Chief People Officer

The next Chief People Officer will build on strong foundations and lead the next phase of the people agenda for the Trust. Reporting to the Chief Executive, Dame Cally Palmer CBE, and as a full member of the Executive Team and Trust Board, the CPO will lead the development and delivery of workforce strategy across The Royal Marsden. The role carries responsibility for workforce planning, organisational development, leadership and talent, equality, diversity and inclusion, employee relations, reward, workforce systems and analytics, and education and professional development. The CPO will be a trusted adviser to the Chair, Chief Executive and Board, and a credible, values-led partner to clinical, research and operational leaders at every level of the organisation.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking an exceptional executive leader with significant board or executive-level experience of successful people leadership in a large, complex organisation. Candidates will bring a demonstrable track record of shaping and delivering workforce strategy in environments of transformation and change, deep experience of building high-performing people functions, and the credibility to operate at the top table of one of the NHS's most respected specialist trusts. Above all, we are looking for a leader who is strategic, intellectually curious and personally values-driven, with a track record of delivering excellence and impact, a genuine commitment to inclusion, and the resilience and judgement to lead through complexity.

Working for our organisation

The Royal Marsden is one of the world's leading specialist cancer centres and the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe. Together with our academic partner, The Institute of Cancer Research, we are the UK's only National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centre dedicated solely to cancer. Rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission, we are recognised globally for the impact of our research on patient care and are honoured to count Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales as our Joint Patrons.

The Trust is entering an exciting period of growth. Patient referrals have increased by around 30% over the past five years, our partnership with the ICR continues to strengthen, and major investment is transforming our estate, digital infrastructure and clinical services. The Oak Cancer Centre, our Epic-based Digital Health Record, Connect, and plans to expand our Chelsea site are shaping the future of cancer care. As host of RM Partners West London Cancer Alliance, we also play a leading role in improving cancer services across the region.

At the heart of our success are our 5,500 colleagues. Their expertise, innovation and compassion translate scientific discovery into better outcomes for patients in the UK and around the world. We are committed to providing an inclusive, supportive and modern workplace where everyone feels valued, heard and empowered to deliver exceptional care.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information on this role, please see the attached candidate information pack

• Lead the development, delivery and continuous refresh of the Trust's workforce and organisational development strategy, anchored in the Five-Year People Plan 2025-2030 and aligned to the Five-Year Clinical Strategy and the joint research strategy with the ICR
• Represent The Royal Marsden externally at regional, national and international levels on workforce matters.
• Provide executive leadership of the Trust's equality, diversity and inclusion agenda as it relates to the workforce, including the Workforce Race Equality Standard, Workforce Disability Equality Standard and gender equality
• Continue to modernise the people function's operating model, systems and processes, with a strong focus on user experience for managers and colleagues

Person specification

Experience

• Significant board or executive-level people leadership in a large, complex organisation, with the credibility and experience to operate at the top table of one of the NHS's most respected specialist trusts
• A demonstrable track record of shaping and delivering workforce strategy in environments of transformation and significant change, ideally working with clinicians or in research-driven, scientific or healthcare environments
• Evidence of building and leading high-performing people functions, with a clear point of view on operating model design, technology and analytics
• Strong employee relations experience, including constructive partnership working with trade unions
• Experience of leading in high-skill, knowledge-intensive environments, whether in healthcare, research, academia, professional services or comparable settings
• Experience of operating in regulated and politically sensitive environments

The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.