Job Description

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 06 September 2026

Shape the future of people leadership at Newcastle University

Newcastle University is a world-leading, research-intensive university with a global reputation for academic excellence, innovation and social impact. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to creating an inclusive, collaborative and ambitious environment where colleagues can thrive and deliver outstanding education, research and professional services.

We are seeking an exceptional leader to join our People Services Leadership Team as Director of People Partnering. This is a key and influential people leadership role, offering the opportunity to shape institutional strategy, drive organisational transformation and lead a high-performing People Partnering function that supports every part of the University.

Reporting to the Executive Director of People Services, and acting as Deputy Director of People Services, you will be a trusted strategic adviser to senior leaders, helping to shape decisions on workforce strategy, organisational design, leadership capability, reward, talent acquisition & recruitment and organisational change.

Leading multidisciplinary teams across Faculty People Partnering, Professional Services Partnering, Transformation, Reward and Recruitment, you will ensure the delivery of integrated, forward-thinking people solutions that enable organisational performance, cultural development and an exceptional colleague experience.

This is a role for an accomplished strategic leader who thrives in complexity, is comfortable influencing at the highest levels, and has a proven ability to translate ambitious organisational goals into practical, impactful people strategies.

About You

You will bring substantial senior leadership experience within a large, complex organisation, with a strong track record of delivering transformational people strategies and leading organisational and cultural change.

Above all, you will be an authentic, inclusive and inspirational leader with excellent judgement, outstanding relationship-building skills and a passion for creating environments where people and organisations succeed.

This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in delivering Newcastle University's strategic ambitions during a period of significant opportunity and transformation. You'll work alongside an experienced executive team, influence institution-wide decision-making and help shape the future of one of the UK's leading universities.

We offer an excellent range of benefits, including generous annual leave, an attractive pension scheme, flexible working opportunities, comprehensive wellbeing support and ongoing professional development.

If you are an ambitious, strategic People leader looking to influence institutional success at the highest level, we would welcome your application.

For a confidential conversation please reach out to senior.appointments@newcastle.ac.uk in the first instance to arrange a suitable time for a conversation with Shelley Stonehouse, Recruitment Business Partner, shelley.stonehouse@newcastle.ac.uk or Jackie Scott, Executive Director of People Services, Jacqueline.scott@newcastle.ac.uk

To apply please submit a covering statement outlining how you meet our essential criteria for this role along with your CV

Assessments and Interviews are expected to be carried out Week commencing 21st September 2026

The Role

People Services is a strategic enabler of the University's vision, values and long-term ambitions. As a member of the People Services Leadership Team, the Director of People Partnering plays a critical role in shaping and delivering institutional people strategy, ensuring the University attracts, develops, rewards and retains a highly talented and diverse workforce capable of delivering excellence in education, research and service.

Reporting to the Executive Director of People Services, the Director of People Partnering is the senior leader responsible for the University's People Partnering function, providing strategic leadership across Faculties, Professional Services, Transformation, Reward and Recruitment. The role leads the development and delivery of integrated people solutions that support organisational performance, workforce capability, cultural development and sustainable change.

Operating as Deputy Director of People Services, the postholder will act as a trusted adviser to Executive Board members and senior leaders across the institution. They will provide strategic counsel on workforce planning, organisational design, leadership effectiveness, talent management, employee relations and organisational transformation, ensuring that people priorities are aligned with institutional objectives.

The role requires an accomplished and inspiring leader with substantial experience of leading large-scale organisational and cultural change within complex, values-led and highly unionised environments. The successful candidate will bring a track record of translating strategic ambition into practical, impactful people initiatives and delivering excellent people services through a contemporary business partnering model.

The Director of People Partnering will lead a multidisciplinary team comprising Faculty People Partnering, Professional Services Partnering, Transformation, Reward and Recruitment, ensuring the delivery of strategic people solutions across the University. Through this leadership they will influence the employee experience, organisational culture and workforce capability across the institution.

The postholder will be responsible for developing strong internal and external partnerships, maintaining awareness of sector developments and emerging workforce challenges, and ensuring the University remains responsive to changes in the higher education and wider employment landscape.

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Leadership

• Deputise for the Executive Director of People Services across the full range of people-related matters, representing the function internally and externally as required.
• Contribute to the strategic leadership and direction of the People Services Directorate and the delivery of the University's People Strategy Plan
• Act as a trusted strategic adviser and coach to Executive Board members and senior leaders on complex people, organisational and workforce matters.
• Lead the People Partnering function, ensuring a consistent, high-quality and strategically focused service across Faculties and Professional Services.
• Drive the development and implementation of innovative people strategies which support institutional priorities and enable organisational effectiveness.

Change and Transformation

• Anticipate and respond to internal and external workforce trends, advising on the implications for institutional strategy and people priorities.
• Lead organisational change activities, supporting leaders to navigate complexity and build organisational resilience.
• Ensure people considerations are fully integrated into major institutional projects, programmes and transformation initiatives.
• Champion innovation and continuous improvement across People Services and the wider University.

Insight, Governance and Performance

• Use workforce intelligence, people analytics and external benchmarking data to inform strategic decision-making, identify risks and opportunities, and evaluate organisational performance.
• Establish effective governance, performance management and reporting arrangements across the People Partnering function.
• Monitor delivery against strategic objectives and ensure resources are deployed effectively to maximise organisational impact.
• Contribute to People Services financial planning and be accountable for the effective management of delegated budgets.

Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement

• Provide strategic leadership to the People Partnering function, establishing vision, service standards, capability and performance expectations.
• Develop and lead high-performing teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement and professional excellence.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders across the University, higher education sector and relevant external networks.
• Represent the University on external forums and contribute to sector-wide discussions and initiatives where appropriate.

Person Specification

Essential

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Significant experience of leading strategic People/HR services within a large, complex and organisationally diverse environment.
• Demonstrable track record of leading large-scale organisational transformation, cultural change and workforce modernisation initiatives with measurable impact.
• Significant experience of influencing, supporting and coaching Executive-level leaders and senior stakeholders.
• Proven success in developing and implementing people strategies that support organisational objectives and improve institutional performance.
• Experience of leading and developing multidisciplinary HR/People teams in a complex environment.
• Substantial experience of operating within a highly unionised environment and leading complex employee relations activity.
• Strong understanding of employment legislation, workforce trends and contemporary People practices.
• Experience of strategic workforce planning, organisational design, succession planning and talent management.
• Experience of using workforce data, people analytics and organisational insights to inform decision-making and strategic planning.
• Strong commercial and organisational awareness with the ability to balance strategic priorities and operational delivery.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills, with the ability to establish credibility and build relationships at all levels.

Leadership and Behaviours

• Visible, authentic and inspiring leader who promotes the University's values and behaviours.
• Strong strategic thinker with the ability to anticipate challenges and identify innovative solutions.
• Resilient, adaptable and outcome-focused with the ability to lead successfully through complexity and change.
• Collaborative and inclusive approach with a commitment to fostering high-performing teams and working environments.
• Demonstrates sound judgement, integrity and professionalism.
• Passionate advocate for equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging.

Qualifications

Essential

• Chartered Member or Chartered Fellow of the CIPD (or equivalent professional standing).

Desirable

• Relevant postgraduate qualification in Human Resources, Organisational Development, Business Administration, Leadership or related discipline.

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 29601