Chief People Officer

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Chief People Officer

Location: HQ is Bicester with travel expected across the patch

Time: full time with some level of hybrid/flexible working possible

Salary: Competitive

The Chief People Officer (CPO) will be the Trust’s most senior Human Resources professional and principal advisor to the Chair, Chief Executive, Board of Directors, and the wider organisation, on all aspects of people services, including our education and compliance teams.

As a full member of the Trust Board, the CPO will take collective responsibility for the quality, operational and financial performance of the Trust. As well as working closely with other senior colleagues (Executive and Non-Executive) to ensure integrated board operations, particularly in aligning future spending and investment with strategic plans and converting those aims into operational activities.

The Chief People Officer will also be responsible for:

1. Interpreting published national NHS guidance and advising Board directors on appropriate action and conduct.
2. Ensuring the Trust operates in accordance with all statutory and legal provisions and in keeping with expectations of high-performing organisations, operating with openness, transparency, and commitment to a culture of continuous improvement and learning.
3. Leading a cultural transformation within the Trust, working closely with the wider executive team to implement change.
4. Advancing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion across the organisation.

The successful candidate will have significant experience as an HR/OD leader, including experience in the provision of education. Experience at a senior management level, working at, or close to board level. They will have a proven track record of improving the people function within complex, highly regulated organisations.

They will have experience within the NHS or another safety-critical industry, with an understanding of the complexities of leading the people agenda in a multi-disciplinary, dispersed workforce. A passion for improving healthcare for all service users and providing safe and fulfilling careers for our workforce.

The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker and compassionate leader who understands the challenges of working as part of the executive team within a complex organisation. They will have the experience to support colleagues while holding them accountable for performance in a pressurised environment with significant external scrutiny.

The CPO will engage and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the organisation delivers its priorities and works effectively with its system partners. Maintaining the highest standards of personal integrity, the CPO will demonstrate a clear understanding of, and alignment to, our values: Professionalism, Teamwork, Caring and Innovation.

For more information, please click on Apply.

For a confidential discussion please contact:

Julia St Clare, Senior Consultant

E:julia.stclare@gatenbysanderson.com

T: +44 (0) 7807 631 564

Melanie Shearer, Partner

E:melanie.shearer@gatenbysanderson.com

T: +44 (0) 7785 616 548

Closing date: Monday 24^th February 2025