Assistant Director of Strategic Workforce Planning: Sponsorship Available

Health Education and Improvement Wales

Job summary

HEIW is seeking an experienced and influential senior leader to join us as Assistant Director of Strategic Workforce Planning. This is a key national role, providing expert leadership across NHS Wales to shape a sustainable workforce through evidence-led planning that responds to current and future service, population and policy needs.

The successful candidate will lead national workforce planning, using workforce intelligence, forecasting, modelling and horizon scanning to anticipate future workforce requirements and support transformation across national, regional and organisational levels.

The successful candidate will lead the development of strategic and operational workforce planning approaches, using workforce intelligence, forecasting, modelling and horizon scanning to support transformation across national, regional and organisational levels. Working closely with Welsh Government, NHS Wales organisations and wider partners, they will help build workforce planning capability and provide high-quality advice to senior leaders on complex workforce challenges and opportunities.

We are looking for someone with substantial senior-level experience in strategic workforce planning, workforce transformation or a related field, with strong analytical, communication and influencing skills. This is an excellent opportunity to play a leading role in shaping the future NHS Wales workforce and supporting high-quality, sustainable care for the people of Wales.

Main duties of the job

Provide expert strategic workforce planning advice, insight and direction to HEIW and NHS Wales.

Lead the development of national workforce planning approaches, guidance and methodologies.

Use horizon scanning, workforce intelligence, forecasting, modelling and scenario planning to inform workforce decisions.

Shape future workforce models across NHS Wales to support sustainable services and transformation.

Anticipate workforce risks, supply challenges and future skills needs using evidence and data.

Support the production of operational and strategic workforce plans for professions and services across NHS Wales.

Work with internal and external stakeholders to ensure workforce information and analysis informs service planning, transformation and education commissioning.

Represent HEIW in national forums and provide senior leadership across workforce planning, intelligence, capacity and capability building.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

Essential

  • Master’s degree level qualification or equivalent significant experience
  • Specialist knowledge in strategic workforce planning, workforce transformation or a related post graduate qualification in Strategic Workforce Planning
  • CIPD qualification and membership, or willingness to achieve within two years of appointment
  • Highly developed knowledge of strategic workforce planning, workforce intelligence, capacity and capability building, service improvement and change management
  • Strong understanding of the strategic, political, policy and social context affecting workforce planning and service delivery across NHS Wales

Desirable

  • Accredited coach at post-graduate diploma level, or equivalent coaching experience at senior or executive level.

Experience

Essential

  • Substantial experience of operating at a senior level within a complex organisation or system
  • Significant experience of leading complex strategic programmes or portfolios involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, organisational change and delivery through influence as well as direct management
  • Proven track record of developing strategic workforce plans, workforce strategies or major workforce transformation programmes at organisational, regional or national level
  • Experience of applying workforce intelligence, management information and evidence to support strategic planning, decision-making and assurance
  • Experience of working with senior professional, clinical and managerial colleagues and building effective partnerships across organisational boundaries
  • Experience of working closely and effectively with trade union representatives and professional bodies
  • Experience of preparing reports, presenting complex information and providing advice or recommendations to senior groups, Boards, Committees or national stakeholders
  • Experience of providing strategic oversight and accountability for complex programmes, including governance, assurance, risk, resources, outcomes and value for money
  • Experience of budgetary management, budget setting and effective resource management
  • Experience of line management, staff development and supporting high standards of performance

Desirable

  • Experience of designing, developing or implementing effective HR, workforce information or workforce planning systems

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: 7 September 2026

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