Chief People Officer, The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

We are on the verge of a defining moment in PAHT’s history. What lies ahead is a journey of transformation and improvement that will lead us successfully into the future, enabling us to deliver modern, integrated and outstanding care that keeps our growing and ageing population healthier.

Against a backdrop of NHS and system transformation, the relentless pace of scientific, technical and clinical innovation, and our amazing opportunity to build a brand-new hospital, we need a strategy that is bold, ambitious and responds to the needs of our local population across West Essex.

Therefore, we are currently developing our revised Clinical Strategy, which will provide our organisational and ‘Place’ roadmap for the next 10 years. It is designed to inspire and challenge us, to guide and unite us in working smarter and better to achieve our vision.

We have already made great progress, but there is much more to do. Now, more than ever, we need to come together as one team, working with our local, regional and national partners, our patients and our communities to make PAHT the centre of excellence we know it can be.

We hope you are excited by the strategy, and eager to embrace the challenges ahead.

Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in the role of Chief People Officer at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT). As the newly appointed Chief Executive, I am personally excited about the future of our Trust, and this is a pivotal leadership role at a time of transformation and opportunity.
At PAHT, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to ensuring that our people feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive in a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and excellence. As we continue to develop our People Strategy, we are looking for an inspirational leader who can shape and drive our approach to workforce transformation, staff experience, and leadership development.
We are also at a defining moment in our journey as we work on the development of our new Clinical Strategy, our long-term vision for the future of our Trust and the wider West Essex ‘Place’. While the construction of our new hospital has been delayed until 2032, our commitment to improving patient care, modernising our services, and developing our people remains stronger than ever. The Chief People Officer will play a critical role in ensuring that our people strategy reflects our evolving needs, enabling us to innovate, adapt, and continue delivering outstanding care as we prepare for our future.
As an anchor institution in West Essex, PAHT plays a key role in driving employment, skills development, and economic growth in our region. We are proud to act as a lead employer for West Essex, working closely with system partners to develop a flexible, skilled, and sustainable workforce that supports the broader health and care system.
This role will also be instrumental in delivering NHS national workforce priorities, including the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, the People Promise, and the NHS Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) agenda. You will lead our efforts in enhancing staff wellbeing, enabling career progression, and championing a compassionate and inclusive culture.
We are looking for a strategic and dynamic leader who can bring fresh thinking, strong collaboration, and a clear vision to our people agenda. This is an exciting opportunity to make a lasting impact on the future of our people, our organisation, and the communities we serve.
If you share our ambition and are passionate about shaping the future of workforce leadership in the NHS, I would be delighted to receive your application. Thank you for considering joining us at this exciting and important time.
With best wishes
Thom Lafferty
Chief Executive Officer
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust provides a full range of general acute, outpatient and diagnostic services at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, the Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford, and St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping.
We employ 4,000 staff and serve a local population of around 350,000 people living in west Essex and east Hertfordshire, centred on the M11 corridor and the towns of Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford and Epping. Our extended catchment area incorporates a population of up to 500,000 and includes the areas of Hoddesdon, Cheshunt and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire.
In October 2019, the Government announced that we are to receive funding to rebuild a new hospital in Harlow for our patients, community and people.
The details around the funding and the timeframe are currently being finalised and we are completing our business case for the new hospital. We are continuing to develop the essential business case plans to take this amazing change forward.
Click here for role description
All applications must include:
- A full curriculum vitae/resume
- Quoting the relevant role reference number: A040439
- A covering letter highlighting the aspects of the job description and PAH that particularly attract you to the post (Microsoft Word document)
- Contact details for three referees, these will not be contacted without your permission. (References should validate a minimum period of six years employment)
- A completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (which you will be redirected to once you have submitted your application) *
Right to work checks
If you are successfully shortlisted, our partner, Yoti, will contact you to complete an online right to work check. This is a quick and secure process, ensuring that all necessary legal requirements are met before proceeding further in the recruitment process.
Monitoring
One of Alumni Global’s and PAH’s objectives is to ensure that its workforce is reflective of the local community and therefore we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups. So that we can successfully achieve these aims, while it is not mandatory we would encourage every applicant to complete the “Equal Opportunities Monitoring form” so that we can measure the effectiveness of our efforts. The Recruiting Manager does not have access to the Monitoring Information Sections of the application form at any stage of the process and the information provided will be kept entirely confidential.
For a confidential discussion on this role please contact:
Thomas Patterson, Managing Director or Beth Stickney, Principal Researcher, on +44 7703 821 996.
Candidate adjustment
If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made as part of the recruitment process please can you advise us so that we can ensure this is accommodated.
Key Dates
Closing date: 27th March 2025 - TBC
Final Interviews: 23rd April 2025