Deputy director of people

Band 8d · Head of people · 681 job evaluation points

Deputises for the director of people and leads several people functions, such as workforce planning, learning, organisational development, and reward, across the organisation.

Responsibilities

Deputise for the director of people, including at board committees.
Lead workforce planning, learning, organisational development, and reward across the organisation.
Lead the digital, data, and technology workforce plan, using skills gap analysis to set priorities for recruitment, development, and retention.
Lead the organisation's reward strategy, job evaluation, and equal pay assurance within the agreed pay framework.
Lead culture, engagement, and inclusion programmes and measure their effect.
Hold budgets for several people services and lead their improvement.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
People strategy and HR leadershipThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the organisation's people strategy and lead the HR function advise the board on culture, workforce, and employment risk represent the organisation on people matters with partners and regulators
Workforce planningThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the organisation's workforce strategy and long-term plan make workforce trade-offs across services with finance and service leaders shape workforce plans with partners across the health and care system
Organisational developmentThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the organisational development strategy and culture programme coach executives and lead large-scale cultural change link culture and engagement measures to quality of care and performance
Reward and job evaluationThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the organisation's reward strategy within the agreed pay framework assure the integrity of job evaluation across the organisation lead equal pay reviews and act on their findings
Skills frameworks and career pathwaysThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: run skills gap analysis for a team or profession and report the results design career pathways and development routes using framework levels use framework skills to write consistent job descriptions and assessments
Capability building for digital, data and technologyUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	Senior leadership skill: the UK GDaD PCF defines it with one statement, not by level. You can: Examples of leadership using this skill: guide the organisation to ensure it has the specialist digital, data and technology skills it needs develop organisational processes and ways of working so that digital and data roles you support can thrive continuously improve and optimise the organisational environment prioritising capability needs that will have the most impact negotiating for longer-term investment in people by articulating the risks and benefits of different staffing strategies advocating for good practice in ways of working and supporting people to adopt this practice growing digital and data communities
Leadership and guidanceUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: change organisational structures to fixable and sustainable designs lead on the strategy for the whole organisation, marrying business needs with innovative analysis make and justify decisions characterised by high levels of risk, impact and complexity build consensus between organisations (private or public) or highly independent and diverse stakeholders solve and unblock issues between teams or departments at the highest level understand the psychology of a team and have strong mediation skills coach the organisation on team dynamics and conflict resolution
People managementThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: lead managers and shape the culture of a large area design workforce plans and organisational change coach leaders and resolve complex people issues
Budget managementThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: manage large or multiple budgets and set financial plans make funding trade-offs across services
Equality, diversity, and inclusionThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set inclusion strategy and hold the organisation to account for it lead culture change on equality, diversity, and inclusion

Typical qualifications and experience

A recognised HR professional qualification at advanced level, or a master's degree in HR or a related subject, or equivalent experience.
Extensive experience of leading several people functions.

Band 8d outline

Knowledge: Strategic knowledge across functions and the wider health and care system.
Autonomy: Shapes organisation-wide strategy; deputises for a director.
Scope: A major function or several functions.
Leadership: Leads several functions or a large department.
Accountability: Major functions, large budgets, and organisation-wide risks.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	6	Gives highly complex, highly contentious information where there are significant barriers to acceptance, using the highest level of communication skills.	60
Knowledge, training, and experience	8	Advanced knowledge (doctorate plus further training or equivalent), or specialist knowledge across more than one discipline built over a long period.	240
Analytical and judgemental skills	5	Judgements on highly complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	60
Planning and organisational skills	5	Forms long-term strategic plans, with uncertainty and effects across the organisation.	60
Physical skills	2	Skills gained through practice, such as standard keyboard use or driving.	15
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	5	Implements and develops a range of policies or services for a directorate.	45
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	4	Holds or sets the budget for a department or service, or buys or maintains its assets.	32
Responsibility for people	5	Line manages several departments, or manages training or a large part of HR across the organisation.	45
Responsibility for information resources	4	Adapts or designs information systems to others' specifications, or runs information systems for a department as the main duty.	24
Responsibility for research and development	1	Carries out surveys or audits for own work; occasionally takes part in research or testing.	5
Freedom to act	5	Works within general policies, and in most cases decides how to interpret them.	45
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	4	Frequent prolonged concentration, or occasional intense concentration.	18
Emotional effort	3	Frequent exposure to distressing circumstances, or occasional exposure to highly distressing ones.	18
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 8d: 675 to 720)			681