Associate HR Business Partner
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
The closing date is 21 December 2025
The Associate HR Business Partner will deliver a high-quality HR advisory service, working closely with the HR Business Partner to support Hosted Services in achieving exceptional performance, engagement, and productivity aligned with key workforce and organisational priorities.
As the primary point of contact for Hosted Services, the post holder will adopt a solution-focused approach, proactively generating and monitoring HR processes and workforce metrics to ensure successful outcomes. In collaboration with the HR Business Partner, they will address and resolve HR issues promptly and accurately.
Interviews will be held on Tuesday 6th January 2026
Main duties of the job
This role offers a genuine opportunity to gain exposure to a broad generalist remit, providing the right candidate with significant scope for learning, development, and career progression. The ideal candidate must be comfortable taking a hands on approach across all areas, from administrative tasks to strategic development.
About us
Our Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites-Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital-along with award-winning clinics across North West London.
Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5m, providing full clinical services including maternity, A&E and children's services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health care. The CQC rates us Good in safety, effectiveness, care and responsiveness, and Outstanding in leadership and resource use.
We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Mid.
We are delivering sustainable healthcare through our Green Plan. In line with Greener NHS ambitions, we aim for net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Achieving this requires collective effort. We encourage staff to reduce their impact on carbon, waste and pollution wherever possible. Every action counts to create a healthier, more sustainable future.
We are committed to equal opportunities and believe diversity drives innovation and excellence. We welcome applications from the global majority, veterans and under represented communities, valuing the perspectives they bring.
If you haven't heard from us within 3 weeks of the closing date, your application was likely unsuccessful. Employment is subject to a six month probation. Some roles may require weekend shifts at multiple sites.
Job responsibilities
- Act as a key point of contact for the Hosted Services, providing a high quality, customer focused professional HR service on a range of workforce issues, ensuring that best practice is applied and equal opportunities principles are adhered to.
- Develop robust workforce plans in partnership with the HR Business Partner to cover the short, medium and long term needs of the division and the Organisation's Workforce Agenda.
- Identify ways to improve the capability and productivity of the Hosted Services; generate, analyse and interpret workforce metrics (from both internal and external data sources) to identify trends, and inform the development and improvement of workforce policies and processes, management development activities and employee engagement. Ensure the impacts of these initiatives are measurable and evidenced using insight and experience to recommend solutions.
- Assist the Human Resources Business Partner in providing a range of support and advice on issues such as service and contract planning, skill mix and workforce planning, budget setting, and proposals for organisational change, ensuring these are sound and in line with good practice and policy.
- Work in partnership with managers to ensure they utilise workforce data to inform their management decision making, and improve the organisation's performance in relation to key HR performance indicators.
- Prepare workforce reports and narrative to be presented at Divisional and Trust wide meetings.
- Provide advice on all aspects of recruitment and retention, ensuring that appropriate standards of quality are maintained and assist managers in ensuring induction of new recruits is carried out appropriately, effectively and in accordance with Trust requirements.
- Lead on the development, review and implementation of HR policies and procedures where required, taking into account legislation, good practice and NHS guidance, working in partnership with the Staff Side.
- Support the local implementation of the Trust's health and well being agenda.
- Support development of local action plans to address staff survey results and Staff Family and Friends test results.
- Participate in training initiatives designed to raise managers' awareness and competency in HR related issues within the organisation; this includes developing, designing and delivering the training programmes with the aim of increasing competence and confidence in making balanced decisions relating to a range of people management issues.
Person Specification Education and Qualifications
- Level 5 CIPD qualification OR equivalent experience and working towards CIPD qualification
- Educated to Degree level or equivalent experience
- Able to demonstrate evidence of Continuing Professional Development
Experience
- Experience in generalist HR at an operational level in a start up or complex organisation.
- Experience of advising a range of stakeholders on a broad range of workforce initiatives and issues.
- Experience of effectively managing payroll.
- Experience of managing a range of HR Information Systems e.g. People HR.
- Experience of developing, implementing and evaluating workforce strategies and plans.
- Experience of undertaking HR projects.
- Experience of designing and delivering HR training.
- Experience of facilitating and managing change including TUPE.
- Experience of working in partnership with trade unions.
- NHS experience.
- Medical staffing experience.
Skills and Knowledge
- Knowledge of current employment legislation and best practice in ER policies, principles and procedures.
- Analytical skills, able to analyse information effectively, identifying the causes of problems and proposing practical solutions to address them based on knowledge and application of policy.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, engaging effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
- Very strong report writing skills; able to offer critical feedback to managers to improve narrative.
- Exceptional listening and questioning skills that enable empowering and getting to the heart of the issue.
- Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver multiple concurrent activities within agreed deadlines and to agreed standards with consistent attention to detail.
- Ability to plan, prioritise, communicate and deliver against personal and team objectives and work plans.
- Ability to develop strong relationships and coach, challenge and influence to ensure effective workforce solutions, balancing risk and commerciality and resolve conflict where necessary.
- Experience of working with Microsoft including Office, Excel, Powerpoint.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Ability to contribute to strategic planning.
Personal Qualities
- Able to work flexibly in a busy team environment.
- Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people.
- Enthusiastic and motivated approach.
- Ability to manage conflicting deadlines and demands.
- Open to new methods/ideas.
- Understanding of equality and diversity issues.
- Ability to work autonomously, providing specialist HR services to managers and staff.
- Ability to take ownership of projects.
- Integrity and ability to act professionally in sensitive or complex situations.
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.
Address
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Harbour Yard
Salary
£46,419 to £55,046 a year incl. HCAS.
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full time, Flexible working, Home or remote working, Compressed hours
Reference number
289-CR-74
Job locations
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Harbour Yard