People Partner, Band 8a

Job overview

Join one of the South West’s largest employers and play a pivotal role in shaping workforce strategy, culture and performance to support outstanding patient care. With over 9,000 colleagues, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced and dynamic People Partner to join our People Services team.

This is an exciting opportunity for an established People professional who is passionate about strategic partnering, leading change and influencing senior leaders to create high-performing, inclusive and sustainable services. Working closely with Divisional Leadership Teams, you will provide expert people leadership and play a key role in delivering the Trust’s People Strategy.

We are looking for a CIPD master’s level qualified professional (or equivalent experience) with significant experience operating at a senior People/HR partnering level. You will bring deep expertise in workforce transformation, organisational change and complex employee relations, alongside strong analytical and influencing skills.

In return, we offer flexible and hybrid working opportunities, generous annual leave, NHS pension benefits, wellbeing initiatives, staff discounts, on-site nurseries and extensive development opportunities within a large and forward-thinking Trust. If you are motivated by making a real impact on staff experience, culture and organisational performance, we would love to hear from you.

Additional working pattern details: Hybrid

Main duties of the job

As a People Partner, you will operate as a strategic advisor to senior leaders, supporting the delivery of organisational and divisional priorities through the development and implementation of effective, forward-thinking people solutions.

Key responsibilities include:

Leading and shaping workforce strategies to support service delivery, workforce sustainability and organisational performance

Partnering and influencing senior leaders on complex workforce challenges, enabling informed decision-making

Leading organisational change programmes, including service redesign, restructures and transformation initiatives

Providing expert oversight and direction on complex and high-risk employee relations matters, including those involving senior staff

Using workforce data and insight to drive performance improvement, workforce planning and service development

Driving improvements in colleague experience, engagement, equality, diversity and inclusion

Contributing to financial planning and workforce efficiency, including supporting cost improvement programmes

Leading or contributing to Trust-wide people initiatives, policy development and continuous improvement activity

Providing leadership and direction to Deputy People Partners, supporting their development and ensuring delivery of a high-quality People service

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Strategic Workforce Leadership and Planning

- Lead and support divisional workforce planning, ensuring alignment with operational priorities and long-term service sustainability

- Translate workforce data, benchmarking (e.g. Model Hospital) and business intelligence into meaningful insight to identify strengths, risks and opportunities

- Develop and maintain robust workforce plans, aligning staffing models with quality, safety and performance metrics

- Support the identification and mitigation of workforce risks, ensuring clear actions are in place to address areas such as critical workforce shortages

- Drive succession planning and talent development activities to support workforce sustainability at all levels

- Work in partnership with resourcing teams to deliver proactive, innovative recruitment and retention solutions

- Promote effective use of apprenticeships and skills development to support future workforce needs

• Transformation and Organisational Change

- Lead and drive the design and delivery of organisational change programmes, including service redesign, restructures and system-wide transformation

- Provide expert advice on employment implications of change, including consultation, redeployment and contractual matters (e.g. TUPE)

- Support the development of integrated care pathways through collaborative working across the Integrated Care System

- Enable divisions to identify and deliver workforce-related efficiencies, assessing cost, benefit and risk

- Act as a visible advocate for change, supporting leaders to implement new ways of working that improve productivity and outcomes

• Employee Relations, Policy and Risk Management

- Lead and oversee the management of highly complex and high-risk employee relations matters, including those involving senior staff and medical workforce

- Ensure consistent application of employment law, Trust policies and best practice across all people matters

- Support leaders to manage workforce issues proactively, promoting early resolution and minimising escalation where appropriate

- Use workforce metrics to inform decision-making and link people risks to divisional risk registers with appropriate mitigation plans

- Contribute to the development, review and implementation of Trust-wide people policies and initiatives

- Lead on agreed specialist areas within the People function (e.g. job evaluation, governance, or strategic programmes)

• Resourcing, Pay and Reward

- Provide expert input into job evaluation processes, ensuring fairness, consistency and appropriate challenge

- Advise on complex pay and reward matters, including requests outside of national frameworks, with a solutions-focused approach

- Support the development of innovative reward and retention strategies within national terms and conditions

