Head of HR Business Partnering

Job description

Job summary

Head of HR Business Partnering

Department Workforce - Human Resources

Band 8b

Hours 37.5 hours per week, all MKUH roles will considered for flexible working

Are you an inspiring HR leader who is passionate about creating positive workplace cultures, enabling organisational success, and supporting people to thrive?

Guided by our values of We Care, We Communicate, We Collaborate and We Contribute, we are looking for an experienced and forward-thinking HR professional to lead our HR Business Partnering and Employee Relations teams

As the Head of HR Business Partnering, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering the Trust's people agenda. You will provide strategic HR leadership and expert advice to senior managers, Executive Directors and leadership teams across a broad range of workforce matters, helping to ensure our people strategy supports outstanding patient care and organisational performance

Leading a team of HR Business Partners and Employee Relations professionals, you will work collaboratively with colleagues across the Trust to develop innovative workforce solutions that support recruitment and employee relations, retention, attendance, talent management, organisational change and workforce planning

If you are an inspirational HR leader who enjoys building relationships, solving complex people challenges and shaping the future workforce, we would love to hear from you

Interview 16 September 2026

Main duties of the job

'Administrative and Clerical staff feel supported with flexible working at MKUH, reporting 6.82 out of 10, and a 76% feel strongly about approaching their managers regarding flexible working.' 'NHS Staff Survey 2024'

At MKUH, we believe that great patient care starts with great people.

This is a highly influential role where you will use workforce intelligence, data analysis and professional insight to identify trends, develop solutions, and provide meaningful reports and recommendations that support strategic decision-making at the highest levels of the organisation.

You will have the opportunity to shape workforce policies, lead complex organisational change programmes, and ensure the delivery of a high-quality, responsive and values-driven HR service. You will also have a passion for continuous improvement and a commitment to developing inclusive, fair and positive workplace cultures.

As the Lead for the HR Business Partnering and Employee Relations Teams the post holder will provide strategic HR advice and guidance to managers and their team on the full range of workforce issues including employee relations, recruitment and retention, attendance, change management, workforce planning, talent management, medical staffing, terms and conditions of employment and policies and procedures.

About us

Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a "Good" rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.

As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.

We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre. We have just opened the Oak Wards - a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards.

Further investment is underway, including the recently approved Women and Children's Centre, set to open by 2030.

Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -

For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes

Job description

Job responsibilities

Deliver the Strategy

Work with the Divisional HRBPs to support and lead them in developing a workforce strategy aligned to the Trusts Business Plan ensuring workforce solutions are centred on patient safety, patient experience and staff experience

Work with the Divisional HRBPs to ensure a high standard of workforce plans and talent management strategies are created and aligned to current and future business requirements.

Managing Services

Lead on people aspects of change management across the corporate areas, assisting with the development of consultation papers, advising Executive Directors and senior managers on the consultative process and manage the effective delivery of all programmes.

Be accountable for consistency of approach for Employee Relations, ensuring best practice is applied, that national changes to standards and processes are quickly and successfully adapted by the Trust.

Improving Services

Contribute to the analysis of the results of the annual staff survey and develop and support the roll out of an agreed action plan for the Trust and corporate areas of influence.

Lead and role model on working in partnership with staff side/trade unions to ensure that employee relations issues are managed constructively and with effective outcomes.

Please refer to the Job Description for further details

Job description
Job responsibilities

Deliver the Strategy

Work with the Divisional HRBPs to support and lead them in developing a workforce strategy aligned to the Trusts Business Plan ensuring workforce solutions are centred on patient safety, patient experience and staff experience

Work with the Divisional HRBPs to ensure a high standard of workforce plans and talent management strategies are created and aligned to current and future business requirements.

Managing Services

Lead on people aspects of change management across the corporate areas, assisting with the development of consultation papers, advising Executive Directors and senior managers on the consultative process and manage the effective delivery of all programmes.

Be accountable for consistency of approach for Employee Relations, ensuring best practice is applied, that national changes to standards and processes are quickly and successfully adapted by the Trust.

