Job vacancy: Associate Director of Culture & Colleague Experience, Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol

Job summary

Main area: Administrative and Clerical
Grade: Band 8d
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 387-TS9506-JC

Employer: Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Trustwide
Town: Bristol
Salary: £94,356 - £108,814 pa
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 06/08/2026 23:59

Associate Director of Culture & Colleague Experience

Band 8d

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1^st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This will create an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Considering this, if you are interested in this role, please do apply as soon as you can.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) describes algorithms that can be used to produce new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos. It is developing all the time and is now being used as a support mechanism for all kinds of content-based creations. Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Associate Director of Culture & Colleague Experience is a highly influential senior leader, responsible for setting the strategic direction and leading the delivery of the Trust’s culture, engagement, inclusion, organisational development (OD) and colleague experience agenda across the Hospital Group.

Reporting directly to the Director of People and acting as their deputy across the culture, OD and colleague experience portfolio the post holder plays a critical role in shaping organisational identity, enabling high‑performing teams, and ensuring the Group is a great place to work and a great place to receive care.

As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, the post holder provides authoritative advice to the Board, Executive Directors and system partners on complex cultural, behavioural and organisational issues. They lead the design and delivery of innovative, evidence‑based strategies that enhance staff experience, strengthen leadership capability, and drive cultural transformation aligned to the Trust’s long‑term strategic ambitions and the NHS People Promise.

Please refer to the Job Description attached.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

Significant senior leadership experience in a complex organisation
Proven track record in delivering culture and engagement transformation
Experience working with Boards and formal governance structures
Specialist knowledge and experience of leading staff engagement, and workforce strategy
Demonstrable expertise and experience in leading an Organisational Development (OD) function, including the ability to diagnose organisational needs, design evidence based interventions, and apply OD methodologies (such as change management, team effectiveness, leadership development, and organisational design) to drive sustainable cultural and performance improvements
Understanding of NHS workforce, policy, and transformation agenda
Experience of managing budgets and delivering financial targets

Desirable criteria

Experience in executive coaching or senior leadership development

Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria

Master’s level qualification or equivalent experience in OD, HR, or related field
FCIPD (or equivalent)

Desirable criteria

OD or Leadership qualification
HCPC registration (e.g. Occupational Psychology)

Skills and Abilities

Essential criteria

Strategic leadership and vision
Exceptional influencing and interpersonal skills
Ability to lead through complexity, ambiguity, and change
Strong analytical, problem solving, and decision making capability
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
Resilience and ability to manage sensitive and high pressure situations

Aptitudes

Essential criteria

Strategic Systems Thinking – able to understand complex organisational systems across a multi hospital Group and connect cultural, behavioural and workforce insights to long term strategic priorities
Advanced Organisational Development Judgement – highly developed diagnostic and analytical capability to interpret organisational dynamics and design evidence based OD and cultural interventions
Political and Cultural Acumen – sophisticated awareness of organisational politics, cultural nuance and system level sensitivities, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and influence senior leaders
High Impact Communication and Facilitation – exceptional ability to communicate complex or sensitive cultural insights clearly and to facilitate challenging conversations and large scale engagement
Relationship Building and Collaborative Leadership – strong ability to build trust, credibility and collaborative partnerships across clinical, corporate, staff side and system stakeholders
Resilience, Emotional Intelligence and Adaptive Leadership – demonstrates emotional maturity, self awareness and resilience, adapting leadership style to context and modelling inclusive, compassionate behaviours

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

· As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

· The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.

· BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

· To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.

· If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.

· The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.

· By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

· Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

IMPORTANT:

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.