Deputy Chief People Officer in Swindon

This is a permanent, open-ended position.

Remuneration: £94,931 per annum.

Location: Swindon or Oxford (Didcot) based. Regular travel to London and occasional travel to UK wide UKRI locations will be required.

Hours: Full Time (37 hours). Hybrid working with two‑three days a week on average at a UKRI site is available.

Security Level: The successful candidate must hold, or be willing to undergo, the relevant security clearance. UKRI reserves the right to initiate or repeat security screening as required during the course of employment.

Closing date: Monday 10th August 2026 at 23:55

About UKRI: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is an independent, non‑departmental public body, which invests £8bn per annum in research and innovation. We bring together nine executive council partners (the seven Research Councils, plus Innovate UK, and Research England) with a shared mission: to advance knowledge, improve lives and drive growth. We employ over 8,500 staff who support some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects. We develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world and work collaboratively with industry, academia and government in exciting partnerships. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through blue‑skies research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world‑class research and business‑led innovation.

Our Values: We have four new organisational values that set out who we are, what we stand for and how we work together every day. They unite us as one organisation.

• Spark curiosity – Together we’re guided by curiosity, creativity and collaboration. We work as one team to explore new approaches, take calculated risks and share what we learn.
• Play our part – We take ownership of our work as individuals. We act with integrity and do what we say we’ll do. And whatever our role, we know our contribution matters.
• Lift people up – We listen to, respect and take care of each other. We value our differences and communicate with clarity and kindness, so everyone can thrive.
• Make it count – We put our energy where it can have the biggest impact. We’re bold and decisive. We always focus on making a difference to people’s lives and livelihoods.

Delivering Our People Strategy: Our People Strategy is central to delivering UKRI’s mission. It sets out how we will build a high‑performing, inclusive and engaged organisation with the skills, leadership and culture needed to deliver for the UK research and innovation system, now and in the future. We are transforming how we attract, develop and support our people in response to a rapidly changing environment, including evolving skills requirements, advances in digital technology and increasing expectations of modern public service organisations. Through strategic workforce planning, leadership development, organisational effectiveness and a strong focus on inclusion and wellbeing, we are creating a more agile, capable and resilient organisation. Our ambition is to ensure that the right skills and capabilities are in the right place at the right time, enabling UKRI to respond to changing priorities while continuing to deliver excellence for researchers, innovators and the public.

The Deputy Chief People Officer will play a pivotal role in delivering this ambition. Working closely with the Chief People Officer and senior leaders across UKRI, the postholder will help shape the future organisation, lead significant transformation programmes and ensure our people services and professional expertise enable UKRI to achieve its strategic goals.

About the Role: We are seeking an exceptional senior HR leader to join UKRI as Deputy Chief People Officer. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, this role will play a pivotal part in leading the HR function, delivering our new People Strategy and supporting the organisation through an ambitious programme of organisational transformation. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the Deputy Chief People Officer will provide strategic leadership across the full people agenda, act as a trusted adviser to senior leaders and lead on complex organisational and workforce matters. The postholder will deputise for the Chief People Officer as required, representing the function at Executive Committee and other senior governance forums, leading UKRI’s engagement with our recognised trade unions and playing a key role in shaping organisational strategy and major transformation programmes.

Key Responsibilities:

• UKRI HR Leadership - Provide strategic leadership across the full people agenda and act as Deputy Chief People Officer, exercising delegated authority and deputising for the Chief People Officer as required. Support the Chief People Officer in setting the strategic direction, priorities, performance and reputation of the HR function, acting as a visible executive leader across UKRI.
• Strategic HR Business Partnering - Provide strategic leadership for the HR Business Partnering function, ensuring it delivers high‑quality, commercially focused support that enables organisational performance and successful delivery of UKRI's strategic priorities.
• Organisation Development, Design and Change - Provide organisation‑wide leadership on organisational development, organisational design and the people aspects of transformation, ensuring UKRI has the capability, structures and culture required to deliver its strategic ambitions.
• Trade Union Relations - Lead UKRI's strategic engagement with recognised Trade Unions, working closely with Deputy HR Directors and their teams to build constructive relationships that support organisational change and positive employee relations.
• Governance, Risk and Corporate Leadership - Ensure effective governance, assurance, risk management and compliance across the HR Business Partnering function and contribute to organisation‑wide people governance.

Your Skills and Experience: This role requires an accomplished senior HR leader with broad experience across the HR profession. The successful candidate will provide organisation‑wide leadership across the people agenda, shape the future direction of the HR function and work in close partnership with the Deputy Directors of HR leading the Centres of Expertise to deliver an integrated, high‑performing HR function. The successful candidate will be an experienced, collaborative and authentic leader who thrives in a complex environment and enjoys working as part of a high‑performing, close‑knit leadership team with a shared commitment to delivering significant organisational transformation.

Essential Criteria:

• Qualifications: Degree‑level qualification or equivalent senior professional experience, and Chartered Member (MCIPD) or Fellow (FCIPD) of the CIPD, or able to demonstrate an equivalent level of professional expertise.
• Experience: Proven senior HR leadership experience within a large, complex, matrixed and regulated organisation, leading organisation‑wide people strategy across multiple business areas and diverse stakeholder groups.

Timescales and Selection: The selection process will include an interview and a presentation, along with additional fireside discussions. Candidates may also be asked to complete psychometric testing as part of the assessment. Interviews will take place in London.

How to Apply: Your application should be submitted in two parts. Both parts must be submitted by 23:55 on Monday 10th August 2026 in order for your application to be considered complete.