Overview
Delivering excellent community care for the future starts with how we lead our people today.
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust is a specialist community provider – a Trust at the heart of delivering the NHS’s focus on moving care closer to home. As services continue to move out of hospitals and into neighbourhoods, homes and communities, HCT’s focus on prevention, anticipatory care and ensuring people get their care where and when it is best for them places us at the centre of everything the 10 Year Health Plan hopes to achieve. The privilege we have of caring for people across our region from their first few days to old age, often in their homes, depends on having an engaged, skilled and supported workforce.
We are now seeking an exceptional Chief People Officer to join our Executive Team and help lead this chapter of our journey. This Board‑level role offers a significant opportunity to shape the future of a values‑driven organisation. As an Executive Director, the Chief People Officer will play a full role in the collective leadership of the Trust, contributing to strategy, performance and culture across the whole organisation. Working closely with the Chief Executive and Executive colleagues, the postholder will provide clear, credible leadership of the People agenda at a pivotal point in the Trust’s development.
Responsibilities and Expectations
• Lead the oversight of a well‑performing People function. • Provide clear, credible leadership of the People agenda at the Trust. • Lead organisational development, leadership and culture, ensuring the Trust remains a best‑scoring community trust in staff satisfaction. • Bring the Trust’s values of being Caring, Inclusive and Pioneering to life in all initiatives. • Apply employment policy, leadership development and staff engagement to tackle racism and enhance the working environment. • Ensure high quality HR, workforce planning and employee relations, maintaining low vacancy, turnover, sickness and time‑to‑hire rates and minimal temporary staffing.
Qualifications
• Senior people and OD leader with credibility to operate at Board level. • Core understanding of the NHS. • Strong personal track record of improving culture and staff experience. • Energy, commitment and passion to engage with staff across services in the east of England.
Benefits and Culture
• The Trust is recognised for excellent delivery of HR and a low vacancy, turnover, sickness and time‑to‑hire rates. • Minimal temporary staffing use, allowing staff to focus on caring for patients. • A culture that continuously seeks to improve, exemplified by bold approaches to cultural issues and ongoing initiatives to make HCT a great Place to Work.
Application
Please apply directly to: https://www.gatenbysanderson.com/job/GSe131461/Chief-People-Officer/
This advert closes on Monday 18 May 2026
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