Group Director of People
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
London, NW1 1BDView on map(opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Salary
£130,000 to £145,000
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Not specified
Closing date
28 October 2026
9 days leftJob description
Our ambition at the Royal Free London is to deliver world class expertise and local care, combining outstanding healthcare with ground-breaking resear...
As Group Director of People, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across our group People functions and play a leading role in translating our new People Strategy into measurable improvements in the everyday experience of our people.
As Deputy to the Group Chief People Officer, you will represent the People Directorate at senior forums and deputise as required, providing expert advice and leadership across complex workforce and organisational issues.
You will lead a significant portfolio of group-wide People services and Centres of Expertise, including:
- People Operations and Group People Services, including Workforce Information, Policy, People Hub and Freedom to Speak Up
- Employee Resolutions and Advisory Service (ERAS)
- Inclusion, Wellbeing and Recognition
- Resourcing, Retention and Programmes
- People Planning, Operations and Partnerships.
Working in partnership with Health Unit People teams and colleagues across the wider People Directorate, you will drive greater consistency, quality and impact across our People services. You will champion a people-centred employment experience, ensure we are brilliant at the basics, use data and insight to drive performance and improvement, and help modernise our services through digital technology, automation and new ways of working.
Full duties and responsibilities are outlined in the Job Description and Person Specification.
Should you wish to review the People Strategy document, please contact Claudia McCarthy directly (details below) and a copy will be provided via email.
Stakeholder panel w/c 16th November 2026
Interview panel w/c 23rd November 2026
The Royal Free London is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, with 18,000 people working side by side across four acute hospitals and more than 70 sites in north London and Hertfordshire, serving a population of around two million people. We combine internationally recognised specialist expertise with high-quality local hospital and community care.
Our mission brings together world class healthcare treatment, clinical research and teaching excellence. We are one of the country's leading research trusts, a major provider of medical, nursing and allied health professional education, and an organisation with a strong track record of innovation and partnership.
Our workforce is as diverse as the communities we serve, with colleagues from more than 140 countries and an extraordinary breadth of professions, skills and experience. Our shared commitments - Care with compassion, Champion inclusion, Act with integrity and Deliver excellence - describe how we want to work with one another and are the foundation of our People Strategy.
We are at an exciting point in our development. With a new People Strategy now in place, this role offers the opportunity to help shape the next chapter of the Royal Free London and make a tangible difference to the experience of our people and, ultimately, the patients and communities we serve.
Education and professional qualifications
Essential
- Degree Level Education or equivalent experience
- Chartered Member of the CIPD.
- Post-graduate Diploma or MSC in HR or equivalent experience.
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
Desirable: - Project Management qualification.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of managing budgets and delivering savings.
- Experience of managing cross -functional and group level projects and integration of services at a senior level.
- An in-depth understanding of health care provision and awareness of current NHS policies and priorities
- Experience of leading, coaching and building capability in all aspects of the HR function.
- Significant experience in Senior HR / People positions, preferably in a similar sector.
Desirable: - Proven experience of working at Senior/Executive level required and providing expert advice to Board level committees.
Royal Free shared commitments
Essential: - Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust shared commitments.
Skills and aptitudes
Essential
- Strong effective communicator in writing, business presentations and in interpersonal communication.
- Highly developed, demonstrated teamwork skills
- Excellent organisational, prioritisation, analytical and planning skills with a high attention to detail and process.
- Ability to set out a clear strategic direction, inspire and engage others, together with an ability to translate strategic objectives into deliverable operation plans
- Highly developed leadership, negotiation and influencing skills with the ability to motivate, challenge and engage individuals and teams
- Ability to lead in an environment of constant change.
- Delegates clearly and monitors progress regularly and giving timely support where necessary.
How to apply
Applications are handled entirely by the employer on the original advert. We do not collect CVs, supporting statements or application data.
Provenance
Source
NHS Jobs
First seen
15 October 2026
Last checked
16 October 2026
Salary, closing date and description are taken from the employer's advert. The original advert always takes precedence.
About the employer
NHS organisation
This listing was structured from NHS Jobs. Vacancy details and the application process remain the responsibility of the original source.
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