Associate Director of Organisational Development, Culture & Leadership

Associate Director of Organisational Development, Culture & Leadership

The closing date is 22 February 2026.

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust employs around 10,000 staff and delivers highly regarded healthcare services to local communities. We are undergoing an ambitious period of transformation, including major investment in our hospital estate, service redesign, and a clear focus on delivering sustainable, high quality care for the future.

At the heart of this transformation is our People agenda and the ambition to be a Great Place to Work, underpinned by inclusive leadership, strong engagement, and a culture that supports our people to deliver their best for patients.

You will be joining the Trust at a pivotal time, working within a newly forming Senior Leadership team led by the Chief People Officer, who brings extensive experience across the public and private sectors, national leadership roles within NHS England, and a strong track record in leading complex change, shaping people strategy (including the People Promise), and championing inclusive leadership. The People Directorate plays a critical role in enabling the workforce to thrive and supporting excellent patient care.

Following the coming together of local hospitals, the development of the Patient First improvement strategy, expanded pan-Dorset collaboration, and the imminent introduction of a new electronic patient record system, there is an exciting programme of work ahead and a genuine opportunity to contribute to the next phase of the Trust's transformation.

This is a senior Trustwide leadership role, operating at executive level, with accountability for shaping and leading the organisation's organisational development, culture, leadership and inclusion agenda.

As Associate Director of Organisational Development, Culture and Leadership, you will provide enterprise level leadership for how culture, leadership capability, engagement, talent and inclusion are developed and sustained across the Trust. You will act as the Trust's senior professional expert in organisational development and culture, ensuring these agendas are fully integrated into corporate strategy, decision making and delivery.

Working as part of the Trust's senior leadership community, you will advise, influence and support the Executive Team and Board, ensuring organisational development and culture are positioned as critical enablers of quality, safety, workforce sustainability and performance. You will also act as a senior system leader, representing UHD with authority at regional and national level and contributing to wider system leadership and collaboration.

The role provides senior leadership to the Organisational Development, Leadership and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion teams, including the Freedom to Speak Up Guardians, and will deputise for the Chief People Officer within the portfolio as required.

This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the culture and leadership of a major NHS organisation at a pivotal point in its transformation, with visible impact on patient care, staff experience and organisational sustainability.

You will join a supportive and ambitious executive leadership environment, with genuine scope to influence strategy, culture and long-term outcomes. The Trust offers the full NHS benefits package, including generous annual leave and pension arrangements.

UHD are investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service-specific questions at interview.

If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.

UHD has active networks including Women's, BAME, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.

AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process.

Shape and lead the Trusts organisational development, culture and engagement strategies, ensuring alignment with the Trusts mission, values and long-term strategic objectives.

Provide executive leadership for the cultural elements that complement the Patient First Improvement Programme, enabling new and improved ways of working across UHD and the wider Integrated Care System.

Lead the development and delivery of Trustwide leadership and management development strategies, aligned to the NHS Leadership Compact and Trust values.

Establish and oversee a systematic approach to talent management and succession planning for critical roles, including the delivery of a Trustwide Talent Management Strategy.

Act as the…