Head of Human Resources (HR) Partnering and Digitalisation: Sponsorship Available

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (125)

Job summary

The Head of Human Resources (HR) Partnering and Digitalisation provides senior operational and strategic leadership for a significant part of the People function, ensuring delivery of a high-quality, consistent and values-led service across Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB. The postholder leads the HR Business Partnering and Digitalisation portfolio, supported by the Deputy Head of Business partnering and the HR advisory/employee relations service, and is accountable for the operational oversight, governance, quality assurance and continuous improvement of the service. The role provides authoritative leadership and advice on highly complex and sensitive workforce, organisational development and employee relations matters, including organisational change, service redesign, workforce risk and collective employment issues. The postholder leads implementation of workforce priorities aligned to corporate objectives, translates corporate and People strategy into strategic and operational plans for the portfolio with organisation-wide impact, builds strong partnerships across the system and with staff side colleagues, and deputises for the Director of People as required. The role also supports the Head of Workforce Design and Organisational Development in the delivery of workforce health and wellbeing priorities, including inclusive initiatives, oversight of employee support schemes, and partnership working to identify and share best practice.

Main duties of the job

Lead the performance, direction and continuous improvement of the HR Partnering and Digital Services portfolio, ensuring clear priorities, effective governance, measurable outcomes and alignment to the ICB strategy and People priorities.

Provide authoritative professional leadership for HR advisory/employee relations, ensuring consistent, high-quality practice and compliance with employment law, NHS terms and conditions, organisational policies and governance requirements, with clear escalation routes, quality standards and decision-making thresholds.

Deputise for the Director, including representing the function at executive, system and governance meetings and leading decision-making as required.

Lead the People contribution to highly complex organisational change, service redesign and workforce transformation programmes, ensuring effective consultation, risk management, staff side engagement and delivery of strategic workforce objectives.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • MCIPD qualification and membership (or equivalent senior HR professional qualification).
  • Educated to Master’s level or equivalent demonstrable experience in HR/OD leadership, organisational development and workforce transformation.

Desirable

  • Educated to Master’s level or equivalent demonstrable experience in HR/OD leadership, organisational development and workforce transformation.
  • Project / programme management qualification or equivalent experience leading complex change programmes.

Experience

Essential

  • Significant senior HR and/or OD leadership experience, including leading multiple workstreams/teams and delivering organisational priorities.
  • Demonstrable experience leading complex organisational change and workforce transformation programmes, including consultation and engagement.
  • Extensive experience providing expert advice on complex and sensitive employee

knowledge of ER, employment law

Essential

  • Expert knowledge of employment law, employee relations practice, NHS terms and conditions and best practice People governance.
  • Proven experience of developing and implementing People policies, frameworks and standard operating procedures at organisational level.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of NHS Job Evaluation processes and factor-based role design expectations.

Personal attributes

Essential

  • Credible and visible leader who models organisational values and behaviours; high integrity, discretion and professionalism.
  • Resilient and calm under pressure; proactive, improvement-focused and outcomes-driven with strong personal accountability.

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: 25 October 2026

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