Senior HR Business Partner

Job overview

This is a key senior role within the People Directorate, acting as the strategic people lead for designated clinical divisions, corporate directorates and services. Working as an integral member of senior leadership teams, you will translate the Trust’s strategic objectives and People Strategy into evidence-based workforce plans and interventions that improve organisational performance, workforce sustainability, staff experience and patient care.

You will provide professional advice, constructive challenge and assurance to senior leaders on complex workforce and employee relations matters. You will lead significant organisational change and workforce transformation programmes, using workforce intelligence to identify risks and opportunities and develop practical solutions that support safe, productive, inclusive and financially sustainable services.

Main duties of the job

You will lead the development, implementation and review of divisional people and workforce plans aligned with the Trust’s strategy, operational plans, financial plans and clinical priorities. This will include advising on workforce redesign, skill mix, establishment control, new roles, career pathways and alternative workforce solutions.

You will lead the people elements of complex organisational change, service redesign, restructures, transfers and transformation programmes. You will work collaboratively with recognised trade unions and staff-side representatives to support early engagement, meaningful consultation and constructive resolution of issues.

Working in partnership with the Employee Relations Team, you will provide strategic oversight and expert advice on complex, sensitive and high-risk employee relations matters. You will support fair, just and restorative approaches, advise hearing and appeal chairs, and use learning from cases to strengthen management capability and organisational practice.

You will analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative workforce information, including establishment, vacancies, turnover, retention, sickness absence, temporary staffing, employee relations, appraisal, mandatory training, staff survey, WRES and WDES data. You will triangulate this information with operational intelligence and professional judgement to identify trends, inequalities, risks and root causes, and to develop clear recommendations and measurable actions.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We are looking for an experienced, credible and compassionate senior HR professional who can quickly establish trusted relationships with executive leaders, senior managers, staff-side representatives and employees. You will be a pragmatic problem solver with highly developed communication, influencing, negotiation, facilitation and coaching skills, and the confidence to provide constructive challenge on complex or contentious workforce matters.

You will have substantial generalist HR or people business partnering experience gained within a large, complex and unionised organisation, together with experience of translating organisational priorities into deliverable people and workforce plans. You will have a strong track record in complex employee relations, organisational change, workforce planning and the use of workforce intelligence to identify risks, root causes and evidence-based interventions.

Applicants must be Chartered Members of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, or be able to demonstrate equivalent advanced professional HR knowledge and practice. You will be educated to master’s level in a relevant subject, or have equivalent specialist knowledge acquired through substantial senior HR experience and continuing professional development.

Significant HR experience within the NHS or another complex healthcare environment is desirable, as is in-depth knowledge of Agenda for Change and NHS Job Evaluation, experience of ESR or a comparable integrated HR and payroll system, and experience of medical workforce matters, medical and dental terms and conditions or consultant job planning.

If you are committed to improving staff experience and patient care, can combine strategic thinking with practical delivery, and have the resilience and professional judgement to manage multiple complex priorities, we would like to hear from you.