Overview
Group Associate Director of People Effectiveness
The closing date is 12 May 2026.
This role sits at the heart of a defining phase for the UHL Group, shaping how people, culture and leadership drive success now and for the future. As we deliver the University Hospitals of Liverpool 2030 strategy, establish the UHL Group model, and embed a new Group People Shared Service, we are seeking an Associate Director of People Effectiveness to help shape how a large, complex and diverse workforce experiences work, leadership and change.
This role is about how we organise, lead, develop and support our people so they can deliver outstanding care now and into the future. You will lead a broad portfolio spanning organisational development, culture and engagement, leadership and skills, colleague experience, wellbeing, EDI, workforce transformation and people analytics, creating the conditions where people can thrive.
Working closely with executive leaders, hospital leadership teams and system partners, you will translate strategy into lived experience—ensuring Liverpool 2030 is felt in how people are led, how change happens, and how it feels to work across the Group.
Interviews will take place on 20th May and will include a presentation.
Main duties of the job
In this role, you will:
* Lead the People Effectiveness portfolio for the UHL Group, bringing together OD, culture, leadership and management development, skills and talent, EDI, Colleague Experience and wellbeing.
* Design and deliver large-scale organisational development and culture change that supports the Group model, strengthens collaboration across hospitals and services, and improves colleague experience.
* Shape a Group-wide leadership and skills offer that builds capability for today's challenges and tomorrow's system leadership - from first-line managers to Senior leaders.
* Champion a whole-organisation approach to colleague experience, ensuring inclusion, equity, wellbeing and psychological safety are embedded into how work is designed and led.
* Use people data, insight and evidence to understand organisational challenges, prioritise interventions and demonstrate impact.
* Act as a trusted senior advisor and thinking partner to the executive team and senior leaders on organisational effectiveness, change and systems working.
* Lead, develop and grow a high-performing People Effectiveness team, aligned to the new People Shared Service and capable of working at enterprise scale.
* Ensure strong alignment with statutory, regulatory and professional requirements, while keeping the focus on what really makes a difference to people and patients.
* Represent the Group across regional and national networks, influencing and learning as part of the wider NHS and public sector system.
About us
NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHL Group) was formed on 1 November 2024, born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our communities.
We are one of the largest employers in the region, with over 18,900 colleagues who are dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.
For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services that extend to more than two million people in the North West.
We operate from five hospital sites:
* Aintree University Hospitals — the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside, and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility.
* Broadgreen Hospital — home to several elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation.
* Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital — provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology and respiratory medicine, both in the hospital and out in the community.
* Liverpool Women’s Hospital — specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK's largest single site maternity hospital each year.
* Royal Liverpool University Hospital — provides inpatient care with 100% single en-suite bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.
Job responsibilities
For full details, please refer to the attached job description
People Effectiveness Strategic Focus and Leadership
Lead translation of Liverpool 2030 and Group strategy into a 35 year People Effectiveness roadmap and annual priorities with clear outcomes and measures.
Provide senior advice and support to Hospital Leadership and Corporate Leadership teams on organisational readiness, leadership capability, culture and workforce risks.
Governance, Assurance and Performance Management
Establish governance structures for People Effectiveness programmes (e.g., programme boards, assurance reviews and executive reporting).
Define and monitor KPIs and dashboards, including leading and lagging indicators (culture, leadership capability, engagement, retention, inclusion and skills).
Operating Model and Partnership with Hospital People Teams
Work to clear accountabilities between the People Effectiveness Centre of Expertise and Hospital People Teams, ensuring strong design authority and effective local delivery.
Ensure Hospital People Teams have practical toolkits, interventions and implementation support to embed frameworks locally.
Organisational Development, Culture and Behavioural Change
Set Group-wide expectations for culture and leadership behaviours aligned to UHLG values and Liverpool 2030 ambitions.
Sponsor and assure culture diagnostics, leadership team development and behavioural change programmes in priority areas.
Leadership, Talent, Learning, Skills and Capability
Provide leadership oversight of leadership development, talent management and succession planning for priority and critical roles.
Ensure learning, education and skills plans are aligned to emerging service models and workforce transformation, including values-based development and leadership standards.
