Chief People and Culture Officer

Isle of Wight NHS Trust (IWT) and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) provide NHS care for a population of 800,000 people in Portsmouth, South East Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight. Our 11,000 staff operate from two main sites: St Mary’s Hospital in Newport, Isle of Wight and Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. Both Trusts are rated ‘Good’ by the CQC. 

IWT and PHU first formed a strategic partnership in 2019 to support the delivery of clinically and financially sustainable services on the Isle of Wight. In 2023 the two Trusts deepened the partnership, appointing a single Chief Executive and a single Executive team. We are ambitious and optimistic about the future, working together with a shared vision to deliver excellence in care for our patients and communities.

The Chief People and Culture Officer (CPCO) is part of the single executive team for IWT and PHU and an Executive Director of both Trusts. At the heart of the strategy to deliver our shared vision is the design and implementation of a new workforce model that transforms the way we deliver care. The post holder will be central to the success of each Trust individually and together, leading the development and delivery of aligned workforce and OD strategies for IWT and PHU, ensuring that both Trusts have enough people, with the right skills and experience, and the right culture, to meet patients’ needs.

The CPCO will also play an integral role in shaping and delivering the People agenda across the wider geography of Hampshire and Isle of Wight. As the most senior lead for the People agenda, the post-holder will role-model the Trust’s values and drive a culture of compassion, inclusion and civility. The successful candidate will bring experience at senior leadership level in an organisation of scale and complexity, with a proven record of leading complex change and modernisation programmes aimed at improving organisational culture.

We value and promote diversity and are committed to equality of opportunity for all. We invite applications from all sections of the community regardless of race, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation or age.

The Job Description can be viewed via the enclosed Candidate Brief.

For further details and to arrange an informal conversation, please contact Penny Emerit, Chief Executive via Jayne Bonilla, Executive Assistant to Chief Executive and Chairman on 02392 286770 or Kelvin Cheatle, Chief People Officer via Leah Cordery, Executive Assistant to Chief People Officer on 02392 286000 Ext: 6801.

Closing date for applications - Monday 15th September 2025

Engagement Sessions will be held on Wednesday 24th September, with Interviews being held on Thursday 25th September 2025

• Educated to a Masters Degree or equivalent post-graduate qualification
• Full membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, or equivalent appropriate professional or management qualification or experience
• Evidence of on-going personal and professional development

Experience

• Substantial experience at a senior management/board level in an organisation(s) of similar size and complexity
• Previous experience as a Chief People Officer 
• Proven record of leading complex change and modernisation programmes aimed at improve organisational culture
• Outstanding reputation as a leader, with a proven track record of producing high quality results in the management and leadership of People services
• Proven experience in managing workforce issues arising from significant structural re-organisation or service change and in successfully working across professional and organisational boundaries, in partnership with a wide range of colleagues
• Experience of workforce planning in a complex environment
• Track record of achievement in a senior role within a consumer services provide operating in a complex environment/sector, where staff development, motivation and involvement were critical success factors.
• Demonstrable achievement in the delivery of corporate objectives and performance improvement in a devolved management structure

Skills and Knowledge

• Broad understanding of the current NHS policy context, financial regime and workforce and training issues and of NHS working practices
• Highly developed leadership, negotiation and influencing skills, with ability to motivate, challenge and engage individuals and teams
• Committed to promoting and maintaining openness, inclusiveness and the highest of professional standards
• Excellent knowledge of UK employment legislation
• Strong delivery and execution orientation
• Ability to set out a clear strategic direction, inspire others and assume command, together with an ability to translate strategic objectives into deliverable operational plans
• Ability to develop effective working relationships with key partners and influence a wide range of internal and external colleagues to bring about positive change
• Credibility and confidence to contribute within a vibrant and diverse academic and professional environment
• Fully committed to the Trusts values and principles
• Highly resilient

Leadership Qualities

• Self-management
• Personal integrity
• Broad scanning
• Seizing the future
• Political astuteness
• Intellectual flexibility
• Drive for results
• Collaborative working
• Effective and strategic influencing
• Holding to account
• Drive for improvement

The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and DisAbility, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most.

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.