Deputy Chief of People & Culture

Job summary

I am keen to speak with candidates that have experience of working across organisational boundaries with partners (voluntary, private and public) in the local health economy and beyond. Experience of working in shared services and or driving scaled up corporate services will be important to help build on the national work and focus on the target operating model for the future People services across the NHS.

This is a significant leadership role where the postholder will have regular input in business decisions in teams across the organisation and frequent engagement with board level colleagues. The role is therefore suitable for candidates who are keen to augment their current leadership experience as they prepare for board level roles.

The advert will close on Wednesday 11 February 2026 at midday. Any applications received after this time will not be considered

Shortlisted candidates will be notified on Thursday 12 February 2026 by 5pm

Panel interview will take place on Friday 20 February 2026. There will also be one stakeholder event on the day

I am happy to have an informal chat to discuss the role, if this will be helpful; please email my colleague Helen via Helen.Middleditch@nhs.net

Applications for this role will be done by sending in your CV and a covering letter addressed to the Chief of People and Culture.

Please submit your application (CV and covering letter) to my colleague Helen Middleditch using the following email address Helen.Middleditch@nhs.net

Main duties of the job

For further information, please see the attached job description and person specification for a full list of duties and responsibilities.

About us

We are a leading local employer with a diverse workforce of approximately 6,000 staff, dedicated to providing healthcare services to a growing population of around 780,000 individuals.

Our Trust provides both emergency and planned healthcare across East Surrey, North-East West Sussex, and South Croydon - covering towns like Crawley, Horsham, Reigate, and Redhill. Our main hospital, East Surrey in Redhill, offers a full range of acute and specialist services and is also the closest trauma unit to Gatwick Airport. We also provide outpatient, diagnostic, and planned care services at sites including The Earlswood Centre, Caterham Dene Hospital, Oxted Health Centre, Crawley Hospital, and Horsham Hospital.

We are proud to be an inclusive employer, and we work hard to create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported. At our Trust, we strive to be the best place to work and receive care. We are dedicated to supporting you in your current role while helping you grow and develop your career. As part of our team, you will have access to excellent training opportunities, flexible working, dedicated support networks, and a strong emphasis on health and wellbeing to ensure a thriving and positive work environment.

Employer details

Employer name

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

Address

East Surrey Hospital

Canada Avenue

Redhill

RH1 5RH

Employer's website

https://surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

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Employer details

Employer name

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

Address

East Surrey Hospital

Canada Avenue

Redhill

RH1 5RH

Employer's website

https://surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

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