About this role
Job summary
NHS England leads the NHS in England to deliver high-quality care for all. We support NHS organisations to deliver better outcomes for patients and communities, achieve best value for taxpayers and drive improvement across the NHS. Our work is underpinned by the NHS Constitution values of respect and dignity, compassion, commitment to quality of care, improving lives, working together for patients and ensuring everyone counts.
The Team
This role sits within People and Organisational Development, operating across Systems, Transactions and Operations (STO) and advisory services. The service delivers customer-focused HR, OD, recruitment and workforce systems support across NHS England, supporting managers, staff and candidates across national, regional and corporate directorates.
The team operates a centralised, one-point-of-access service model aligned to agreed policies, KPIs and SLAs, and works in partnership with HR Business Partners, Recruitment Partners, Employee Relations specialists and external providers.
We are looking for an HR & Operational Delivery Advisor to deliver a professional HR and operational advisory service across HR, OD, recruitment and workforce systems. You will act as a first point of contact for a wide range of HR, employee relations, recruitment and operational queries, providing advice and guidance within policy and legislative frameworks and escalating complex matters appropriately
Main duties of the job
This is a dynamic and varied role requiring sound judgement, strong communication skills and a commitment to high-quality, customer-focused service delivery.
Key Responsibilities
Deliver professional HR, ER, recruitment and operational advice in line with policy, process and legislation Act as a first point of contact for managers and staff, handling routine and complex queries with a focus on providing solutions and resolution first time Triage, manage and coordinate casework, escalating complex issues to senior advisors or specialists as required Support formal HR processes including sickness, conduct, capability, grievance and recruitment activity Maintain accurate and timely records across HR, ER and recruitment systems (e.g. ESR, CRM, ATS) Proactively support business stakeholders to successfully fill their recruitment vacancies with qualified, skilled and experienced candidates Analyse information to determine appropriate responses, solutions, next steps and reduce risk Deliver training, guidance and coaching on HR policies, procedures and systems Produce reports and management information to support service delivery and assurance Contribute to service improvement, projects and implementation of new processes or system changes Maintain high standards of confidentiality, accuracy and professionalism at all times Please note that this role will be 100% in person working at the NHS England Office in Leeds.
About us
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.
Job description Job responsibilities
What Were Looking For:
The postholder will be educated to degree level or possess equivalent professional experience, supported by a relevant HR qualification or demonstrable equivalent experience, such as CIPD Level 3 or working towards. They will have experience of working within an HR, OD, Employee Relations, Recruitment or operational advisory environment, with a sound knowledge of employment legislation, HR policies, processes and best practice.
The role requires experience of providing advice and support to managers and staff, applying professional judgement appropriately and escalating matters where required. The individual will be confident in the use of HR and workforce systems, such as ESR, CRM or applicant tracking systems, and demonstrate strong analytical skills to assess information and determine appropriate courses of action.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential, alongside the ability to manage competing priorities in a fastpaced environment. The postholder will demonstrate a high level of accuracy and attention to detail, with a strong focus on delivering work right first time. They will also show a clear commitment to highquality customer service and continuous improvement, contributing positively to service effectiveness and user experience.
Desirable experience includes working within a healthcare or public sector environment, supporting system implementations or service improvement initiatives, and demonstrating competence in the safe and responsible use of AI. The ability to produce or support automated workflows to improve efficiency and consistency of delivery is also desirable.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
NHS England is committed to equality of opportunity and inclusive working practices. We value diversity and difference, operate with integrity and openness, and recognise the importance of equality and inclusion in delivering effective health and care services.
The band for this role is subject to full evaluation and is indicative at the time of advert.
This role will be recruited via an in person assessment centre day which will take place between 0900 and 1700 on the 5th June 2026 in Wellington Place, Leeds, LS1 4AP. There are no alternative dates or locations for this assessment centre.
If you like what you have read and think you have the skills and experience, we need then don't delay, apply today! We get lots of applications for our roles and so we sometimes have to close our posts early. Don't miss out!
Secondments Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.
You can find further details about the job, in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
Please note that the reason for the fixed term of this contract is short term vacancy.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Level 5 qualification in Business Administration or equivalent level of professional experience
Skills Essential
Ability to work autonomously within defined policies and procedures
Desirable
Ability to create basic automations in Microsoft Power Automate
Knowledge Essential
Knowledge of employment legislation, HR policy and best practice Experience of using HR or workforce systems (e.g. ESR, CRM, ATS) Experience providing advice and support to managers and staff Experience working in an HR, OD, ER, recruitment or operational advisory environment
Desirable
Experience supporting system implementation or service improvement initiatives
Employer details Employer name NHS England
Address Wellington Place
7-8 Wellington Place
Leeds
LS1 4AP
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)