Strategic People Partner

Band 8b Based in Crawley: regular attendance at SECAmb Regional Locations Minimum 40% On-Site

Drive transformation. Champion culture. Shape the workforce of tomorrow.

At South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb), we're navigating a period of significant change and we're looking for a Strategic People Partner who can lead with clarity, compassion, and courage.

This is more than a people role. It's a chance to help rebuild trust, reshape culture, and reimagine what great looks like. This is a rare opportunity to join a service that's rebuilding from the inside out - where your HR expertise, leadership, and influence will help lay the foundations for a stronger, more inclusive, and more resilient workforce.

You'll lead the people strategy for one of our four divisional areas (Kent, Sussex, Surrey/Corporate, or Central Operations), working alongside newly forming leadership teams and supporting staff through significant change. You'll need to be both a trusted advisor and a hands on partner - someone who can see the bigger picture while getting stuck into the detail. Your ability to bring people with you - to listen, influence, and act - will be critical to success.

This is your chance to make a real difference - not just to our workforce, but to the communities we serve.

We're looking for someone who is:

• Strategic and hands on - equally comfortable advising at board level and rolling up their sleeves to get things done.
• Thrives in complexity - and brings calm, confidence, and clarity to uncertain environments.
• Change savvy and people focused - with a deep understanding of how to support individuals and teams through uncertainty and transition.
• A natural leader - ready to inspire, develop and guide a growing team in a fast evolving environment.

• Option to join NHS pension scheme
• A minimum 27 days' holiday each year, increasing after 5 years' service.
• Personal and professional development and training opportunities.
• Salary Sacrifice schemes for cars or push bikes.
• Access to occupational health and counselling services.
• Back up buddy App
• Access to NHS discounts, offering NHS employees a range of money saving deals.

Other than in exceptional circumstances, the starting salary for staff new to the NHS will be the bottom point of the band to which they have been appointed.

You're a credible, proactive people leader who thrives in dynamic, fast paced environments. You combine strategic insight with operational delivery, and you're passionate about creating positive, inclusive workplace cultures.

Chartered Member of CIPD (or working towards it).

Significant, senior HR experience in a complex, customer focused, unionised environment.

Strong background in HR business partnering, workforce planning, organisational change and leadership coaching.

Excellent interpersonal, negotiating, and influencing skills with the confidence to engage and challenge at senior levels.

Able to analyse complex data, identify trends, and use evidence to drive decision making.

NHS or healthcare sector experience, though not essential if you bring comparable complexity.

If you're ready to make a meaningful, visible impact on the people strategy of a vital NHS organisation and help shape the future of our ambulance service workforce we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today via NHS Jobs / Trac Jobs and bring your leadership to where it matters most.

• Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (Chartered MCIPD) or able to evidence having commenced the upgrading process with CIPD or willing to undertake accreditation
• Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in relevant discipline.

• Able to analyse, provide advice and manage highly complex and sensitive situations where there is often conflict
• Sound and up to date knowledge of HR best practice
• Demonstrable coaching behaviours and ability to model these to managers and leaders at all levels
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to form productive collaborative working relationships
• Understanding of diversity, inclusion, and EDI frameworks in the NHS or similar environments.
• Knowledge of national NHS strategies (e.g. People Promise, Long Term Workforce Plan)

• Significant experience in a senior HR professional role, working in a customer focused and fast paced environment
• Experienced in HR business partnering, with the ability to translate Organisational objectives into clear HR deliverables and project, providing constructive challenge and support to line managers at all levels to improve line management standards.
• Experience of successfully leading and managing a HR team
• Record of successful achievement in contributing to change as an HR professional
• Capacity to handle highly sensitive and contentious situations, including formal consultation processes.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and facilitate culture and leadership development.

• Strategic thinking and planning: Ability to align people strategy with organisational goals.
• Strong interpersonal, persuasive, and negotiating skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, including report writing and presenting workforce data.
• Project and change management skills, including TUPE and restructuring.
• Team leadership and development: Coaching and mentoring of HR professionals and managers.

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.