Chief People Officer

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust

Chief People Officer

The closing date is 20 May 2026

Chief People Officer - Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust

World class care requires world class leadership.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an exceptional leader who can help us seize the opportunities we have and navigate complex challenges, providing visible, professional leadership as we build on our successes, strengthen our close work with GOSH Charity, and deepen partnerships beyond the Trust to deliver our ambitious plans. This includes shaping our workforce as we transform elements of our operating model, making care more seamless for children and families across the organisation and beyond hospital boundaries, while ensuring long-term financial sustainability.

The organisation must preserve the qualities that make it distinctive and expert, while continuing to modernise to remain at the forefront of children's healthcare. The Chief People Officer will provide the leadership and expertise to help shape our future workforce models and guide the organisation through a significant period of ongoing change and transformation.

Main duties of the job

Working closely with the Chief Executive and Executive colleagues, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and sustaining an effective distributed leadership model across the senior team. Success in this role will depend not on personal control, but on your ability to build trust, enable others to lead with confidence, and hold collective accountability for outcomes.

This calls for experience of operating within complex systems, mature judgement, and the confidence to lead through influence, constructive challenge, and partnership - ensuring that, together, the Executive and wider leadership team are cohesive, resilient, and able to thrive under pressure.

The GOSH name, brand and reputation brings with it significant prestige, but also responsibility and scrutiny. You will therefore be a skilled communicator, comfortable in the spotlight and understand the responsibilities that come with the position that GOSH occupies in the hearts and minds of our patients and their families, as well as in the hearts and minds of the public in the UK and beyond.

About us

GOSH is committed to recruiting the best person for the job, based solely on their ability and individual merit as measured against the criteria for the role; through a process that is fair, open, consistent and free from bias and discrimination.

We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer and foster a culture where all staff are valued, respected and acknowledged. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, disability status or length of time spent unemployed.

We particularly welcome applications from BAME communities, people with disabilities and/or long-term health conditions and LGBT+ community members.

We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants and employees are treated fairly and consistently. We are proud to be accredited as a Disability Confident Employer, a member of Business Disability Forum and a Stonewall Diversity Champion.

We have active and Executive supported BAME, LGBT+ and Allies, Disability and Long-Term Health Conditions and Women's staff networks. Staff networks are employee-led groups formed around interests, issues and a common bond or background. Staff network members create a positive and inclusive work environment at Great Ormond Street Hospital by actively contributing to the Trust's mission, values and efforts specific to inclusion. All of our staff networks are open to any employee.

Job responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents please view the attachment/s below.

For further information, please refer to the attached candidate pack.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 20th May 2026.

Please view the candidate pack on this link: Candidate Brief Chief People Officer

HOW TO APPLY

In order to apply, please submit a comprehensive CV along with a covering letter which sets out your interest in the role and encapsulates the aspects of your experience relevant to the required criteria. Please include current salary details and the names and addresses of three referees. Referees will not be approached until the final stages and not without prior permission from candidates.

The preferred method of application is online at:

If you are unable to apply online please email:

All applications will receive an automated response.

Person Specification GOSH Culture and Values

• Always welcoming
• Always helpful
• Always expert
• Always one team
• Demonstrable commitment to, and evidence of, promoting and championing equality, diversity and inclusion, supported by tangible examples of impact
• Demonstrates and promotes accountability and integrity, and leads by example

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.

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust