People Partner, Band 8a

• 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

• 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

• 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)

• 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

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

Essential

• Master's Degree or equivalent level of experience
• MCIPD membership (Level 7 CIPD as a minimum) or equivalent level of experience
• Level 7 CIPD qualification
• Relevant continuing professional development
• Significant experience operating at a senior/strategic HR or People partnering level
• Record of successful management of complex organisational change
• Ability to relate to managers, understanding different approaches, styles and expertise and utilise this knowledge to develop effective relationships and cooperative ways of working to achieve the Trust's aim.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong ability to lead, influence and negotiate at senior levels
• A solution focussed approach to problem solving and relationship management.
• Tact, diplomacy and emotional intelligence
• Demonstrable experience of contributing to and working within a continuous improvement environment where transformational change is core to everyday ways of working
• Ability to analyse complex information and workforce trends to identify key concerns and develop potential solutions.
• Ability to confront and manage difficult issues, resolve complex problems, manage conflict effectively and overcome resistance
• Experience in managing complex and sensitive employment relations issues
• Well-developed sensitivity to stakeholder relationships with a constructive yet strong approach to challenge.
• A thorough and up to date knowledge of employment law and demonstrable experience of its pragmatic application.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office applications
• Experience of effective positive partnership with Trade Unions
• Tenacity and Resilience

Desirable

• NHS modernisation understanding
• Senior report writing / business cases