Assistant Chief People Officer: Sponsorship Available

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Job summary

Assistant Chief People Officer

37.5 hours (8D, Subject to AFC) Base: Whiston Hospital with frequent travel to other sites ie. Ormskirk and Southport as required. Hybrid working opportunity. Join us in transforming People Services

Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is embarking on an ambitious transformation of its HR Directorate.

We are reshaping how workforce services are delivered, creating a service future that is digitally enabled, insight-led and centred on employee experience. As one of the largest organisations in the region, we are redesigning our operating model to create greater accountability, clearer leadership, stronger customer focus and improved outcomes for our people and ultimately our patients.

This is a rare opportunity to join the senior leadership team at a pivotal point in our transformation journey and we are seeking an exceptional leader who is energised by change and motivated by the opportunity to build something different.

Interview Date: To be Confirmed

Main duties of the job

As Assistant Chief People Officer, you will help shape the future of people services at Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

This is a strategic leadership role with significant scope and influence. You will lead a portfolio of people services, drive transformational change, develop organisational capability and play a critical role in delivering a modern, digitally enabled and experience-led people function. Working alongside the Chief People Officer and Deputy Chief People Officers, you will influence the direction of the organisation, support the delivery of strategic priorities and help create a culture defined by accountability, inclusion, high performance and continuous improvement.

We are looking for an exceptional leader who thrives in complexity, combines strategic thinking with a strong focus on delivery, and has a proven ability to build high-performing teams, lead change at scale and improve organisational performance.

Person Specification

Our Values

Essential

  • We are Kind
  • We are Open
  • We are Inclusive

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level and/or equivalent qualification
  • MCIPD professional registration
  • Master’s degree in HR Management or related qualification and / or equivalent experience
  • Postgraduate qualification in specialist area e.g. leadership or equivalent experience
  • Evidence of CPD

Desirable

  • Formal training in organisational change, system leadership or coaching

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience operating at senior strategic level within HR / People / Workforce in a large, complex organisation, preferably within the NHS or public sector
  • Proven track record of leading complex, high impact workforce transformation, organisational change and service redesign programmes
  • Experience of providing strategic advice and challenge to Executive Directors and senior leaders on complex workforce, organisational and cultural issues
  • Demonstrable experience of leading multi disciplinary teams and senior managers, with accountability for performance, delivery and improvement
  • Substantial experience of managing significant financial and workforce resources, including delivery of efficiency and cost improvement programmes
  • Strong working knowledge of employment legislation, NHS workforce policy, governance and regulatory frameworks, including CQC Well Led and ED&I requirements
  • Experience of building and sustaining effective relationships with Trade Unions and staff side representatives at a senior level
  • Experience of operating across organisational and system boundaries, including partnership and collaborative working

Desirable

  • Experience of leading digital transformation within people services, including automation, workforce systems and use of data and analytics
  • Experience of contributing to or leading system wide workforce initiatives or ICS level programmes

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to lead, inspire and hold senior leaders and teams to account for delivery, performance and behaviour
  • Ability to lead culture change, embedding inclusive, compassionate and accountable leadership behaviours
  • Strong financial acumen and ability to manage complex budgets and resources
  • Ability to model and embed the Trust’s values and behavioural standards in leadership practice

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 1 November 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.