- Contribute to financial planning / cost improvement programmes of workforce expenditure, balancing financial sustainability with service needs

- Drive improvements in recruitment and retention outcomes, targeting areas of identified risk or concern

• Colleague Experience, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

- Lead and shape senior leadership decision-making to improve key workforce metrics such as appraisal, absence, mandatory training and retention

- Use staff survey and engagement data to develop targeted action plans that enhance colleague experience

- Triangulate workforce, engagement and patient experience data to identify priorities for improvement

- Lead initiatives to address bullying, harassment and workplace concerns, promoting a safe and respectful culture

- Champion equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring fair and equitable outcomes for all colleagues

- Contribute to delivery of the Trust’s EDI objectives and action plans

Professional Development, Education and Training

The post holder will demonstrate expert professional knowledge across the full range of people disciplines, applying specialist insight to provide high-quality, credible and pragmatic advice to senior leaders and managers. They will maintain up-to-date knowledge of employment law, NHS terms and conditions and emerging people practice, ensuring advice reflects best practice and supports organisational objectives.

The role will lead and contribute to the development of management capability through the design and delivery of targeted learning interventions, coaching and development activity that strengthens leadership effectiveness and improves people management practice. The post holder will take personal accountability for continuous professional development and actively contribute to the ongoing evolution of the People function.

Leadership and Management

The post holder will operate as a strategic People Partner, working in close partnership with senior leaders to deliver the Trust’s People Strategy and drive improvements in workforce performance, culture and colleague experience. They will provide visible, credible leadership on complex workforce issues, including organisational change and high-risk employee relations matters, influencing decision-making at a senior level.

The role will provide direct leadership and management to Deputy People Partners, ensuring effective supervision, professional development and delivery of a high-quality, consistent People service. This includes setting clear objectives, providing coaching and support, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, accountability and high performance across the team.

The post holder will act as a role model for professional practice, demonstrating integrity, credibility and a strong commitment to continuous improvement. They will lead key programmes of work and projects aligned to the People Strategy and may deputise for more senior colleagues as required, providing leadership across the wider People function.

The role will contribute to the development and implementation of people policies and frameworks, ensuring they are applied consistently, fairly and in line with organisational values. While not holding direct budget responsibility, the post holder will influence workforce investment decisions and support the effective and sustainable use of resources across their areas of responsibility.

Planning and Organisation

The post holder will lead and manage a diverse portfolio of work across assigned services, balancing strategic priorities, complex casework and transformation activity. They will play a key role in workforce planning, supporting leaders to align workforce requirements with service demand, using data, insight and workforce intelligence to inform decision-making.

The role requires a highly organised and proactive approach, with the ability to manage competing priorities, deliver to deadlines and respond effectively within a fast-paced and evolving environment.

Service Improvement, Research and Development

The post holder will contribute to the continuous improvement of people services, using data, insight and benchmarking to inform evidence-based decision-making and service development. They will lead and contribute to workforce-related projects and programmes, supporting innovation and the implementation of new approaches that improve workforce outcomes and organisational performance.

The role will actively support a culture of continuous improvement, evaluating the impact of initiatives and embedding sustainable changes in practice.

Communication and Working Relationships

The post holder will build and sustain strong, effective partnerships with Divisional Leadership Teams, acting as a trusted advisor and providing credible, strategic people insight to support decision-making and service delivery.

They will communicate clearly, confidently and professionally across all levels of the organisation, tailoring their approach to a wide range of audiences, including senior leaders, managers, staff and staff side representatives. The role requires the ability to convey complex and sensitive information in an accessible and constructive way, supporting understanding and informed decision-making.

The post holder will work collaboratively with colleagues across People Services to ensure a coordinated, proactive and high-quality service, and will develop effective working relationships with corporate functions including Finance, Payroll and Procurement to deliver integrated workforce solutions.

The role requires the ability to establish and maintain constructive, professional relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including Trade Unions, system partners, NHS England and ACAS, supporting effective partnership working and positive employee relations.

Strong influencing, negotiation and interpersonal skills are essential, alongside the ability to manage challenge professionally, navigate difficult conversations and build trust, credibility and engagement across organisational and system boundaries.