Head of Business Partnering
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a unique organisation, serving as the sole integrated provider in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire system. Our scope extends beyond boundaries as we oversee adult community services in Swindon and provide acute care from the Great Western Hospital.
Our 5,500 staff have 1.2m patient contacts a year, with 13,000 operations carried out in our Theatres, around 4,000 babies born, and our emergency attendances are now well over 100,000 per year. Those numbers only tell part of our story about what an exciting time it is to join Great Western Hospitals.
We are cultivating a culture that fosters our ambitions, prioritising equality, diversion, inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership. We aim to create an environment where every member of our team can truly thrive.
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used, then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close adverts prior to the published closing date. Therefore, we advise you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.
Job overview
Head of Business Partnering
The BSW Hospitals Group is recruiting for an exceptional Head of Business Partnering to lead the People Business Partnering function at site level within Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GWH) ensuring the Care Organisation has a strategic, future‑focused workforce plan aligned to its unique operational and clinical priorities.This is a high‑impact leadership with responsibility for driving the delivery of the BSW People Plan locally while contributing to system‑wide workforce transformation.
As the senior People lead on site, you will act as a trusted advisor to the Site HR Director and Care Organisation Leadership Team, shaping strategic decisions and ensuring the People function is fully aligned with the organisation’s long‑term goals.You will lead a high‑performing team of Strategic and Medical Business Partners, champion a proactive, data‑driven approach, and ensure workforce initiatives reflect the needs, challenges, and ambitions of your specific Care Organisation.
This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic, influential leader who thrives on collaboration, strategic thinking, and driving meaningful change at both site and system level.
Main duties of the job
You will lead the Business Partnering function for your designated site, ensuring strategic people initiatives are aligned with local organisational and clinical priorities. This includes driving delivery of the BSW People Plan within your Care Organisation, advising senior leaders on workforce strategy, and commissioning work across HR design and delivery teams to ensure seamless, high‑quality support.
You will play a key role in shaping site‑specific workforce plans, influencing organisational strategy, and ensuring the People function is aligned with long‑term business and clinical objectives.
You will provide professional leadership to a senior team of Strategic and Medical Business Partners, enabling them to operate as strategic advisors across Divisions and Services. This includes oversight of workforce initiatives tailored to your site’s evolving needs, leadership on complex employee relations matters, and close collaboration with Group People Operations to manage risk and ensure consistency.Using data and insight, you will develop innovative, evidence‑based solutions that support local business outcomes, workforce sustainability, and cultural transformation.
Working for our organisation
We are proud to be part of BSW Hospitals Group – a formal partnership between Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. With a combined workforce of over 17, 600 colleagues, and budget of 1.6 billion the Group is united by a common purpose to deliver the best possible care to over 1 million people.
We are creating a health and care system that works with the people we care for, reducing the differences people currently face in access, experience and outcomes, improving the experience of our colleagues and tackling shared challenges like sustainability and finances.Every improvement we make across our Group will be guided by what creates the greatest benefit for our colleagues, our patients, our communities and our partners.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Head of Business Partnering is a site-based role and plays a pivotal role in aligning strategic people initiatives with overall organisational and clinical strategy, ensuring a future-ready workforce that enables the achievement of long-term goals.
At a site level, drive delivery of the People Plan initiatives that are in place across the BSW Hospitals Group (Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GWH), Royal United Hospitals Bath (RUH), and Salisbury (SFT) NHS Foundation Trust)
Please see attached full Job Description
Person specification
Knowledge, Training and Experience
Essential criteria- Extensive experience in strategic HR leadership roles, including a proven track record of working as a senior HR Business Partner, leading senior people teams, and supporting large and complex organisations on an organisation-wide basis.
- Membership with CIPD with FCIPD or MCIPD.
- Understanding aims of current healthcare policy and appreciate the implications of this on engagement
- Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development
- Extensive knowledge of People Service, acquired through post graduate diploma or equivalent experience or experience to master’s level equivalent
- Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
Thank you for expressing interest in this role. For further employer guidance, please review the attached supplementary applicant information.
The Trust is a Disability Confident Employer; all applicants who have a disability can opt to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme, which means that, providing they meet the minimum essential criteria for the post, they will be offered an interview.We are also proudly accredited as a Veteran Aware organisation and have signed The Armed Forces Covenant.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications, subject to eligibility of the role for a skilled worker visa and salary requirements.Not all roles in the Trust are eligible for sponsorship.
Eligibility for this role requires:
- Current right to work in the UK, subject to verification.
- Qualification of the eligibility sponsorship criteria
From 4 April 2024, UK immigration policy changes has increased minimum salary levels for skilled workers. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
Current employees should be aware that this position is advertised as a Great Western Hospitals position and appointment ends any TUPE protection.
Candidates are responsible for covering the cost of their own DBS check if required: £21.50 for a Standard DBS check, recoverable from the first pay, or £49.50 for an Enhanced DBS check, divided and recoverable over the initial two pay periods.Payment for DBS checks for bank posts must be settled prior to commencement. Apprentices are exempt from DBS payment.
We are committed to supporting our staff in achieving a healthy work-life balance through flexible work arrangements. Upon joining the Trust, you have the right to request flexible working, with an unlimited number of requests allowed.
Upon acceptance of a job offer, your information will be transferred to the national NHS Electronic Staff Records System. All communication regarding your application will be conducted via email; please ensure to check your junk/spam folders as emails may occasionally be filtered there.