Improving Services

Contribute to the analysis of the results of the annual staff survey and develop and support the roll out of an agreed action plan for the Trust and corporate areas of influence.

Lead and role model on working in partnership with staff side/trade unions to ensure that employee relations issues are managed constructively and with effective outcomes.

Please refer to the Job Description for further details

Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge

Essential

• Degree level education or equivalent, CIPD Level
• Chartered CIPD member; relevant postgraduate qualification
• In depth knowledge of Agenda for Change and medical and dental terms and conditions of employment.
• Up to date knowledge of employment law and best practice including TUPE, equality etc.
• An advanced understanding of core employment policies and practices to enable the training and coaching of others
• Knowledge and appreciation of strategies to overcome resistance to change.

Experience

Essential

• Significant generalist HR management experience in a large, complex and unionised organisation
• Demonstrable experience of independently managing complex and sensitive cases of poor performance, ill-health, attendance and misconduct, including disciplinary procedures up to dismissal.
• Experience of Job Matching in the NHS
• Demonstrable experience of supporting executive and non-executive directors at appeal and grievance hearings
• Experience of policy consultation, development & implementation.
• Demonstrable experience of preparing and presenting cases at employment tribunals
• Experience of acting as a change agent, working proactively to make departmental and organisational change happen
• Experience of designing, supporting and implementing HR interventions at a strategic level.
• Experience of HR information systems and reporting, including ESR.

Skills

Essential

• Highly numerate, with the ability and analyse and interpret numerical and/or statistical workforce data.
• Ability to write coherent reports, policies and policies.
• Evidence of effectively interpreting and implementing national initiatives and changes to policy and process
• Evidence of the development of services, using own initiative to identify areas of improvements and successfully make change on an organisational level
• Able to deliver results through successful collaboration

Desirable

• Ability to effectively design training and development programmes using interactive approaches to aid learning.

Personal and people development

Essential

• Significant line management experience
• A positive approach to working with others in a team environment

Communication

Essential

• Excellent communicator - using a range of media across different levels.
• Strong influencer, able to contribute to shaping service strategies.

Person Specification
Qualifications and knowledge

Essential

• Degree level education or equivalent, CIPD Level
• Chartered CIPD member; relevant postgraduate qualification
• In depth knowledge of Agenda for Change and medical and dental terms and conditions of employment.
• Up to date knowledge of employment law and best practice including TUPE, equality etc.
• An advanced understanding of core employment policies and practices to enable the training and coaching of others
• Knowledge and appreciation of strategies to overcome resistance to change.

Experience

Essential

• Significant generalist HR management experience in a large, complex and unionised organisation
• Demonstrable experience of independently managing complex and sensitive cases of poor performance, ill-health, attendance and misconduct, including disciplinary procedures up to dismissal.
• Experience of Job Matching in the NHS
• Demonstrable experience of supporting executive and non-executive directors at appeal and grievance hearings
• Experience of policy consultation, development & implementation.
• Demonstrable experience of preparing and presenting cases at employment tribunals
• Experience of acting as a change agent, working proactively to make departmental and organisational change happen
• Experience of designing, supporting and implementing HR interventions at a strategic level.
• Experience of HR information systems and reporting, including ESR.

Skills

Essential

• Highly numerate, with the ability and analyse and interpret numerical and/or statistical workforce data.
• Ability to write coherent reports, policies and policies.
• Evidence of effectively interpreting and implementing national initiatives and changes to policy and process
• Evidence of the development of services, using own initiative to identify areas of improvements and successfully make change on an organisational level
• Able to deliver results through successful collaboration

Desirable

• Ability to effectively design training and development programmes using interactive approaches to aid learning.

Personal and people development

Essential

• Significant line management experience
• A positive approach to working with others in a team environment

Communication

Essential

• Excellent communicator - using a range of media across different levels.
• Strong influencer, able to contribute to shaping service strategies.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Employer details

Employer name

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address

HR - Business Partners (Dept)

Milton Keynes

MK6 5LD

United Kingdom

Employer's website