Job summary
The North London NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a permanent, full-time Chief People Officer to start as soon as possible. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive as an Executive member of the Trust Board, the postholder will lead delivery of the Trust's People & Organisational Development Strategy. The role provides senior leadership across human resources, workforce and organisational development, equality, diversity and inclusion, and offers professional HR advice to the Board, Executive Team and wider organisation.
NLFT was established in November 2024 following the merger of Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust & Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust. From 1 April 2026, Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust will join NLFT through a planned acquisition.
We provide all-age acute and community mental health services across North London, alongside regional and national specialist services. This is a pivotal time for the organisation, and we are seeking an exceptional senior leader to shape and drive our people agenda.
Applications close Sunday 22 March. Shortlisted candidates will attend a Stakeholder Engagement Panel on Monday 13 April at St Pancras Hospital, with formal interviews on Tuesday 14 April at the same location, involving the Chief Executive, Trust Chair, an external stakeholder and a service user representative.
To speak with Jinjer Kandola, Chief Executive, please contact her Executive Assistant, Deborah Holmes, at deborah.holmes4@nhs.net.
Main duties of the job
Overall Responsibilities:
oEnsure relationships are developed with other NHS organisations, local authorities, Integrated Care Systems, and regulators
oEnsure the Trust is represented at relevant meetings of national, regional, and local organisations and professional bodies as required
oProvide advice and support to the Chief Executive, Chair and the Executive Directors on all matters relating to statutory and legislative requirements relating to their areas of expertise and areas of accountability
oPractice visible, compassionate leadership across the Trust, in line with Trust Values
oParticipate in the Executive Director on-call rota
About us
North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.
Our Five-Year Strategy:
- We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
- With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
- We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
- We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.
Why NLFT?
- We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
- We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
- NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
- Excellent internal staff network
The post holder will be aligned with our values:
- We Are Kind
- We Are Respectful
- We Work Together
- We Keep Things Simple
- We Empower
- We Are Proudly Diverse
In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Specific Responsibilities:
Lead the further development and embedding of the Trusts People and Organisational Development Strategy
Lead the Trusts organisational development, embedding the North London Way and the Trusts Values in support of our Aims and objectives.
Strengthen leadership at every level of the Trust, through the design and delivery of high quality leadership development programmes, and provision of advice and support to line managers, in support of positive culture change and innovation
Oversee the Trusts training and development programmes for staff, ensuring that the requirements are routinely reviewed, and the Trusts obligations are delivered and that compliance is appropriately reported to the Trust Board
Ensure the Trust has the strong and effective staff engagement ensuring the Trust is recognised as a model employer, with improving NHS Staff Survey results and other workforce indicators
Ensure that there is strong, active and co-ordinated action to support the health and wellbeing of our staff
Act as the Executive Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, managing the EDI Team, to continue to improve EDI across the Trust and improve performance against the NHS Workforce Race and Disability Equality Standards
Interpret and anticipate national, regional and local workforce policy to ensure the Trusts People and Organisational Development Strategy, Policies and plans support the effective recruitment, retention, leadership and management of staff, in line with the national NHS People Plan
Lead the work across the Trust to develop and implement an annual workforce plan, to ensure an appropriately skilled and experienced workforce at all levels, and that we continue to reduce our reliance on bank and agency staffing
Work closely with other Executive Directors and Clinical Care Group leadership teams to ensure innovative staff recruitment and retention strategies, including new, flexible roles and ways of working, with workforce redesign at the heart of service redesign
Manage the relationship with the external recruitment shared service provider and other external contracts within the People and Organisational Development Directorate
Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of key performance indicators and provide workforce information and assurance to the Trust Board and Board Committees, and to Trust leaders, to facilitate improved individual, team and organisational performance
Ensure there is an effective appraisal and performance management framework for all employees, supporting the delivery of the Trusts objectives
Ensure productive partnership working with staff representatives, trade unions and Staff Governors, involving them appropriately in strategic and operational planning and work co-operatively with them to enable the delivery of the Trusts objectives
Job description
Job responsibilities
Specific Responsibilities:
Lead the further development and embedding of the Trusts People and Organisational Development Strategy
Lead the Trusts organisational development, embedding the North London Way and the Trusts Values in support of our Aims and objectives.
