Job Summary
Our Culture, Leadership and Learning Team at Cambridge University Hospitals plays a central role in shaping an inclusive, high‑performing organisation where our people can thrive and deliver outstanding care. You will join a collaborative and ambitious team committed to improving staff experience, strengthening leadership capability and embedding a culture of continuous improvement.
We are looking for a highly skilled, experienced and motivated individual to lead our People Experience and Engagement agenda across the Trust. This strategically important role is responsible for designing and delivering a trust‑wide approach to employee engagement, insight and improvement that reaches all staff groups and communities.
Working closely with the Director of Culture, Leadership and Learning, you will bring together staff feedback, data and insight to inform meaningful organisational change. You will lead the development of a coherent engagement cycle, including the National Staff Survey, pulse surveys and targeted interventions, ensuring insight translates into sustained improvement in culture, performance and staff experience. This role is predominantly based on‑site, with a strong emphasis on building relationships across clinical and corporate teams. Your visibility, credibility and ability to engage at all levels will be key to success.
Responsibilities
* Lead the creation and delivery of a comprehensive People Experience and Engagement programme and annual cycle, ensuring alignment with Trust strategy and workforce priorities.
* Provide expert insight and thought leadership on employee experience and engagement, using data from multiple sources to inform organisational decision‑making and improvement.
* Lead the design and delivery of innovative, sustainable interventions that improve staff experience, engagement and organisational performance across a complex system.
* Bring complex data to life through compelling storytelling, dashboards and insight reports, enabling leaders to understand performance and take action.
* Oversee the delivery of Trust‑wide staff surveys and evaluation activity, ensuring that outputs translate into meaningful and measurable change.
* Build strong, effective relationships with senior leaders, clinical teams and corporate functions, influencing and supporting improvement across the organisation.
* Lead and develop staff within the PX function and work across matrix teams to deliver complex, cross‑organisational programmes.
* Support teams and services to improve engagement and experience, including challenging underperformance and enabling sustainable change.
* Lead evaluation and benefits realisation, ensuring that improvements are aligned with Trust priorities and deliver measurable impact.
About Us
Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and 1,100 beds, the Trust focuses on quality service, patient care and staff wellbeing. CUH is recognised for outstanding care and rated ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commissioner. We promote a diverse and inclusive community and welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, pregnancy, maternity status or socio‑economic background.
Benefits
We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on‑site leisure facilities, a shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our work programme includes reduced‑cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from CUH sites, free Park & Ride journeys, subsidised on‑site parking for eligible staff and 24/7 hot food at a reduced cost. We provide flexible arrangements such as part‑time, job‑share, term‑time working and flexible start/finish times. We also support a good work‑life balance and are open to discussing alternative working hours.
Employment Terms
Band: 8a
Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 per annum, pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full‑time, Part‑time, Flexible working
Date posted: 25 March 2026
Reference number: 180‑F‑265013
Job location: Addenbrookes Hospital – Division Corporate, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ
Qualifications (Essential)
* Master’s level education or equivalent senior‑level experience in a specialist area.
* Post‑graduate qualification or equivalent experience with continuous learning in Organisational Development, Organisational Change or Organisational Behaviour.
* Evidence of relevant continuous professional development.
Qualifications (Desirable)
* Recognised relevant management qualification or equivalent depth and breadth of leadership and management experience.
Experience (Essential)
* Substantial experience working within the public sector or similar complex organisations in employee experience and/or engagement.
* Success in collaborative work across professions, services and stakeholders.
* Demonstrated success in planning and managing change projects.
* Significant cross‑organisational working.
* Significant experience managing complexity, leading others and working with senior leaders.
* Experience managing a matrix‑based team and reviewing performance of individuals.
* Analysis and utilisation of complex information to secure change.
* Stakeholder engagement, management and mediation in contested contexts.
Experience (Desirable)
* Programme Leadership Experience.
* Public Sector or Integrated Care System (ICS) working.
* Cross‑institutional working.
* Working with executive and CEO leadership.
Knowledge (Essential)
* Public sector knowledge and experience and understanding of working in complex organisations and change management.
* Organisational Development, People Experience (including PX design) & workforce service improvement models.
* PMO Governance and performance management.
* Principles of lifelong learning.
* Employee engagement and involvement including co‑production of plans and change management.
Knowledge (Desirable)
* Understanding of how a hospital and wider community health and care system works.
Skills (Essential)
* Outstanding leadership, influencing, negotiating and interpersonal skills.
* Ability to build partnerships and secure ownership of proposals across organisational boundaries, influencing clinicians and managers for service improvement.
* Ability to plan and organise a broad range of complex activities, formulating and adjusting plans to reflect changing circumstances.
* Capability to plan over short, medium and long‑term timeframes and adjust plans and resources accordingly.
* Strong analytical ability to handle complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult issues and present complex information to influential groups.
* Excellent storytelling skills to bring data and insights to life.
* Ability to negotiate on difficult and controversial issues, including performance and change.
* Strategic thinking to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.
* Budget and resource management.
* Supporting and implementing strategy, guidelines and projects from initiation to completion.
* Computer literacy, including data protection and interpretation.
* Strong prioritisation and ability to direct activities of others.
* Positive and effective team worker.
* Calm and effective handling of challenging situations with strong differences of opinion.
Skills (Desirable)
* Complex programme evaluation.
* Digital and data system development.
Additional Requirements (Essential)
* Behaviour aligned with Trust values: safe, kind, excellent.
* Willingness to work anywhere in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System and to travel within the region and nationally.
Additional Requirements (Desirable)
* Ability to work flexible hours.
EEO Statement
We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity status or socio‑economic background. We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Disclosures
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) will be required to check for previous criminal convictions.
Workforce Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.
Employer Information
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Addenbrookes Hospital – Division Corporate, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ
Website: https://www.cuh.nhs.uk
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