Colleague Experience, Wellbeing, Engagement and Retention
Provide senior oversight of Staff Survey governance, engagement and listening strategies; ensure intelligence drives action.
Develop and ensure delivery of a comprehensive wellbeing and staff support offer in partnership with Occupational Health, trade unions and external providers, ensuring retention and wellbeing strategies are evidence-based, targeted and measured.
Inclusion and Equality
Provide visible leadership for equity, diversity and inclusion across all People Effectiveness programmes, ensuring EDI principles are fully embedded in policies, interventions and Group People processes.
Demonstrate Leadership and support for the Head of EDI to provide and mainstream Equality and Diversity good practice into all areas of the People Effectiveness and Group People agenda and associated plans.
Leadership and Line Management
Line manage senior specialist Heads of Service within the People Effectiveness portfolio (e.g., Heads of Service) as delegated.
Professional advice and guidance to managers and key stakeholders
Deliver professional and a high-quality consultancy service that establishes and provides the link between the required strategic and operational outcomes and effective people solutions.
Ensure the service responds and provides expert advice in the interpretation of the People priorities within the Liverpool 2030 Strategy and local People plans and objectives.
Development and Implementation of specific Policy and Project areas.
Work with the central People Operations/ People Effectiveness and Local People teams to develop integrated and accessible People policies that achieve a balance between individual aspirations, external stakeholders and organisational requirements.
Prepare and present business cases and investment proposals relating to People Effectiveness, ensuring effective use of resources and alignment to strategic priorities.
Person Specification
Experience
* Experience leading cultural change and organisational development programmes at scale within a complex environment.
* Experience designing or overseeing performance improvement approaches within People/OD functions.
* Experience engaging seldom-heard staff groups and using staff insight to shape organisational priorities.
* Substantial broad-based senior manager experience gained within a large complex organisation
* Experience of managing and developing staff
* Experience of working with Board Level colleagues in pursuit of Organisational objectives
* Proven track record of implementing employment initiatives within a complex environment
* Demonstrable experience of managing change programmes in a complex environment
* Experience of managing staff and organisational performance issues
Knowledge
* Working knowledge of current employment law and best practice
* Knowledge of competency-based development frameworks and how these support talent and leadership pipelines.
* Understanding of recognition and reward principles and how they contribute to culture and employee experience.
* Awareness of key NHS Strategic plan and frameworks, modernisation, planning and delivery processes
* Knowledge of role redesign and changing workforce processes
* Strategic, customer focus and practical understanding of the relationship between People strategy & policy and business objectives
* Knowledge of OD / EDI / Colleague Experience strategies and national principles and guidance.
* Knowledge of good practice in ED&I
Skills
* Effective leadership skills that inspire others to achieve and exceed objectives
* Highly developed coaching and facilitation skills to build capability across leadership teams and Senior managers.
* Ability to lead organisations through rapid change, ensuring change readiness and psychological safety.
* Excellent oral and written communication skills
* Ability to build credibility quickly and sustain it
* Excellent organisation skills with the ability to respond effectively to multiple priorities
* Ability to work in a climate of rapid change and in a matrix framework of delivery
* Political awareness and ability to influence and work with stakeholders at all levels
* Effective negotiation and influencing skills
Other
* Demonstrates strong systems-thinking capability, understanding how People Effectiveness contributes to high-quality healthcare outcomes.
* Flexible and willing to commit to achieving results and meeting deadlines
* Sets high standards and motivated to achieve these
* Initiative - sees opportunities and acts on them - proactive rather than reactive approach
* Responds positively to a team ethos with a focus on the achievement of organisational goals.
* Able to adapt style to the needs of a diverse environment
* Has high degree of personal integrity
* Is able to stand back and think about the broader perspective in order to identify the best way forward
* Focuses on how People Effectiveness can contribute to high quality healthcare
* Demonstrates the drive and passion to deliver to a standard of excellence, realising opportunities and striving for improvement.
* Commitment to customer service principles and standards within a People Shared Service model
* Commitment to the principles of modern employment practices
* Commitment to mainstream equality & diversity through People Policies, Procedures and Services.
* CIPD, first degree or equivalent qualifications, Masters level qualification in relevant topic or equivalent, Evidence of continuing professional development, Coaching / mentoring qualification.
* Formal Project Management Training
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.
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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