Job Description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced HR Business Partner to undertake a secondment or fixed term contract to join the corporate workforce team at UCLH. This position is maternity leave cover estimated to commence July 2025.



Partnering with corporate directorates with approximately 750 staff, you will be responsible for providing high quality strategic and operational workforce expertise, guidance, and advice. You will oversee best practice people management within your areas of responsibility, and contribute towards the development of a positive, compassionate, and inclusive working culture.



As part of the corporate workforce team, you will also lead on wider workforce initiatives and programmes.



There is scope for working hours to be flexible to fit round the preferred candidate's commitments. We ask for a minimum of one day a week on site. We would welcome conversations with candidates about flexible working as part of the recruitment process so please get in touch if you are in any doubt about this.



Please note that an assessment will form part of the selection process.



You will be responsible for providing high quality strategic and operational workforce support to ensure best practice people management within your areas of responsibility and across the wider workforce function. Your duties will include:



Local workforce strategy / plans in place which reflect the business, opportunities for growth, plans for redesigned services and alignment to the overall Trust workforce strategy.



Corporate and managerial leaders are supported and equipped with the skills, confidence and expertise to lead their teams effectively.



Effective and efficient use of staff resources across all staffing groups, resulting in high quality and safe patient services and value for money.



High performing and motivated teams within Directorate / Functional areas, with agreed performance objectives and development plans in place.



Compliance with employment legislative framework and NHS and Trust workforce-related policies and best practice.



Workforce risks within Directorate areas are anticipated and mitigated to protect the Trust's reputation, through proactive stakeholder engagement and in-depth understand of service / operations.



Supervision / coaching of HR staff within Corporate Services, as required, and sharing of learning within the HRBP community.



University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.



We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:



University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)



National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery



Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals



University College Hospital Grafton Way Building



Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine



University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre



The Hospital for Tropical Diseases



University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street



We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.



We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.



For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached .



Insight, strategy and solutions

Develop actionable insights and solutions, prioritised and tailored around a deep understanding of the business, contextual and organisational understanding.



Leading HR

Provide active, insight-led leadership:

owning, shaping and driving themselves, others and activity in the organisation.



Organisational design

Ensure that the Directorates are appropriately designed to deliver Trust objectives in the short and long-term and that structural change is effectively managed.



Organisational development

Ensure the Directorates has a committed, 'fit for the future' workforce needed to deliver its strategic ambition. Play a vital part in ensuring that the Trust's culture, values and environment support and enhance its performance and adaptability. Provide insight and leadership on development and execution of any capability, cultural and change activities within areas of responsibility.



Resourcing and talent planning

Ensure the Trust is able to identify and attract key people with the capability to create competitive advantage and that it actively manages an appropriate balance of resource to meet changing needs, fulfilling the short and long-term ambitions of the Trust's strategy.



Learning and talent development

Ensure that people at all levels of the Trust possess and develop the skills, knowledge and experiences to fulfil the short and long-term ambitions of the Trust and that they are motivated to learn, grow and perform.



Performance and reward

Build a high-performance culture by delivering programmes that recognise and reward critical skills, capabilities, experience and performance. Ensure that the NHS reward system is applied effectively and with innovation.



Employee engagement

In the context of the Trust's objectives, ensure that in all aspects of the employment experience - the emotional connection that all employees have with their work, colleagues and to their organisation (in particular line manager relationship) is positive and understood, and that it delivers greater discretionary effort in their work and the way they relate to their organisation.



Employee relations

Ensure that the relationship between the Trust and its staff is managed appropriately within a clear and transparent framework underpinned by organisational practices and policies and ultimately by relevant employment law.



Service delivery and information

Ensure that the delivery of all HR Services and information to leaders, managers and staff within the organisation is accurate, efficient, timely and cost effective and that human resource data is managed professionally.



Corporate Services consists of approximately 1300 staff across a variety of directorates which includes, Chief Nurse, Clinical Governance, Digital Healthcare, Estates & Facilities, Finance, Planning & Performance, Procurement, Research & Development, Strategic Development, Transformation & Innovation, and Workforce.



As HR Business Partner you will be responsible for some of the directorates, working closely and collaboratively with your other corporate workforce colleagues.



There will also be opportunities to get involved in interesting projects and programmes of work.



Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*



UCLH top trust to work at in England - for the third year running! : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust



In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England - for the third year in a row.

UCLH top trust to work at in England - for the third year running! University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.



Once again, UCLH has received the highest score of all general acute and acute/community NHS trusts in England for staff that would recommend us as a place to work.



To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?