About this role
Job summary
As an HR Business Partner at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (ESHT), you will play a pivotal senior role supporting Divisions to deliver high-quality patient care through an effective, engaged and well-planned workforce. Working as a trusted adviser to Divisional leaders, you will shape and deliver strategic and operational HR solutions that align workforce capability, capacity and culture to the Trust's priorities.
You will lead on workforce planning, organisational change and HR strategy, ensuring best practice, legal compliance and a strong focus on staff wellbeing, engagement and equality. The role works collaboratively across HR specialisms - including Workforce, Employee Relations, OD, Recruitment and Wellbeing .
This is a high-impact, influential role for an experienced HR professional who wants to shape people strategy, enable transformation and make a tangible difference in a frontline healthcare environment.
Main duties of the job
Strategic HR partnering
Act as the HR lead to a Clinical Division, aligning people strategy with divisional and Trust objectives. Build trusted, influential relationships with Divisional leaders, senior managers and clinicians. Workforce planning and organisational change
Lead and support strategic and operational workforce planning, including skill mix, succession planning and establishment control. Support large-scale change programmes such as service transformation, restructuring, TUPE and right-sizing initiatives. Employee relations leadership
Lead on highly complex and sensitive employee relations cases, including disciplinary, grievance, sickness absence, capability and MHPS matters. Implement a progressive, business-focused employee relations strategy that promotes fairness, wellbeing, engagement and legal compliance. Governance, risk and compliance
Ensure Divisions comply with employment law, Agenda for Change, Trust policies and NHS regulatory requirements. Implement effective HR risk management, escalation and assurance processes. Policy development and best practice
Lead and contribute to the development, review and implementation of employment policies and procedures. Ensure HR practice reflects current legislation, national NHS guidance and best practice.
About us
A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries. staff restaurants and accommodation.
In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year.
There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.
Statement on the Use of AI
We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective.
Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.
We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete their applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.
Job description Job responsibilities
The HR Business Partner is a senior, strategic role responsible for managing the relationship between a Clinical Division and the Trusts People functions to deliver a highquality, integrated HR service. The post holder acts as a trusted adviser to Divisional leaders, proactively supporting them to achieve their strategic, operational and workforce objectives through effective people management and organisational development.
The role is central to aligning workforce capacity, capability and culture with the Trusts priorities, ensuring East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust is positioned as an employer of choice that attracts, retains and develops highperforming staff who reflect the Trusts values. The post holder provides expert leadership on workforce planning, organisational change and complex employee relations, while promoting staff wellbeing, engagement, equality and fairness.
Main responsibilities The HR Business Partner is accountable for delivering a comprehensive range of strategic and operational HR responsibilities, including:
Providing strategic HR leadership and advice to a Clinical Division, ensuring people strategies are aligned with Divisional and Trustwide objectives and support the delivery of safe, effective patient care.
Leading the development and implementation of divisional workforce plans, including workforce modelling, skill mix reviews, succession planning and establishment control, working closely with finance and workforce colleagues.
Supporting and leading complex organisational change and transformation programmes, including service redesign, restructuring, TUPE transfers and rightsizing initiatives, ensuring appropriate consultation, risk management and staff engagement throughout.
Acting as thesenior lead for employee relations within the Division, managing and advising on highly complex and sensitive cases including disciplinary, grievance, sickness absence, capability and Maintaining High Professional Standards (MHPS) cases, ensuring consistency, fairness and legal compliance.
Ensuring the Division complies withemployment law, national NHS terms and conditions (Agenda for Change), Trust policies and relevant regulatory frameworks.
Contributing to the development, review and implementation of HR policies and procedures, ensuring they reflect current legislation, national guidance and best practice and meet audit and governance standards.
Working collaboratively across HR specialisms including Workforce, Recruitment, Organisational Development, Education, Wellbeing and Employee Relations to deliver a coordinated, efficient and responsive HR service aligned to Divisional needs.
Building and maintaining effective partnership working with trade unions and staffside representatives, supporting consultation, negotiation, communication and employee engagement.
Providing professional leadership within the HR function, contributing to Trustwide HR projects and priorities, supporting the development of HR colleagues and deputising for the Head of HR Business Partnering when required.
Skills, knowledge and experience required to deliver the role To deliver this role effectively, the post holder must demonstrate a high level of specialist expertise, professional credibility and leadership capability, including:
Extensive seniorlevel HR experience, ideally within a large, complex and unionised organisation, with a strong understanding of healthcare provision and the NHS operating environment.
Highly developed knowledge of employment law, national NHS terms and conditions, and bestpractice HR and employee relations approaches, with the ability to apply this knowledge to complex and sensitive situations.
Proven ability tooperate strategically, seeing the wider organisational picture while translating strategic objectives into practical, deliverable workforce and operational plans.
Significant experience of leading and advising on complex employee relations and medical staffing cases, managing risk and maintaining fairness, integrity and professionalism.
Strong leadership, influencing and negotiation skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively and influence senior leaders, clinicians and stakeholders at all levels.
Excellent analytical and problemsolving skills, with the ability to interpret complex data, assess risk, and develop pragmatic, evidencebased solutions.
Outstanding communication and relationshipmanagement skills, enabling the post holder to build trust, manage conflict, communicate highly sensitive information and foster effective partnerships.
A strong commitment to staff wellbeing, equality, diversity and inclusion, demonstrating emotional intelligence, resilience and a valuesbased approach to people management.
Evidence of continuous professional development and professional HR registration (e.g. CIPD), reflecting a commitment to maintaining expertise and developing best practice.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Masters Degree Level education or equivalent experience. Post-graduate Diploma or MSC in HR or equivalent experience. Evidence of Continuing Professional Development. Member of CIPD or equivalent experience
Desirable
Project Management qualification Formal leadership and management development, evidenced by a qualification or participation in a recognised programme Associate CIPD member
Experience Essential
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. Experience of managing cross functional projects and integration of services. Proven experience of working at and influencing, senior level required and providing expert advice to Board level. Experience of successful management of complex employee relation cases. Extensive experience of leading transformation programmes and implementing right sizing initiatives including management of redundancy and TUPE Experience of leading/setting organisational policy based on interpretation of national guidance or legislation. Experience of developing, executing and tracking the success of HR functions and projects. Demonstrable experience of managing contentious people issues effectively together with a high level of emotional intelligence and strong interpersonal and communication skills. Extensive experience working in a complex unionised environment.
Desirable
NHS experience. Experience of Medical Staffing terms & conditions Experience of managing highly complex MHPS casework
Skills Essential
Highly developed specialist knowledge of current, emerging employment law and best practice issues and their impact on service provision An in-depth understanding of health care provision and awareness of current NHS policies and priorities. Ability to formulate, plan and 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. Full range of operational and strategic skills at a senior HR level. Demonstrated ability to increase productivity and continuously improve methods, approaches, and departmental contribution while being cost-sensitive.
Desirable
Specialist knowledge of current and emerging approaches to leadership development Knowledge of compliance and regulatory frameworks such as NHSLA, CQC Knowledge of joint partnership working in a unionised environment
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 East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
Address Eastbourne District General Hospital
Eastbourne
BN21 2UD
Employer's website http://jobs.esht.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)