Director of Workforce and OD - Specialist Hospitals Clinical Group
| Posting date: | 23 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £100,000 - £200,000 None |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 22 January 2026 |
| Location: | Manchester, M13 9WL |
| Company: | Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7692820/349-SHCG-7692820-RL4 |
Summary
A Vacancy at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
Join MFT today, as we search for our next Director of Workforce and OD for Specialist Hospitals Clinical Group at one of the largest and most complex NHS Trusts in England.
Reporting to the Clinical Group Chief Executive, you will drive local delivery of the MFT People Plan, steering the design, development and effective implementation of all Clinical Group workforce, education, training and organisational development plans, ensuring alignment to our Trust strategy and our five key aims.
Naturally, you will have a passion for people, leading by example and role model a compassionate style, empower others in decision making and allow our teams to know they make valuable contributions, leading to a high performing, inclusive, open, and transparent culture.
What is more, you will support the development of the Clinical Group annual plan, ensuring necessary workforce, OD and ED&I objectives are put in place to deliver sufficient workforce capacity and capability to meet operational requirements and satisfy financial controls.
Read on to hear more about the key skills, experience and attitude we are looking for, and what will set you apart in this unique role.
• With a successful track record in a senior workforce and / or OD role within a complex environment or sector, where you have managed and led a HR function, you will ensure all strategies are focused on ensuring high quality, safe patient care, aligned to the Organisational Strategy, MFT People Plan and ED&I Strategy.
• You will readily be able to deal positively and promptly with colleagues’ concerns and personal problems, challenge colleagues on any inappropriate behaviours or poor performance and investigate and deal effectively with complaints.
• Working as part of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) of the Clinical Group, you will provide professional workforce and OD advice to the Clinical Group Chief Executive and other SLT members, as well as contributing to Trust-wide workforce activities including OD strategy development.
• It goes without saying, you will have outstanding personal impact, highly developed interpersonal, networking, advocacy, written and presentation skills that are persuasive and influential and develop relationships that inspire respect, trust and confidence.
• Finally, as an inspirational leader aligned with MFT values, you will demonstrate high levels of personal and professional judgement in determining the acceptable level of risk. When the situation requires prompt action, acting independently and taking high-level decisions to ensure appropriate quality and safety is maintained.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, 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 £3bn 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 environment.
Join us to make a lasting impact—on our Trust, our communities, and the future of healthcare.
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Supporting Documents’ heading. So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the ‘Candidate Essentials Guide’ that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how ‘we care for you as you care for others’. Most importantly, it also contains critical information you’ll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application
Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to beALL HERE FOR YOU—for our patients, our communities, and each other.
As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application—especially personal statements and responses to role-specific questions—is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.
Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.
This advert closes on Tuesday 6 Jan 2026
Join MFT today, as we search for our next Director of Workforce and OD for Specialist Hospitals Clinical Group at one of the largest and most complex NHS Trusts in England.
Reporting to the Clinical Group Chief Executive, you will drive local delivery of the MFT People Plan, steering the design, development and effective implementation of all Clinical Group workforce, education, training and organisational development plans, ensuring alignment to our Trust strategy and our five key aims.
Naturally, you will have a passion for people, leading by example and role model a compassionate style, empower others in decision making and allow our teams to know they make valuable contributions, leading to a high performing, inclusive, open, and transparent culture.
What is more, you will support the development of the Clinical Group annual plan, ensuring necessary workforce, OD and ED&I objectives are put in place to deliver sufficient workforce capacity and capability to meet operational requirements and satisfy financial controls.
Read on to hear more about the key skills, experience and attitude we are looking for, and what will set you apart in this unique role.
• With a successful track record in a senior workforce and / or OD role within a complex environment or sector, where you have managed and led a HR function, you will ensure all strategies are focused on ensuring high quality, safe patient care, aligned to the Organisational Strategy, MFT People Plan and ED&I Strategy.
• You will readily be able to deal positively and promptly with colleagues’ concerns and personal problems, challenge colleagues on any inappropriate behaviours or poor performance and investigate and deal effectively with complaints.
• Working as part of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) of the Clinical Group, you will provide professional workforce and OD advice to the Clinical Group Chief Executive and other SLT members, as well as contributing to Trust-wide workforce activities including OD strategy development.
• It goes without saying, you will have outstanding personal impact, highly developed interpersonal, networking, advocacy, written and presentation skills that are persuasive and influential and develop relationships that inspire respect, trust and confidence.
• Finally, as an inspirational leader aligned with MFT values, you will demonstrate high levels of personal and professional judgement in determining the acceptable level of risk. When the situation requires prompt action, acting independently and taking high-level decisions to ensure appropriate quality and safety is maintained.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, 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 £3bn 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 environment.
Join us to make a lasting impact—on our Trust, our communities, and the future of healthcare.
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Supporting Documents’ heading. So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the ‘Candidate Essentials Guide’ that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how ‘we care for you as you care for others’. Most importantly, it also contains critical information you’ll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application
Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to beALL HERE FOR YOU—for our patients, our communities, and each other.
As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application—especially personal statements and responses to role-specific questions—is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.
Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.
This advert closes on Tuesday 6 Jan 2026
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.