Deputy Director Culture

Job summaryWe are the North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) providing high-quality mental health care to local people across the London Boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington. We serve diverse communities across North Central London supported by a workforce of almost 7,000 colleagues.Created through the coming together of three respected organisations, our Trust has successfully navigated a period of significant transformation and growth. We now have a unique opportunity to build something special: a shared culture that reflects who we are today and who we aspire to be tomorrow.We are looking for an exceptional Deputy Director of Culture to help lead that journey.This is a rare opportunity to influence organisational culture on a significant scale. Following a recent redesign of our People and Culture Directorate, you will play a central role in leading and developing a newly established Culture Team, helping to shape both the function itself and the ambitious agenda it will deliver.Main duties of the jobIn this role you will:Lead and develop our newly established Culture Team.Drive the continued development and implementation of the North London Way.Shape a long-term vision for organisational culture across the Trust.Influence executive and senior leaders in creating the conditions for cultural success.Lead innovative approaches to staff engagement, organisational development and culture change.Use insight, evidence and staff voice to inform priorities and interventions.Embed inclusion, belonging and compassionate leadership throughout the organisation.Support the development of a culture where colleagues can thrive and deliver outstanding care.We are looking for someone who:Has significant experience leading culture, organisational development or transformation programmes.Can think strategically whilst delivering meaningful and measurable change.Is passionate about creating inclusive, compassionate and high-performing cultures.Has the credibility and influence to work with senior leaders, clinicians, managers and staff groups.Is curious, innovative and comfortable challenging traditional thinking.Wants to be part of building something new.About usNorth London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.Our Five-Year Strategy: We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for allWe will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.Why NLFT?We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension schemeExcellent internal staff networkThe post holder will be aligned with our values:We Are KindWe Are RespectfulWe Work TogetherWe Keep Things SimpleWe EmpowerWe Are Proudly DiverseIn order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.DetailsDate posted01 September 2026Pay schemeAgenda for changeBandBand 8dSalary 103,102 to 117,560 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS ContractPermanentWorking pattern Full-time Reference number455-NLFT-8265221Job locationsTrust Headquarters - Centro Building19 Mandela StreetLondonNW1 0DUUnited KingdomJob descriptionJob responsibilitiesWhy Join Us?Few organisations have the opportunity to shape their future culture in the way we do today.This role offers the chance to help define the next chapter of North London NHS Foundation Trust and to leave a lasting legacy for thousands of colleagues and the communities we serve.You will join a newly structured People and Culture Directorate at an exciting point in its development, with the opportunity to help build a team, shape priorities and influence the future direction of the organisation.If you are inspired by the opportunity to help create a culture where people feel valued, connected, empowered and proud to belong, we would love to hear from you.Interviews to be held week commencing 5th October 2026 Job description Job responsibilitiesWhy Join Us?Few organisations have the opportunity to shape their future culture in the way we do today.This role offers the chance to help define the next chapter of North London NHS Foundation Trust and to leave a lasting legacy for thousands of colleagues and the communities we serve.You will join a newly structured People and Culture Directorate at an exciting point in its development, with the opportunity to help build a team, shape priorities and influence the future direction of the organisation.If you are inspired by the opportunity to help create a culture where people feel valued, connected, empowered and proud to belong, we would love to hear from you.Interviews to be held week commencing 5th October 2026Person Specification Qualifications/ Registrations EssentialoChartered Fellow CIPD (Chartered FCIPD) or working towardsoMaster's degree in HR, Employment Law, Business, Public Administration, Organisational Development, or related field OR equivalent senior level experienceoEvidence of ongoing CPDDesirableoMediation, coaching, or OD related trainingoLeadership qualification Skills/ Abilities EssentialoStrategic thinking and political awarenessoStrong influencing, negotiation, and coachingoAble to analyse and interpret complex information/data and produce detailed option appraisals Ability to lead change and improve servicesoExcellent interpersonal skills and ability to develop effective relationships with key stakeholders and deal with sensitive and contentious information to inform decision making using persuasive, motivational techniquesoExcellent presentation skills, adapted to suit a variety of audiences Experience/ Knowledge EssentialoSignificant experience of working in an education; learning and development; or OD roleoExperience in management, with demonstrable track record of successful leadership in complex organisationsoExperience of running a successful, large-scale cultural change activity and leading HR teams with KPIs, budgetary responsibility and service standardsoDeveloping OD Strategy and designing and delivering OD interventionsoKnowledge and understanding of wider political and social drivers that influence service delivery within the NHSoUnderstanding of the NHS People Plan ambitions and its implications for servicesoDemonstrates knowledge and understanding of the importance of Engagement, OD Equality and Diversity and NHS policy and regulatory frameworksoImplementation of workforce development and team development interventionsoKnowledge of digital transformation and sustainability Personal Qualities EssentialoCompassionate, fair, and inclusiveoCollaborative and transparentoCalm, credible, and improvement focusedoConfident in a variety of situationsoStrong patient focusoValues and respects others, treats everyone as an individual, is non-judgemental Person Specification Qualifications/ Registrations EssentialoChartered Fellow CIPD (Chartered FCIPD) or working towardsoMaster's degree in HR, Employment Law, Business, Public Administration, Organisational Development, or related field OR equivalent senior level experienceoEvidence of ongoing CPDDesirableoMediation, coaching, or OD related trainingoLeadership qualification Skills/ Abilities EssentialoStrategic thinking and political awarenessoStrong influencing, negotiation, and coachingoAble to analyse and interpret complex information/data and produce detailed option appraisals Ability to lead change and improve servicesoExcellent interpersonal skills and ability to develop effective relationships with key stakeholders and deal with sensitive and contentious information to inform decision making using persuasive, motivational techniquesoExcellent presentation skills, adapted to suit a variety of audiences Experience/ Knowledge EssentialoSignificant experience of working in an education; learning and development; or OD roleoExperience in management, with demonstrable track record of successful leadership in complex organisationsoExperience of running a successful, large-scale cultural change activity and leading HR teams with KPIs, budgetary responsibility and service standardsoDeveloping OD Strategy and designing and delivering OD interventionsoKnowledge and understanding of wider political and social drivers that influence service delivery within the NHSoUnderstanding of the NHS People Plan ambitions and its implications for servicesoDemonstrates knowledge and understanding of the importance of Engagement, OD Equality and Diversity and NHS policy and regulatory frameworksoImplementation of workforce development and team development interventionsoKnowledge of digital transformation and sustainability Personal Qualities EssentialoCompassionate, fair, and inclusiveoCollaborative and transparentoCalm, credible, and improvement focusedoConfident in a variety of situationsoStrong patient focusoValues and respects others, treats everyone as an individual, is non-judgementalDisclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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 SponsorshipApplications 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). Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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 SponsorshipApplications 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 detailsEmployer nameNorth London NHS Foundation Trust AddressTrust Headquarters - Centro Building19 Mandela StreetLondonNW1 0DUUnited KingdomEmployer's websiteEmployer detailsEmployer nameNorth London NHS Foundation Trust AddressTrust Headquarters - Centro Building19 Mandela StreetLondonNW1 0DUUnited KingdomEmployer's website