About this role
Job summary
Direct recruitment only, no agencies please
We are seeking an inspirational and inclusive leader who is currently serving as a Chief People Officer or is an experienced Deputy Chief People Officer in a comparable organisation.
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive you will be a key member of the Executive Team and a non-voting member of the Board of Directors.
As Chief People Officer at one of the UK's leading cancer centres you will be accountable for the strategic leadership and operational delivery across the workforce agenda and lead the Workforce Directorate.
With a strong track record of successful workforce and resource management, ensuring high performance and holding individuals to account, you will have experience of building cohesive teams and inspiring others to achieve excellence.
You will champion our values, fostering behaviours that place patients at the heart of everything we do and recognise staff for their contribution.
Main duties of the job
As a key member of the Executive Team, you will need to demonstrate significant experience and a proven track record whilst bringing credibility, presence, leadership, and ambition to inspire confidence and influence colleagues at every level. The ability to contribute across the breadth of the Board's agenda will be crucial in this critical role.
You will provide strong, visible, compassionate, and values based leadership and bring a deep commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism. You will possess excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills. A demonstrable passion for excellent patient care and a genuine commitment to staff engagement will be essential.
About us
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's leading cancer centres providing highly specialist cancer care to a population of 2.4m people across Cheshire and Merseyside, and the surrounding areas, including North Wales and the Isle of Man.
Our vision is to not only maintain this level of commitment to excellence but to work with our academic and healthcare partners across the region to ensure care, treatment and patient outcomes continuously improve in the future. We are very proud of all our expert and loyal staff and we welcome people who share the collective aim of delivering excellence in everything that we do.
Our values represent who we are and what we believe in. They define how we act to deliver the best possible care for our patients and shape The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre as a great place to work.
We are -
Kind Empowered Responsible Inclusive Vision, mission and values :: The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
Job description Job responsibilities
Candidates interested in this critical post should download the Recruitment Pack for further details and how to apply.
Candidates should apply for this role by completing an application form and providing a CV as well as providing a covering letter to [email protected].
Confidential conversations with Joan Spencer, Chief Executive Officer are welcome. Please [email protected] to arrange.
Interviews are scheduled for 25 September 2026.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Educated to degree level, ideally masters, or equivalent experience Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD) or equivalent professional credibility
Skills, abilities, and personal qualities Essential
Strategic and operational workforce leadership capability Strategic intellect and the ability to translate organisational ambition into a coherent workforce agenda High-level influencing and stakeholder management skills, with credibility to represent the Trust and build trusted partnerships across systems Visible, inclusive, and compassionate leadership style that promotes an open culture, empowers teams and role-models high professional standards Ability to develop leadership capability and talent, including succession planning and performance development Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and to reducing health inequalities through population health approaches and neighbourhood-based models of care Resilience and personal effectiveness to operate in a high-profile, high accountability role, managing competing priorities and delivering through others
Knowledge and experience Essential
A demonstrable track record of shaping and delivering workforce strategy in environments of transformation and change, working with clinical and non clinical colleagues A deep and current understanding of workforce strategy, organisational development, employee legislation and HR practice Evidence of building and leading high-performing people functions Strong employee relations experience, including constructive working with trade union partners Experience of operating at Board / Executive level, contributing to organisational strategy, governance and assurance, and effective decision making Experience of building and maintaining effective partnerships including across health and care systems, provider partners, and wider stakeholders Understanding of the role of digital, data and operational intelligence in improving quality, performance, and productivity
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.
Certificate of 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. 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).
Employer details Employer name The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHSFT
Address The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre - The Spine
Paddington Village
Liverpool
L7 3FA
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.clatterbridgecc.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)