SECamb

Strategic People Partner

The closing date is 29 July 2025

Job summary

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.

Main duties of the job

We're looking for someone who is:

o Strategic and hands-on -- equally comfortable advising at board level and rolling up their sleeves to get things done.

o Thrives in complexity - and brings calm, confidence, and clarity to uncertain environments.

o Change-savvy and people-focused -- with a deep understanding of how to support individuals and teams through uncertainty and transition.

o A natural leader -- ready to inspire, develop and guide a growing team in a fast-evolving environment.

About us

  • 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.
  • Award winning wellbeing hub
  • 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.

Details

Date posted

21 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

278-SPB-0725-SBW

Job locations

Crawley HQ

Crawley

RH10 9BG


Job description

Job responsibilities

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

Essential:

  • 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.

Desirable:

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

If youre 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 wed love to hear from you.

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

Job description

Job responsibilities

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

Essential:

  • 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.

Desirable:

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

If youre 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 wed love to hear from you.

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

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • 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.

Knowledge

Essential

  • 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

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience in a senior HR professional role, working in a customer-focused and face 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
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • 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.

Knowledge

Essential

  • 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

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience in a senior HR professional role, working in a customer-focused and face 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

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.

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. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

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.

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. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

SECamb

Address

Crawley HQ

Crawley

RH10 9BG


Employer's website

https://www.secamb.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

SECamb

Address

Crawley HQ

Crawley

RH10 9BG


Employer's website

https://www.secamb.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Recruitment Manager

Shannon Bowie-Wooler

shannon.bowie-wooler@secamb.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

21 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

278-SPB-0725-SBW

Job locations

Crawley HQ

Crawley

RH10 9BG


Supporting documents

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