At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the EDI strategy and enhance staff experience across three hospital sites.
- Company: Join Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group, a leader in healthcare inclusion.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working, and the chance to make a real impact.
- Other info: Exciting opportunity to influence a large, complex organisation and develop as a leader.
- Why this job: Shape an inclusive culture and drive meaningful change for 18,000 colleagues.
- Qualifications: Degree-level qualification and proven EDI leadership experience required.
The predicted salary is between 66582 - 77368 £ per year.
An excellent opportunity has arisen to join the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group as our Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and People Promise. This senior leadership role will lead the development and delivery of a Group-wide vision for workforce inclusion, equality and staff experience across our three hospital sites, supporting a workforce of approximately 18,000 colleagues.
Reporting to the Director of Culture, Inclusion and Learning, you will provide essential strategic leadership for EDI and People Promise priorities, ensuring national NHS requirements and statutory obligations are translated into meaningful improvements for colleagues. You'll lead the Group's approach to workforce equality standards, staff experience, staff networks and inclusion programmes, while providing professional leadership to Site Inclusion Partners across the Group.
This is a unique and really exciting opportunity for an experienced and influential EDI leader who is passionate about creating an inclusive culture, addressing inequalities and improving employee experience. You'll work closely with senior leaders, staff networks, community partners and Board-level committees to drive measurable change and help create a workplace where every colleague can thrive. Flexible and agile working arrangements are supported, with travel across all three hospital sites required.
Main duties of the job
- Lead the development and implementation of the Group's workforce EDI strategy, ensuring compliance with the Equality Act, Public Sector Equality Duty and national NHS workforce equality standards.
- Oversee key programmes including WRES, WDES, gender pay reporting and anti-racism initiatives, using workforce data and insights to identify priorities and drive improvement.
- Lead the Group's People Promise agenda, coordinating staff experience initiatives, staff survey governance, listening frameworks and action planning to improve colleague engagement and wellbeing.
- Work collaboratively with staff networks, trade union representatives and external partners to ensure diverse voices influence organisational decision-making and shape future priorities.
- Provide leadership and direction to Site Inclusion Partners, ensuring local delivery aligns to Group objectives while responding to the needs of individual hospital sites.
- Provide assurance to senior leaders and Board committees on equality, inclusion and workforce experience outcomes, helping build organisational capability in inclusive leadership and equality practice.
About us
As Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and People Promise, you'll join NWUHG at a defining moment. Bringing together three established hospitals -- JPUH, NNUH and QEH -- into a single Group, we're building a unified approach to leadership and care while preserving what makes each site distinct.
The Group is undergoing significant structural change, with a new senior leadership team taking shape. As Head of EDI and People Promise, you'll help shape that change directly -- influencing how the Group works now and for years to come.
Operating across three sites brings a scale and complexity few roles offer: three patient populations, three cultures, one shared purpose to build. It's a genuine opportunity to develop as a leader in a large, complex, multi-site organisation, working alongside colleagues equally invested in getting it right.
Focusing on people supports national priorities--ensuring the workforce is skilled, adaptable, and ready for future models of care--and strengthens NWUHG's overall performance by improving quality, resilience, and sustainability.
Person Specification
- Qualifications
- Degree level qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience.
- Chartered Member of the CIPD, or equivalent demonstrable professional standing.
- Experience
- Proven experience of delivering statutory EDI report including, gender pay gap and equality action planning with measurable outcomes.
- Significant experience of leading workforce EDI strategy and statutory equality programmes in a large, complex organisation.
- Skills
- Expert knowledge of the Equality Act 2010, the Public Sector Equality Duty and workforce equality standards.
- Well-developed influencing, engagement and facilitation skills across diverse audiences.
- Personal Attributes
- Courageous, compassionate and credible inclusion leadership consistent with the Group's values.
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion as a personal and professional priority.
Please note this position is advertised as a Band 8b subject to job evaluation confirmation.
Head of EDI and People Promise in Norfolk employer: National health service
The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment that prioritises patient safety and service improvement. With a strong commitment to employee development, including leadership training and apprenticeship programmes, staff are empowered to grow their skills while contributing to the health of London. The Trust's inclusive culture and focus on quality management ensure that employees feel valued and supported in their vital roles.
