productivity and staff wellbeing whilst reducing reliance on temporary staffing.
- Monitor and analyse workforce performance metrics, identifying opportunities for improvement and supporting delivery of key organisational objectives.
- Prepare and present reports, business cases and board-level papers for senior leadership and governance forums.
- Lead the review and implementation of medical workforce policies, ensuring compliance with NHS standards, legislation and best practice.
- Build effective partnerships with clinical leaders, operational teams, universities, professional bodies and trade unions.
- Support the development of medical education, research and innovation initiatives to strengthen the Trust's reputation as a leading employer and training organisation.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading. The full person specification can be accessed under the ‘About You’ Section of the document.
WhatsApp job alerts
Get instant WhatsApp alerts for Band 8 Human resources manager roles in Northampton
Create your Job Clerk account first. We'll collect your alert preferences during onboarding and help you turn on WhatsApp notifications for matching healthcare roles.
Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Head of Medical Workforce with Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in Northampton, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Human resources manager role. The advertised salary is £66,582 - £77,368 pa pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 05 Nov 2026.
Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (19 Oct 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHSjob search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.
For more context, review related Job Clerk pages for the same profession, band or location where they exist, then use the application-support guides to tailor your statement and prepare for interview.