About this role
Job summary
THIS POST IS FIXED TERM/SECONDMENT FOR 18 MONTHS END MARCH 2028 DUE TO FUNDING.
Do you enjoy getting underneath what an organisation is trying to achieve and helping leaders turn that into practical people and workforce decisions?
We're looking for an experienced People/HR Partner to work alongside Executive Directors and senior leaders across Public Health Wales.
This is a broad partnering role where you'll bring insight, professional judgement and constructive challenge, connecting the right People & OD expertise to help leaders move from thinking and planning into delivery.
You'll be joining at an important time for the organisation as there will be significant change alongside the day-to-day workforce challenges of running our services. We need someone who can see the bigger picture, make sense of complexity and help leaders translate priorities into practical action.
You won't be expected to have all the answers yourself. A key part of the role is knowing when to challenge, when to advise and when to bring together expertise from across People & OD and the wider organisation to help move things forward.
Interviews: 17 November 2026, in person at CQ2
Main duties of the job
About you
You'll have substantial senior-level People/HR/OD partnering experience in a complex organisation and be comfortable working with senior leaders, managing competing priorities and moving between the bigger organisational picture and the detail needed to make things happen.
You'll bring sound professional judgement, strong influencing skills and the confidence to challenge constructively. We'll also want to understand how you've used workforce insight and your professional expertise to deliver practical, measurable improvements.
You'll need the professional knowledge and experience set out in the person specification, including Chartered Membership of the CIPD (MCIPD).
Why join us now?
This is an opportunity to make a real contribution
You'll be joining at a point where strong People partnering really matters. You'll have significant autonomy and the opportunity to work on real organisational questions, helping leaders think through workforce, capability and organisational issues and turn decisions into delivery.
If you enjoy making sense of complexity, working with senior leaders and turning workforce challenges into practical action, there will be plenty here to get involved in
How we work
We work in a hybrid way. The Partner team meets face-to-face monthly and you'll also attend key Directorate meetings in person. Beyond that, where you work will be shaped by the needs of the role and the Directorate(s) you support
About us
We are Public Health Wales - the national public health organisation in Wales. Our purpose is 'Working together for a healthier Wales'. We exist to help everyone in Wales live longer, healthier, happier lives. Together with our partners, we work to increase healthy life expectancy, improve health and well-being, and reduce inequalities for everyone in Wales, now and for future generations.
We are guided by our Values, 'Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference'. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace that values equality and diversity. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of the communities we serve and are supportive of flexible working arrangements, including part time roles and job sharing.
To find out more about working for us and the benefits we offer please visit https://phw.nhs.wales/careers
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents.
Working with Executive Directors and senior leadership teams, youll provide senior People & OD advice, coaching and constructive challenge.
A significant part of the role will be helping leaders navigate organisational change, including service change, organisation and role design, restructuring, skill mix and new ways of working. Alongside this, youll:
- translate organisational priorities into practical workforce and organisational plans;
- help leaders think ahead about workforce capacity, capability and future requirements;
- use workforce data and insight to support decisions and identify where action is needed;
- help navigate complex and sensitive people issues;
- support culture, leadership, engagement and team effectiveness;
- work constructively with Trade Unions and staff representatives;
- connect leaders with expertise across People & OD and other functions; and
- use evidence and insight to understand whats working and where we need to do something differently
Already working in the NHS?
This could be a really good opportunity to broadening your experience, working closely with senior leaders and contributing during an important period for the organisation.
We particularly welcome applications from existing NHS colleagues interested in joining us on secondment, subject to agreement with your current employer.
Coming from outside the NHS? Wed like to hear from you too.
NHS experience is helpful, but it isnt essential. If youve worked at a senior People/HR/OD level in another organisation, have recent experience of organisational change and can build credibility quickly, your experience could translate well.
Experience of working in a complex, unionised environment will be particularly useful.
Youll need to get to grips with Public Health Wales and the NHS Wales context quickly, but were equally interested in the different experience and perspective you could bring.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- Masters-level qualification in HR/OD or equivalent knowledge and skills gained through significant experience.
- Chartered Membership of CIPD (MCIPD) with evidence of continued professional development.
Experience
Essential
- Significant senior-level experience in a HR/People business partnering role within a complex organisation.
- Experience of supporting senior leaders and leadership teams on complex workforce and organisational issues.
- Experience of workforce planning, organisational design and implementing workforce solutions to meet organisational need.
- Experience of using workforce data, insight and evidence to inform decision-making and drive improvement.
- Experience of working effectively with Trade Unions and other key stakeholders.
Skills & Attributes
Essential
- Highly developed influencing, negotiating and communication skills, able to convey complex, sensitive or contentious information effectively to diverse audiences
- Ability to build credibility and effective working relationships with senior leaders and stakeholders.
- Ability to provide constructive challenge and professional judgement to support decision-making and organisational improvement.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Public Health Wales
Address
Capital Quarter 2
Tyndall Street
Cardiff
CF10 4BZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://phw.nhs.wales/ (Opens in a new tab)