Associate Director - People Services - NHS

There has never been a more challenging yet exciting time to join a large, complex organisation in a senior People and Organisational Development leadership role.

Our client has recently launched a new organisational strategy and entered a significant partnership, strengthening its position as a collaborative and forward‑thinking provider. Alongside this, the organisation is in the second year of delivering an ambitious People & Culture Strategy, designed to modernise people services, enhance leadership capability and improve the experience of both colleagues and service users.

To support these ambitions, the organisation has invested in strengthening senior leadership capacity within its Workforce & OD function and is now seeking an Associate Director – People Services to join the senior leadership team on a temporary basis initially. This contract is to start asap until the 17th April (12 weeks) and is paying £32-37ph (inside IR35, PAYE). It's mainly remote with ideally 1-2 days per week in the office, but fully remote options could be considered. 

The Role

This is a high‑impact leadership role with responsibility for leading the People Services agenda, strengthening leadership across the directorate and further developing and embedding high‑quality, customer‑focused people services.

You will play a key role in shaping and delivering an inclusive, innovative and compassionate culture, translating strategic priorities into practical, effective people solutions. Working closely with senior stakeholders, you will enable delivery of the organisation’s wider strategy and local People & Culture priorities.

About You

You will be an experienced and credible People / Workforce leader, bringing:

• A strong track record of leading complex people services at pace
• Proven experience operating at senior leadership level within large, matrixed organisations
• High levels of energy, innovation and personal accountability
• The ability to influence and engage confidently with senior stakeholders
• A clear commitment to improving colleague experience and organisational performance

Highly organised and values‑led, you will be comfortable balancing strategic leadership with operational grip, ensuring services are professional, efficient and responsive.

Why Apply

This is an opportunity to step into a visible, influential role at a pivotal time of transformation, where your leadership will directly shape culture, capability and service delivery across the organisation.