Strengthen leadership at every level of the Trust, through the design and delivery of high quality leadership development programmes, and provision of advice and support to line managers, in support of positive culture change and innovation
Oversee the Trusts training and development programmes for staff, ensuring that the requirements are routinely reviewed, and the Trusts obligations are delivered and that compliance is appropriately reported to the Trust Board
Ensure the Trust has the strong and effective staff engagement ensuring the Trust is recognised as a model employer, with improving NHS Staff Survey results and other workforce indicators
Ensure that there is strong, active and co-ordinated action to support the health and wellbeing of our staff
Act as the Executive Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, managing the EDI Team, to continue to improve EDI across the Trust and improve performance against the NHS Workforce Race and Disability Equality Standards
Interpret and anticipate national, regional and local workforce policy to ensure the Trusts People and Organisational Development Strategy, Policies and plans support the effective recruitment, retention, leadership and management of staff, in line with the national NHS People Plan
Lead the work across the Trust to develop and implement an annual workforce plan, to ensure an appropriately skilled and experienced workforce at all levels, and that we continue to reduce our reliance on bank and agency staffing
Work closely with other Executive Directors and Clinical Care Group leadership teams to ensure innovative staff recruitment and retention strategies, including new, flexible roles and ways of working, with workforce redesign at the heart of service redesign
Manage the relationship with the external recruitment shared service provider and other external contracts within the People and Organisational Development Directorate
Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of key performance indicators and provide workforce information and assurance to the Trust Board and Board Committees, and to Trust leaders, to facilitate improved individual, team and organisational performance
Ensure there is an effective appraisal and performance management framework for all employees, supporting the delivery of the Trusts objectives
Ensure productive partnership working with staff representatives, trade unions and Staff Governors, involving them appropriately in strategic and operational planning and work co-operatively with them to enable the delivery of the Trusts objectives
Person Specification
Skills/ Abilities
Essential
- Able to operate confidently within complex and ambiguous change environments
- Able to develop successful relationships internally and externally with a wide range of stakeholders and work with individuals and groups from a range of backgrounds
- Strong commercial and business acumen and judgment, understanding the need for efficient, responsive and effective People Services
- High degree of political sensitivity and experience of dealing with a range of issues
- Ability to establish rapport/credibility with Trust colleagues including patients, clinicians, managers, staff, staff representatives and professionals from outside the Trust
Qualifications/ Registrations
Essential
- Graduate level education and/or relevant professional qualification
Desirable
- Management/business qualification
Experience/ Knowledge
Essential
- Successful track record at Board Director / Deputy level in a People and Organisational Development (or equivalent) leadership role in an NHS, other public service or similar organisation operating in a highly complex environment
- Track record of achievement as a leader with demonstrated significant successes through building relationships
- Experience in the delivery of complex work, incorporating multiple inputs and stakeholders with fluctuating and competing priorities
- Evidence of a collaborative management style coupled with improving quality of service provision at a strategic level
- Experience of successfully delivering complex and challenging organisational change
Desirable
- Experience of mental health and or community health and social care delivery
- Experience of representing an NHS organisation at regional and national meetings
Personal Qualities
Essential
- High levels of emotional resilience to be able to deal with the most sensitive and political issues and manage a challenging agenda with self-belief and in a positive manner
- Ability to manage self and exhibit personal skills, including self-awareness, self-management and drive for improvement and be able to lead others effectively
- Politically sensitive and aware
- Demonstrated high level of emotional intelligence
- Personal commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Person Specification
Skills/ Abilities
Essential
- Able to operate confidently within complex and ambiguous change environments
- Able to develop successful relationships internally and externally with a wide range of stakeholders and work with individuals and groups from a range of backgrounds
- Strong commercial and business acumen and judgment, understanding the need for efficient, responsive and effective People Services
- High degree of political sensitivity and experience of dealing with a range of issues
- Ability to establish rapport/credibility with Trust colleagues including patients, clinicians, managers, staff, staff representatives and professionals from outside the Trust
Qualifications/ Registrations
Essential
- Graduate level education and/or relevant professional qualification
Desirable
- Management/business qualification
Experience/ Knowledge
Essential
- Successful track record at Board Director / Deputy level in a People and Organisational Development (or equivalent) leadership role in an NHS, other public service or similar organisation operating in a highly complex environment
- Track record of achievement as a leader with demonstrated significant successes through building relationships
- Experience in the delivery of complex work, incorporating multiple inputs and stakeholders with fluctuating and competing priorities
- Evidence of a collaborative management style coupled with improving quality of service provision at a strategic level
- Experience of successfully delivering complex and challenging organisational change
Desirable
- Experience of mental health and or community health and social care delivery
- Experience of representing an NHS organisation at regional and national meetings
Personal Qualities
Essential
- High levels of emotional resilience to be able to deal with the most sensitive and political issues and manage a challenging agenda with self-belief and in a positive manner
- Ability to manage self and exhibit personal skills, including self-awareness, self-management and drive for improvement and be able to lead others effectively
- Politically sensitive and aware
- Demonstrated high level of emotional intelligence
- Personal commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
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.
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. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
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. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
