AMS PSR

NICE – The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Associate Director for People – 6 Month FTC

The closing date is 12 June 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: 8d

Salary: Manchester £94,356 to £108,814 a year per annum

London £100,493 -£114,951 a year per annum

Contract: 6 Month FTC

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working, Compressed hours

Job locations: Manchester or London

Job summary

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is looking for an Associate Director for People to lead and shape the organisation’s People agenda, supporting the NHS and wider health and care system.

You will play a critical leadership role within the People Directorate, overseeing all People functions and driving the strategic direction of the organisation’s People strategy on behalf of the Deputy Chief People Officer. You will lead on shaping culture, vision and organisational initiatives, ensuring People services are future-ready and responsive to the evolving needs of the NHS and wider healthcare ecosystem. Working closely with senior stakeholders, including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Board of Directors, you will provide strategic insight, updates and assurance to support informed, high-level decision-making.

You will act as the primary interface between the People function and the Deputy Chief People Officer, with delegated authority for operational delivery, continuous improvement and performance across the portfolio. In this role, you will provide leadership on risk, opportunities and delivery, while ensuring strong alignment between organisational goals and People priorities.

Please note that this role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route. Please refer to the Direct Gov website for further information regarding eligibility.

Please note this vacancy may be closed early if sufficient suitable applications are received so we encourage an early application.

Main duties of the job

About us

The People Directorate at NICE leads and delivers the organisation’s People strategy, shaping culture, capability and ways of working to support the health and care system. The function plays a critical role in ensuring the organisation is equipped to meet the evolving needs of the NHS and wider healthcare landscape, working closely with senior stakeholders including the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Board of Directors.

As Associate Director for People, you will provide strategic leadership across the People function, working in partnership with the Deputy Chief People Officer to support the delivery of NICE’s organisational priorities and transformation agenda. NICE is embarking on an exciting and significant journey to transform the way we work, with our workforce and people at the centre of this change from the outset.

This role will play a pivotal part in translating strategic people priorities into operational delivery across both the People function and the wider organisation. Working collaboratively with senior stakeholders, you will help drive organisational change, support workforce transformation, and embed inclusive, high-performing ways of working that enable NICE to meet future challenges and deliver public value.

We are passionate and proud of the work we do and the impact we make. NICE offer:

Generous NHS Pension - Secure your future with one of the most rewarding pension schemes in the UK

Flexible working - Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with options like remote working, compressed hours and flexible start/finish times

Exclusive discounts - Save on shopping, dining and more with a Blue Light CardTime to recharge - Start with 27 days' annual leave plus bank holidays

Inclusive staff networks - Join supportive communities like Women in NICE, Race Equality Network, Disability Advocacy and NICE and Proud - we celebrate diversity

Tailored development - Grow your career with personalised learning and development opportunities

If you feel this is the type of environment you will enjoy working in, apply today!

Job description

To be considered for this role, you should be able to particularly demonstrate the person specification criteria in the job advert in your application. However, applicants should be able to demonstrate all essential criteria through the entirety of the recruitment process to be considered for the job. Please see job description attached for full list of responsibilities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to master’s level or equivalent, with FCIPD qualification (or equivalent experience), and evidence of recent and comprehensive CPD 

Experience
Essential
 Significant senior leadership experience within the NHS or a complex public or private sector environment

Extensive experience leading full People functions, including Learning & Development, Employee Relations and Talent Management

Proven track record of acting as a deputy to Chief People Officer level and engaging with Executive and Board stakeholders

Demonstrated success in leading transformational People programmes aligned to organisational strategy

Strong experience in workforce data analysis, reporting and presenting insights to Board and Executive audiences

Experience of benchmarking services and driving improvements across workforce, resourcing and employee relations functions

Proven ability to develop and deliver effective business partnering and collaborative working across senior stakeholders

Significant experience leading teams, delivering outcomes and working across public/private sector environments

Skills/Knowledge
 

Essential

Strong ability to design and deliver People strategies aligned to organisational transformation and objectives

Advanced change management, influencing and stakeholder engagement skills

Excellent organisational, communication, negotiation and presentation skills, with the ability to work to tight deadlines

Ability to analyse workforce data (e.g. ESR) and translate insights into actionable recommendations

Ability to build effective relationships at all levels, demonstrating tact, diplomacy and a collaborative leadership style

Desirable

Deep understanding of NHS policy, national healthcare strategy and workforce challenges

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).

Employer details:

Employer name

NICE – The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Address

3rd Floor

3 Piccadilly Place

Manchester

M1 3BN

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.nice.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)