Director of People

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Director of People

The closing date is 03 February 2026

Join MFT as our Director of People and drive your career to new heights at one of the largest and most complex NHS Trusts in England. This newly created role gives you the opportunity to shape, influence, and build how and where you want it to impact. Reporting directly to the Deputy Chief People Officer, you will work in collaboration with our six Clinical Group Directors of Workforce and OD and will be instrumental in leading, shaping, and guiding the Employee Health and Wellbeing service, Corporate HR Business Partnering, and Medical Workforce teams.

Most importantly, you will horizon scan, set the strategic direction and standardise the People Profession across the Trust, using the MFT People Plan as an enabler for change. You will have autonomy to drive workforce transformation strategically and skillfully, achieved by influencing decision‑making and increasing organisational and individual awareness of exceptional people practice, through the introduction, development and maintenance of leading‑edge interventions.

As a candidate, you are passionate about all things ‘people’, recognised as a role model leader with a compassionate and supportive style, and eager to empower others in decision making. You have the expertise to encourage our teams to recognise their valuable contributions, leading to a high‑performing, inclusive, open, and transparent culture.

Interested? Then please get in touch, we would love to hear from you.

• With extensive experience working at a senior management level in a health, social care, or similar large complex organisations, you will provide effective leadership within the Workforce Business Directorate, ensuring individual contributions are maximised, and development needs are met, creating a truly integrated workforce service.
• With a successful record in service improvement and change delivered across a complex organisation, you will make a significant contribution to the overall success of the Trust, setting and implementing strategic objectives as part of the MFT People Plan and other key Trust Strategies.
• With significant experience in providing advice on employment matters in a large, complex, multi‑professional organisation, you will lead the development and maintenance of MFT‑wide workforce policies.
• With a thorough understanding and practical experience of delivering large‑scale employee engagement initiatives, you will work with other colleagues to influence how the employee experience shapes organisational direction, strategy, and focus, using the MFT People Plan as an enabler for change.
• With considerable experience in developing and applying workforce & OD strategies, employment law and policies, you will actively engage in national policy development, Greater Manchester and Northwest Region strategy and change, researching best practice across the NHS, ensuring MFT is innovative in its approach to the people profession.

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester is the largest health academic campus in Europe. We are an ambitious organisation, serving over 1 million patients and users annually through our 10 hospitals and extensive community services. With a workforce of 30 000 plus, we are a driving force for innovation, clinical excellence, and system leadership across Greater Manchester.

As a senior leader at MFT, you will shape strategy and transformation at scale, working alongside a diverse, high‑performing executive team. Our £3 bn plus turnover and leading‑edge digital infrastructure, including the Hive EPR, enable us to deliver integrated, patient‑centred care and drive continuous improvement.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, values‑led culture where your expertise, vision, and leadership will directly influence organisational direction and population health outcomes. You will have the opportunity to lead complex change, champion research and innovation, and develop future talent in a supportive, collaborative…