Job vacancy: Associate Director - Recruitment, Resourcing & Optimisation, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester

Job summary

Main area: People Services
Grade: NHS AfC: Band 8d
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 358-7895000-COR

Employer: University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: County Hall
Town: Leicester
Salary: £91,342 - £105,337 Per annum/ pro rota for part time hours
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 10/04/2026 23:59

Associate Director - Recruitment, Resourcing & Optimisation

NHS AfC: Band 8d

AI tools like chatbots and virtual assistants can support you as you complete your application. For example, they can check for spelling or grammar errors, or help you to decide what to include.

But they shouldn’t replace your own responses or be used to write the application for you.

Relying too much on AI can negatively impact your chances of success, because automatically generated answers:

might not be specific or relevant enough to address the criteria in the recruitment profile
often seem generic and not personalised enough – an AI response won’t show your unique voice and perspective
could misrepresent information about you, such as your qualifications, skills and experience

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

What you’ll be responsible for

Providing strategic oversight and operational leadership of recruitment, resourcing, temporary staffing and medical workforce services across a large, complex acute Trust.
Leading and delivering Trust‑wide transformation programmes, ensuring services are streamlined, efficient, cost‑effective and digitally enabled.
Working collaboratively with senior leaders, clinicians, system partners and external organisations to deliver shared workforce solutions and system‑wide efficiencies.
Driving service optimisation, ensuring effective utilisation of skills and resources, and measurable improvements in performance and user experience.
Leading governance, assurance, risk management and benefits realisation across recruitment and resourcing programmes.
Holding responsibility for budgetary control, financial performance, CIP delivery and contract management.
Providing visible, inclusive leadership to multidisciplinary teams, supporting development, performance and a culture of continuous improvement.
Acting as a senior advisor to the Executive Team and Board, providing expert insight, analysis and assurance on recruitment and resourcing matters.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Master’s level professionally qualified in a relevant discipline (or equivalent significant experience to Master’s level or equivalent)
Evidence of professional continual personal development.
Change Management qualification or equivalent experience

Desirable criteria

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development member

Experience

Essential criteria

Extensive experience working at Senior Manager level in a workforce programme management / transformation role in a large complex NHS organisation
Able to demonstrate a commercial and business acumen and an understanding of how high impact People Services can positively impact on the patient experience, quality and efficiency agenda and organisational goals.
Significant appreciation, knowledge and experience of good people practice within a large complex organisation
Leading / working on transformational change programmes and achieving results through working with others who are not under direct management control
Proven ability to work across organisational boundaries and in partnership across health and social care
Experience of managing improvement- based projects/programmes and having responsibility for the financial implications of change

Desirable criteria

Significant appreciation, knowledge and experience of good HR practice within the NHS
Complex acute hospital environment experience at a senior level with partners across health & social care
Understanding the financial implications of change and ensuring project/programmes are within budget
Demonstrates experience of effectively utilising development methods, techniques and tools for effective project management

Communication

Essential criteria

Ability to deal with people in complex, confrontational or highly emotive situations and gain engagement in a resistant environment
Demonstrate the capability to motivate collaboration amongst different professionals’ user groups and partners to improve service outcomes and performance
Strong communication and inter- personal skills giving the ability to influence at senior levels

Skills

Essential criteria

Highly analytical and numerate, able to interpret, triangulate, summarise and present a range of different sources of complex information and data
Advanced IT skills
Presentation skills and ability to adapt style to given audience
Strong planning and organisational skills with the ability to work at both the strategic level and with operational teams on the detail to support delivery of plans.
Ability to develop new ways of working using planning, facilitation, collaboration, capacity planning and continuous improvement skills

Additional Information

Please submit your application form without delay to avoid disappointment; we will close vacancies prior to the publishing closing date if we receive a sufficient number of completed application forms.

Please check the email account (including your junk mail) that you supplied as part of your application on a regular basis following the closing date and throughout the recruitment process, as this is how we will communicate with you.

UHL is an equal opportunities employer. We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds who match our job criteria.

Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme. If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible.

UHL is committed to helping colleagues balance the demands of both their work and personal needs through flexible working arrangements wherever reasonably practicable and subject to service needs.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

Please note if you are successful in obtaining this position and the post involves regulated activity you will be required to undertake a Disclosure & Barring Service check.

The Trust will pay for the check initially and the money will then be deducted from your salary over a three month period commencing on your first month's payment.

The current price of a check is £38 for an enhanced and £18 for a standard check.

COVID 19 Risk Assessment

Due to the current Covid pandemic we have introduced a staff risk assessment into our pre-employment process. This now forms part of the mandatory pre-employment checks that will be carried out if you receive a conditional offer.

The risk assessment is intended to ensure you are able to safely perform your duties in any of our work areas, and if you have been identified as being particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. Our main aim is to reduce risk and to ensure the safety of all new starters to the Trust as well as current staff, patients and visitors.

If it is identified that you are within a vulnerable category, we will endeavor to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate this through discussions with both Occupational Health and your recruiting manager.

Covid Vaccination Status

Covid-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, family, colleagues and our patients/service users from the Covid-19 virus. We therefore continue to encourage our current and potential colleagues to get vaccinated.

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust holds the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything it does and all that it stands for. We are committed to developing a workforce that is representative of the community we serve. We welcome applications from the diverse community of Leicester, Leicester and Rutland, to help deliver healthcare services that meets the needs of our diverse communities.