Associate Director of Workforce
Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
The closing date is 22 June 2026
A rare opportunity for an enthusiastic, values-driven and strategic Associate Director (AD) of Workforce to join Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust (BWC).
At Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, you are part of something truly exceptional. As one of only two dedicated women's and children's NHS foundation trusts in the UK, we provide specialist care that changes lives across the West Midlands and beyond.
As an Associate Director of Workforce, you will provide strategic leadership of our Workforce Transformation, Employee Relations, ESR/Payroll and Medical Workforce functions, supporting the wider People and Education Directorate to sustain a diverse, capable and multi professional workforce.
In this role, you will build effective partnerships with trade unions, leading complex negotiations and consultations, whilst presenting sensitive workforce issues to senior leaders. Using high-quality workforce insight to drive strategic decision‑making, you will lead organisation‑wide initiatives that enhance staff engagement, wellbeing and overall performance outcomes.
Main duties of the job
What you'll bring...
* Highly specialist knowledge of HR, employment law and terms and conditions and the current challenges facing health and social care
* Extensive experience of developing and delivering HR strategies at a senior level in a large complex organisation
* A record of innovation and successfully developing and supporting organisational transformation in a large, multidisciplinary organisation
* Educated to masters level or equivalent qualification / experience, along with MCIPD Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development membership (or equivalent) and evidence of continued professional development
Our patients are at the heart of everything we do and this role will help to embed a culture of quality improvement, clinical expertise, compassionate leadership and continuous learning to ensure the workforce is equipped to meet the needs of children, young people and families.
We offer you the opportunity to thrive in a multi‑professional team. Our working hours are 37.5 Monday to Friday and we support a hybrid working approach between our sites and working from home.
About us
Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust is the first of its type in the UK. Our Trust was formed in February 2017 to drive forward our commitment to provide the highest quality, world‑class physical and mental health care for our women, children and families. Uniting our hospitals means more seamless care; more investment to make greater advances in our specialist treatment and world‑leading neo‑natal and fetal work. Importantly, it also gives us a greater voice in shaping the future of family‑centred care.
Birmingham Children's Hospital is a UK leading specialist paediatric centre with an international reputation in several areas.
Birmingham Women's Hospital is one of two dedicated women's hospitals in the UK, with the busiest single site maternity unit, delivering more than 8,200 babies a year offering a full range of gynaecological, maternity and neonatal care.
Parkview Clinic is a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) facility in Moseley, for young people aged 11-18 years who require admission due to significant psychiatric difficulties.
Our Trust is committed to creating the best place to work. We believe in promoting and enhancing inclusion, diversity and equality and encourage applications from all areas of the community, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.
Job responsibilities
Your key responsibilities will include:
* Provide strategic leadership across workforce, employee relations, medical workforce, ESR and payroll services.
* Lead the development and implementation of workforce strategy, policy and transformation programmes aligned to Trust priorities.
* Act as the Trust's senior expert on employment relations and medical workforce matters, ensuring compliance with legislation and best practice.
* Build strong and effective partnerships with trade unions, leading negotiation and consultation on complex and sensitive organisational change.
* Provide high‑quality workforce intelligence and insight to support strategic decision‑making and performance improvement.
* Lead organisation‑wide initiatives to improve staff engagement, wellbeing and staff survey outcomes.
* Present complex and often contentious workforce issues to senior committees and executive leaders, influencing decisions and securing agreement.
Qualifications
* Degree or equivalent
* Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD or equivalent)
* Evidence of further personal/academic development to Masters level or equivalent
Knowledge and Experience
* Highly specialist knowledge of HR, employment law and terms and conditions and the current challenges facing health and social care.
* A record of innovation and successfully developing and supporting organisational transformation in a large, multidisciplinary organisation
* Considerable experience of managing a team of staff, motivating and developing the team, including setting objectives, mentoring and coaching to meet appropriate deadlines and working in a rapidly changing and complex environment
* Track record of successful partnership working with Trades Unions. Including proven experience of creating opportunities through partnership working
* Experience of evaluating and reviewing HR systems, policies and processes in order to achieve improved functionality
* Experience of managing medical staffing with knowledge of medical employment contracts
Analytical and Judgement Skills
* Ability to analyse very complex situations with no obvious solution and make sound decisions based on knowledge and experience
* Good level of skill using Microsoft Excel with the ability to use for analysis – e.g. simple formula and pivot functions
Professional / Managerial / Specialist Knowledge
* Knowledge and understanding of local and national NHS HR agenda
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.
Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Employment type and working arrangements
* Full‑time
* Job share
* Flexible working
* Home or remote working
* Compressed hours
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