Job summary
- Main area
- Human Resources
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 9
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 251-CORP4004-DCPO
- Employer
- Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Basingstoke and Winchester
- Town
- Basingstoke
- Salary
- £112,782 - £129,783 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 13/09/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 28/09/2026
Employer heading
Deputy Chief People Officer
NHS AfC: Band 9

Our cultural ambition is to have a culture that places people at the heart of all we do, where we all belong, and where learning, improvement and excellence thrive.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and ambitious workforce leader to join Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as our Deputy Chief People Officer.
Reporting directly to the Chief People Officer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering our People Strategy, ensuring we have a sustainable, skilled, engaged and high-performing workforce capable of delivering outstanding care to our patients. The role provides strategic leadership across a broad portfolio of workforce services, including HR Business Partnering, Employee Relations, Recruitment and Retention, Workforce Planning, Workforce Governance and Temporary Staffing.
Main duties of the job
The Deputy Chief People Officer will provide strategic and operational leadership for key workforce functions, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, innovative and customer-focused HR services across the Trust.
Key responsibilities include:
- Support the Chief People Officer in delivering the Trust's People Strategy and workforce priorities.
- Provide strategic leadership for workforce services, including HR Business Partnering, Employee Relations, Recruitment, Retention, Workforce Planning and Workforce Governance.
- Lead the development and delivery of workforce strategies that support high-quality patient care, workforce sustainability and organisational performance.
- Act as a trusted adviser to Executive Directors, senior leaders and clinicians on complex workforce and organisational development matters.
- Lead workforce transformation, service redesign and organisational change programmes across the Trust.
- Ensure effective workforce planning, talent management, succession planning and workforce deployment arrangements are in place.
- Build effective partnerships with staff-side representatives, system partners and external stakeholders.
- Oversee workforce governance, statutory reporting, budgets, contracts and commissioned services.
- Deputise for the Chief People Officer and represent the Trust at Board, system and external meetings as required.
- Champion an inclusive, compassionate and high-performing culture where colleagues are empowered to thrive.
Working for our organisation
Our vision is to provide outstanding care for every patient. Patient care is at the heart of what we do at our three sites: Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and Andover War Memorial Hospital. Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides medical and surgical services to a population of approximately 600,000 people across Hampshire and parts of West Berkshire.
Our cultural ambition is to have a culture that places people at the heart of all we do, where we all belong, and where learning, improvement and excellence thrive.
We provide specialist services to people across the UK and internationally. We are one of only two centres in the UK treating pseudomyxoma peritonei (a rare form of abdominal cancer) and we are leaders in the field of tertiary liver cancer and colorectal cancer.
The trust employs more than 9,000 staff and has a turnover of over £500 million a year. As a Foundation Trust, we are directly accountable to our members through the governors. The Council of Governors represent the interests of their constituencies and influence the future plans of the Foundation Trust.
Your Next Career Move Made Easier – Accommodation May Be Offered
We understand relocating can be a big step. Hampshire Hospitals may be able to provide accommodation options for successful candidates, depending on availability. If this something you would like to explore please contact Southern Housing on 02080 360017
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Timeline
Advert closes - 13th September (midnight)
Shortlisting - week commencing 14th September
Interviews - Monday 28th September
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached.
Person specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Masters Degree in Human Resources Management or related field, or equivalent
- Chartered Fellow of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
Desirable criteria
- Additional Specialist Qualification e.g., Coaching, or psychometric testing
- Management Qualification/Evidence of study in strategic business planning, project management, information, or related discipline
Experience and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Substantial and extensive experience of working at a senior level across a broad range of HR functions
- Demonstrable experience of working with senior leaders across organisational boundaries, and influencing strategy and delivery
- Experience of delivering revenue and workforce elements of major change and capital investment programmes
- Experience of delivering cost improvement schemes
- Experience of budgetary and resource management
- Experience of developing and delivering strategy
- Substantial experience of change management and delivery, re- designing of teams and new ways of working to meet strategic objectives and to increase workforce productivity and efficiency.
- Experience of developing integrated workforce plans as part of wider business planning activities
- Contract commissioning and management
- Motivating and developing a team
- Operational experience within a large complex organisation
Desirable criteria
- Demonstrable NHS experience
- Managing an equality / inclusion function
- Knowledge and or experience in Occupational Health
- Knowledge and or experience in automation and robotics ideally within a corporate service
Skills and Ability
Essential criteria
- In-depth knowledge of current HR and workforce legislation and best practice
- Understanding of workforce planning tools and techniques
- Understand of the benefits and challenges of managing shared services
- Competent in the theory and application of OD tools and techniques
- Understanding of the governance agenda (both clinical and non-clinical)
- Ability to prioritise and manage demanding workloads, planning towards, and focusing on deadlines
- Ability to influence, persuade and negotiate both within the organisation and externally to include other organisations
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to drive improvement through coaching and performance management
- Ability to challenge ways of working and facilitate change
- Personal resilience in the face of challenge and able to deliver high quality work under pressure
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of emerging system responsibilities/ structures for the Health and Social Care workforce
- Knowledge of the NHS financial regime
- Understanding of the context in which NHS HR services are provided
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Heather Bennett
- Job title
- Executive Assistant to Chief People Officer
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01256 262256
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