Director of people

Band 9 · Head of people · 739 job evaluation points

Is the executive lead for people, culture, and workforce, accountable to the chief executive and the board for the people strategy and the whole people function.

Responsibilities

Set the organisation's people strategy and culture, and lead the people function.
Advise the board on workforce, culture, employment risk, and the people impact of strategy.
Lead the organisation's response to scarce digital and data skills, with the chief digital officer.
Make sure the organisation meets its legal duties as an employer, including equality and health and safety at work.
Represent the organisation on people matters with health and care partners, regulators, and staff representatives.
Hold the people directorate budget and set workforce cost controls with the director of finance.

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
Employment law and people policyThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the organisation's people policy framework and approach to legal risk anticipate changes in employment law and plan the organisation's response advise the board on employment risk and liability
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
Stakeholder relationship managementUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: direct the stakeholder relationship strategy for your teams ensure stakeholder's objectives are set and support teams to meet them influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders to resolve issues and enable progress
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
Corporate governance and complianceThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: run the governance cycle for boards and committees review policies and advise on compliance
Understanding health and care servicesThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: shape organisational strategy using a deep understanding of the health and care system represent the organisation with health and care partners and leaders anticipate how policy and service changes will affect digital services and care

Typical qualifications and experience

A recognised HR professional qualification at the highest level, or a master's degree in HR or a related subject, or equivalent experience.
Extensive experience of leading a people function at executive level.

Band 9 outline

Knowledge: Strategic expertise and system-wide leadership.
Autonomy: Sets organisation strategy with the executive team.
Scope: The organisation, and its partners across the system.
Leadership: Leads a profession or directorate.
Accountability: Organisation-wide outcomes, budgets, and 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	6	Corporate responsibility for major policy or service development across or beyond the organisation.	60
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	5	Holds or sets budgets, or manages assets, for several services.	45
Responsibility for people	6	Corporate responsibility for the organisation's people or HR function.	60
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	6	Interprets overall policy and strategy to set goals and standards.	60
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 9: 721 to 765)			739

People is level 6 for corporate responsibility for the organisation's people and HR function.