Head of People Services Transformation - OD, EDI & Culture

Our Organisation We share the core values set out in the NHS Constitution, which all colleagues are expected to demonstrate. We support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you and your colleagues. Talk to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement, whether that’s a job share, part time, hybrid working or another flexible pattern. As part of our commitment to improving patient safety and maintaining safe and trusted services, all successful candidates will be subject to Baseline Personnel Security Screening (BPSS), which includes a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. By submitting your application, you are confirming your agreement to these checks being undertaken as part of the recruitment process. Anyone who has received a voluntary or compulsory redundancy payment from NHS England since the start of the 2026/27 financial year is not eligible to apply. Job overview The NHS Transforming People Services (TPS) programme sits at the heart of delivering the NHS 10 Year Health Plan — creating a workforce that is empowered, flexible and digitally enabled to meet the evolving needs of patients and communities. The ambition contained within the 10 Year Health Plan is to deliver a Digital 1st Strategy which will enable staff to access People services anytime and anyplace, to book annual leave, or onboard to a new organisation digitally, with virtual assistants to improve both staff and manager experience. This ambition will be delivered through the Transforming people Services Programme. Being part of this programme is more than a transformation role; it is an opportunity to redefine how people services are delivered across the NHS and directly influence the experience of one of the largest workforces in the world. As the Head of People Services Transformation Organisational Development, Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Culture services, you will join one of the NHS’s most ambitious and high-profile transformation programmes, working at the centre of a nationally significant agenda to modernise people services for the future. Advert You will play a key role in bringing together operational expertise, policy, service design and digital capability to redesign how people services are experienced and delivered across the NHS. We are looking for ambitious, collaborative and delivery-focused service design experts who thrive in complexity and are passionate about improving public services. The ideal candidate will bring: · Leadership leading complex transformation, service improvement or workforce redesign programmes within large or complex organisations · Strong understanding of HR, workforce or people services, with experience designing user-centred and digitally enabled service models · Experience of bringing together experts and customers to develop a service or function Working within the Service Design Team, you will collaborate with specialists and customers from across the NHS to shape future operating models and redesign how people services work at scale. This is a rare opportunity to influence strategic decisions, lead meaningful change and see the direct impact of your work across the health system. Most importantly, you will be part of a team delivering change that improves the experience of the NHS workforce and supporting better outcomes for patients and communities nationwide. Working for our organisation 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. Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices. We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies. Detailed job description and main responsibilities You will help design and deliver innovative, user-centric and digitally enabled services that improve staff experience, enable people professionals to focus on matters to the business whilst achieving increased operational efficiency and productivity, support better outcomes for staff, patients and communities across the country. · Significant senior-level experience leading Organisational Development, Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), culture transformation programmes within complex NHS or public sector environments · Proven expertise in designing inclusive, evidence-based people services and organisational interventions that improve staff experience, strengthen leadership capability, support workforce retention and foster high-performing, compassionate cultures · Strong track record of influencing senior leaders and collaborating across HR, operational, digital and transformation teams to deliver joined-up workforce strategies and shared service models that improve organisational effectiveness at scale. · Proven ability to collaborate across medical workforce, HR, operational, digital and transformation teams to deliver nationally consistent, user-centred services that support workforce sustainability and high-quality patient care · Proven experience designing or delivering HR service transformation, operating model redesign or large-scale people change programmes · Strong understanding of HR processes, service delivery models and workforce transformation within complex organisations · Experience building user-centred services, translating operational needs and policy requirements into practical and scalable service solutions · Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility across senior leaders, HR teams, digital partners and operational services Improving quality and outcomes · To work collaboratively across the NHS England matrix, including integrating the National Director’s portfolio. · To work collaboratively across the NHS England matrix, including integrating the National Director’s portfolio. Enabling patient and public involvement · To act as a champion for patients and their interests and involve the public and patients in the policy development and decision-making of NHS England · To ensure all public and patient contact with the office is of the highest professional standard · To embed patient and public involvement within NHS England at all levels of decision making You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents. 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. Our commitments to you We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better patient outcomes. We strive to ensure our people feel trusted,