About this role
Job summary
Our ambition at the Royal Free London is to deliver world class expertise and local care, combining outstanding healthcare with ground-breaking research, education and innovation. Our 18,000 people are central to achieving that ambition, and we have recently launched our new People Strategy for 2027-2031: World class people for world class care. We are now looking for an exceptional Group Director of People to help us turn that ambition into reality.
Reporting to the Group Chief People Officer and acting as their deputy, this is a pivotal leadership role within the People Directorate and across the Royal Free London. You will provide strategic and operational leadership across our group People functions, working closely with Health Unit Directors of People and Culture and other senior People leaders to deliver an outstanding and increasingly consistent experience for our people across the organisation.
Our new People Strategy is deliberately ambitious and focused. It sets out how we will shape our culture, enable our people to be at their best, and ensure our workforce is future ready. We want to build consistently excellent leadership, be brilliant at the fundamentals that matter to our people, create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, and prepare our workforce for the opportunities presented by new models of care, digital technology, data and AI.
Main duties of the job
As Group Director of People, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across our group People functions and play a leading role in translating our new People Strategy into measurable improvements in the everyday experience of our people.
As Deputy to the Group Chief People Officer, you will represent the People Directorate at senior forums and deputise as required, providing expert advice and leadership across complex workforce and organisational issues.
You will lead a significant portfolio of group-wide People services and Centres of Expertise, including:
People Operations and Group People Services, including Workforce Information, Policy, People Hub and Freedom to Speak Up Employee Resolutions and Advisory Service (ERAS) Inclusion, Wellbeing and Recognition Resourcing, Retention and Programmes People Planning, Operations and Partnerships. Working in partnership with Health Unit People teams and colleagues across the wider People Directorate, you will drive greater consistency, quality and impact across our People services. You will champion a people-centred employment experience, ensure we are brilliant at the basics, use data and insight to drive performance and improvement, and help modernise our services through digital technology, automation and new ways of working.
About us
The Royal Free London is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, with 18,000 people working side by side across four acute hospitals and more than 70 sites in north London and Hertfordshire, serving a population of around two million people. We combine internationally recognised specialist expertise with high-quality local hospital and community care.
Our mission brings together world class healthcare treatment, clinical research and teaching excellence. We are one of the country's leading research trusts, a major provider of medical, nursing and allied health professional education, and an organisation with a strong track record of innovation and partnership.
Our workforce is as diverse as the communities we serve, with colleagues from more than 140 countries and an extraordinary breadth of professions, skills and experience. Our shared commitments - Care with compassion, Champion inclusion, Act with integrity and Deliver excellence - describe how we want to work with one another and are the foundation of our People Strategy.
We are at an exciting point in our development. With a new People Strategy now in place, this role offers the opportunity to help shape the next chapter of the Royal Free London and make a tangible difference to the experience of our people and, ultimately, the patients and communities we serve.
Job description Job responsibilities
Full duties and responsibilities are outlined in the Job Description and Person Specification.
Should you wish to review the People Strategy document, please contact Claudia McCarthy directly (details below) and a copy will be provided via email.
Stakeholder panel w/c 16th November 2026
Interview panel w/c 23rd November 2026
Person Specification
Education and professional qualifications Essential
Degree Level Education or equivalent experience Chartered Member of the CIPD. Post-graduate Diploma or MSC in HR or equivalent experience. Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
Desirable
Project Management qualification.
Experience Essential
Experience of managing budgets and delivering savings. Experience of managing cross -functional and group level projects and integration of services at a senior level. An in-depth understanding of health care provision and awareness of current NHS policies and priorities Experience of leading, coaching and building capability in all aspects of the HR function. Significant experience in Senior HR / People positions, preferably in a similar sector.
Desirable
Proven experience of working at Senior/Executive level required and providing expert advice to Board level committees.
Royal Free shared commitments Essential
Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust shared commitments.
Skills and aptitudes Essential
Strong effective communicator in writing, business presentations and in interpersonal communication. Highly developed, demonstrated teamwork skills Excellent organisational, prioritisation, analytical and planning skills with a high attention to detail and process. Ability to set out a clear strategic direction, inspire and engage others, together with an ability to translate strategic objectives into deliverable operation plans Highly developed leadership, negotiation and influencing skills with the ability to motivate, challenge and engage individuals and teams Ability to lead in an environment of constant change. Delegates clearly and monitors progress regularly and giving timely support where necessary.
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 Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Address Crowndale Centre
218 Eversholt Street
London
NW1 1BD
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)