Job Overview
PLEASE NOTE THIS AN INTERNAL ROLE OPEN TO EMPLOYEES OF THE ROYAL UNITED HOSPITAL, GREAT WESTERN HOSPITAL AND SALISBURY HOSPITAL ONLY.
The BSW Hospitals Group is seeking an exceptional Head of Employee Relations and Employee Helpdesk to lead and transform our Employee Relations (ER) function across the Group. This is a high‑impact, strategic leadership role at the heart of our People agenda shaping culture, modernising policy, driving digital innovation, and ensuring a fair, inclusive, and legally robust ER services for our 15,000+ colleagues.
You will provide expert leadership across all aspects of Employee Relations, from complex casework to policy development, organisational change, and partnership working with Trade Unions. You will also drive the transformation of our ER Helpdesk into a modern, digitally enabled service that empowers managers and enhances employee experience.
Working closely with the Chief People Officer, Executive Directors, senior operational leaders, and staffside partners, you will play a pivotal role in delivering the BSW Group’s People Strategy, supporting cultural transformation, and embedding a restorative, just, and learning culture across our Care Organisations.
This is an exciting opportunity for a visionary ER leader who thrives on influence, innovation, and system‑wide impact.
The role will include travel/working between the three Care Organisations. You will be based at one Trust and expected to work at one of the other two sites one day per week.
Main duties of the job
As the postholder you will act as a senior advisor to the Chief People Officer and Executive Team. You will build strong, collaborative relationships with Trade Unions and senior leaders, champion inclusive and restorative approaches, and ensure governance and legal compliance across all Care Organisations. In addition,
* You will provide strategic leadership, aligning ER strategy with the People Strategy and NHS People Plan. This includes developing a proactive ER framework across Agenda for Change and Medical & Dental staff groups.
* You will lead the development and modernisation of People policies across the Group, ensuring they are inclusive and legally compliant.
* You will oversee the introduction of service‑level agreements, data‑driven performance measures and the implementation of digital tools to support efficiencies and employee experience.
The role will include travel between the three Care Organisations, with the majority of time spent at the base location (GWH). The post-holder will be expected to work at one of the other two sites (RUH or SFT) one day per week.
Working for our organisation
We are proud to be part of BSW Hospitals Group – a formal partnership between Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. With a combined workforce of over 17,600 colleagues, and budget of 1.6 billion the Group is united by a common purpose to deliver the best possible care to over 1 million people.
We are creating a health and care system that works with the people we care for, reducing the differences people currently face in access, experience and outcomes, improving the experience of our colleagues and tackling shared challenges like sustainability and finances. Every improvement we make across our Group will be guided by what creates the greatest benefit for our colleagues, our patients, our communities and our partners.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
The Head of Employee Relations and Employee Help will lead the Group’s Employee Relations (ER) function, including the ER Helpdesk, ensuring the delivery of a high‑quality, responsive, and legally compliant service. This strategic leadership role will shape and deliver workforce‑related initiatives that support the Trust’s people strategy, organisational goals, and cultural transformation.
Please See Attached Full Job Description
Person specification
Education
Essential criteria
* CIPD Level 7 or equivalent experience/ Member of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
* Educated to Degree / Masters level or able to demonstrate equivalent level of knowledge. Significant leadership and management experience, preferably in the NHS
Experience And Skills
Essential criteria
* Experience of diagnosing, developing and delivering effective HR interventions in a variety of situations.
* Sound knowledge of employment law
* Proven experience and ability in managing operational performance with tight financial constraints demonstrating effective budget management
* Evidence of leading successful service developments / change management programmes
* Ability to develop strong and credible relationships with all staff to develop common aims and objectives within a complex organisation
* Significant experience of Human Resource management and people engagement
* Experience of being able to balance competing priorities within a fluctuating and demanding workload
Desirable criteria
* Working knowledge of ESR, a computerised payroll/HR information system or an HR system
* Working knowledge of NHS terms and conditions of employment
* An understanding of healthcare employment process
Please note - Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered unless an alternative right to work solution can be provided. Candidates requiring sponsorship (or will need sponsorship at the end of a current visa e.g. those with graduate visa's) should review the eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying: Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
* Job description - Head of Employee Relations & Employee Help Desk (PDF, 222.2KB)
* Join the RUH (PDF, 1.1MB)
Further details / informal visits contact
Name Eugenie Mellon
Job title Associate Director of HR Operations
Email address Eugenie.mellon@nhs.net
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