Head of HR – University of Cambridge

Contract: Permanent

Salary: £69,488 – £80,525 per annum

Full-time hours, hybrid working

Location: Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge

Essential: CIPD qualification or equivalent senior HR experience and significant senior-level HR generalist experience

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced senior HR professional to join the University of Cambridge as Head of HR for the School of Clinical Medicine, providing strategic and operational HR leadership across one of the University's largest and most complex Schools.

The School of Clinical Medicine employs approximately 3,000 people across a diverse workforce spanning academic, clinical, research, professional and administrative roles. The successful candidate will lead the School's people strategy and HR function, working closely with senior leaders across the University, NHS and external partners.

The Opportunity

You will provide strategic and operational leadership across the full HR agenda, acting as a trusted adviser to senior leaders and ensuring that people priorities are aligned with the strategic objectives of the School, University and NHS.

The role will involve developing and implementing the School's HR strategy, using workforce data and insight to identify risks, trends and opportunities for continuous improvement. You will build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across the School and University, as well as external partners including NHS organisations, Cancer Research UK, industry partners and Cambridge Enterprise.

You will lead on significant organisational change and transformation programmes, supporting the people aspects of major change initiatives and shifts in research funding. You will also contribute to University-wide HR initiatives as part of the HR Division's senior management team, promoting a collaborative and collegiate approach across the wider HR community.

A key element of the role will be employee experience, engagement and organisational development. You will lead initiatives including employee surveys, action planning, focus groups and management development, as well as overseeing the School's HR, Recruitment and Management Essentials training programmes.

The role also carries significant responsibility for complex employee relations, including sensitive and high-risk cases. This includes clinical cases involving NHS Managing High Professional Standards processes and referrals to the GMC, alongside developing HR policies and practices and maintaining effective relationships with trade unions.

You will lead the School's workforce planning, resourcing and recruitment agenda, ensuring that workforce requirements are effectively aligned with operational and financial plans. The role also has specific responsibility for medical staffing across the University, covering Consultants, Junior Doctors, Nurses and Allied Health Professionals.

This includes overseeing clinical contracts, annual job planning, revalidation and the implementation of national terms and conditions, as well as representing the University at NHS Medical and Dental Workforce Committees and NHS Local Excellence Award Committees.

You will also lead the School's equality, diversity and inclusion agenda, including Athena SWAN, Respect@Work and wellbeing programmes, alongside reward, recognition and career development initiatives. This will include providing expert advice on clinical pay, NHS and Government directives, national pay frameworks and local flexibilities.

As Head of HR, you will provide leadership and direction to the School of Clinical Medicine and CRUK HR teams, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality, responsive and strategic HR service while developing a high-performing, engaged and motivated HR function.

This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced senior HR leader to take responsibility for a broad and strategically significant people agenda within a world-leading academic and clinical environment.

Requirements

• Significant senior-level HR experience across a broad range of HR disciplines
• Proven experience leading a HR function within a large, complex organisation
• CIPD qualification, ideally Chartered or Fellow, or equivalent professional experience
• Extensive experience in strategic HR planning and delivery
• Experience managing HR budgets and delivering efficiency and productivity improvements
• Proven experience leading and delivering significant organisational change and transformation programmes
• Experience developing and implementing HR, people and organisational development strategies
• Strong workforce planning, resourcing and workforce development experience
• Significant employee relations experience, including complex, sensitive and high-risk cases
• Experience developing and implementing HR policies and practices
• Experience building effective relationships with senior leaders and influencing at a strategic level

Desirable

• Experience working within an NHS Trust, NHS body or Higher Education Institution
• Experience working within a Medical School or clinical academic environment
• Knowledge and understanding of key NHS workforce and employment issues
• Experience working with NHS clinical terms and conditions and pay frameworks
• Experience of medical staffing, including Consultants, Junior Doctors, Nurses and Allied Health Professionals
• Experience with NHS Managing High Professional Standards processes
• Experience working with GMC referrals or other clinical regulatory processes
• Experience working with NHS Medical and Dental Workforce Committees
• Experience working with trade unions and collective consultation/negotiation
• Experience of reward and benefits strategies
• Experience working with research-funded organisations or charities such as CRUK or MRC

How to Apply

Please apply by sending your CV to Jack Sharpe or Abbie Carr at Spirehouse Recruitment for a confidential discussion.

cambridge@spirehouse.co.uk