Lead HR Business Partner

In June 2025, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care introduced two key frameworks: the Population Health Framework and the Service Renewal Framework (SRF). The SRF sets out an ambitious vision to drive innovation and enable more integrated delivery across Scotland’s health and care services. As part of this transformation, NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) will come together to form a new organisation: Public Services Delivery Scotland in April 2026. The new organisation will play a pivotal role in supporting the renewal and long-term sustainability of health and care services across Scotland.

To learn more about the new organisation, please read the public consultation paper, NHS Delivery – A New National Delivery Organisation, available on the Scottish Government website

Flexible Location: NES is a remote-friendly employer with staff based throughout Scotland. We support office-based and hybrid working arrangements. We welcome conversations about alternative working patterns—please get in touch during the application process to discuss.

Work Pattern: Permanent, Full Time, 36 hours per week

As from 1/4/26, the Agenda for Change full-time working week will be reducing from 37 to 36 hours per week. Part time hours will be reduced pro-rata. However, there will be a corresponding increase in the hourly rate so that pay will not be affected

You must have eligibility and entitlement to work in the UK which is required to be maintained throughout your period of employment.

Who We Are

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is the national health board with statutory responsibilities to effect sustainable change through workforce development, education and training across the health and social care system in Scotland, while working at UK level with partner organisations.

The People & Culture Directorate works at a national level to support the delivery of NES’s strategic plan and is a key partner to the delivery of Scottish Government priorities for the health and social care workforce. It also provides a comprehensive People and Organisational Development strategy and service for the people who work for NES and externally to NHSScotland in the recruitment of medical and dental trainees and other vocational trainee groups.  

The Opportunity

We are looking for a Lead HR Business Partner, to join our HR Business Partnering team, one of four workstreams across NES HR. This is an excellent time to join our friendly and supportive team, as the wider HR department embarks on a period of exciting change and transformation. This role will be instrumental in helping shape this journey, not only within HR but across NES.

Working across a wide portfolio of Directorates in partnership with Senior Leaders and Managers you will deliver high quality, accurate and efficient end to end HR support, whilst helping build the organisation and people capability. You will act as an enabler working in partnership with staff and trade union partners to deliver Staff Governance Standards.

This is an exciting opportunity for an exceptional candidate to be part of a thriving team, collaborating with the Associate Director, HR, and HR Specialist Lead in partnering, coaching and influencing stakeholders at all levels, providing high quality relationship management to deliver on strategic priorities which have significant value to the business. You will be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity, integrity and where you will be empowered to fulfil your potential.

Do you enjoy making a difference, influencing improved ways of working, and sharing innovative ideas?

Do you enjoy working with partners at all levels, communicating a shared vision and sense of purpose?

Do you enjoy rising to the challenge in a fast paced, complex and political environment?

Do you want to play a vital role in changing the way we think about strategic business partnering within NES?

Working within the HR Business Partnering Team, you will have the opportunity to bring your unique skills and experience to the table, collaborating across multiple workstreams to effect real change within NES, and further afield

Does this sound like you?

What We Love to See

Lead HR Business Partners offer a broad range of skills and experience, if you can offer some or all of these, we’d love you to apply:

• A dynamic individual who can also demonstrate initiative, enthusiasm, and a common-sense approach to deliver a range of proactive, robust and future focussed HR services that optimise digital technology
• With a strong track record as a HR generalist, you will bring extensive transferable HR knowledge and experience. You will be able to work closely and collaboratively with colleagues in complex situations that require HR guidance, explanation and interpretation of policy and terms and conditions and will have significant experience in employee relations with the ability to work at pace with complex case management using HR best practice and employment legislation
• You will have the ability to build trusted relationships across a range of stakeholders and have good judgement and ability to evaluate a range of potential solutions, considering the impact for customers and risk for the organisation
• You will be able to demonstrate excellent leadership, a range of well-developed communication skills with ability to influence at a senior level and demonstrated experience of developing and delivering workforce plans. You will be experienced in constructively challenging thinking to achieve positive outcomes, coach and develop managers to build confidence and capability, and ensure policy and procedure are applied consistently and effectively with emphasis on values and behaviours across the organisation
• The successful candidate will hold a portfolio with defined areas of responsibility to support a wide range of areas including supporting job evaluation, organisational change and workforce planning activity contributing to the NES Workforce Plan 2022-2025. The postholder will bring to the role a breadth of experience using people analytics to inform business solutions, leading HR input to the organisational change programmes, effective partnership working and engagement, and on-going continuous professional development
• As a senior member of the Workforce Directorate, you will require to have visibility and be able to support an ambitious HR Team to be a confident, aspirational and effective service. You will be resilient in the face of change and promote a culture of high performance, learning and self-development, creating an exciting environment where everyone wants to come to work to do their best.
• Demonstrate honesty, integrity, care and compassion when dealing with others, utilising tact and persuasion skills when necessary
• Ability to work on own initiative, to organise and prioritise own workloads, to meet strict deadlines

Benefits Which Matter

As a valued employee of NHS Scotland, you can enjoy an extensive range of benefits including:

• Life-work balance - with opportunities for flexible working and hybrid working
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Annual incremental salary progression (up to the maximum of the salary band) plus annual NHS salary scale review
• Annual Leave - 27 Days increasing in line with service plus 8 days public holiday
• NHS discounts and more

Diversity and Inclusion

Developing a successful national service for Scotland means considering the diverse needs, perspectives, and backgrounds of everyone in Scotland. We are focused on hiring the very best talent and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Our aim to ensure that everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has a positive recruitment experience—regardless of the outcome.

We welcome applications from all under-represented groups, including racially minoritised people and disabled people. It is not essential to be in a Lead HR Business Partner role right now—you may be returning from a career break (e.g., maternity, paternity, caring) or coming from another field. Your experiences can bring a fresh perspective to our work.

If you are considering applying and would like to discuss the opportunity, any adjustments or alternative work patterns, please contact Claire Clinton – Senior Specialist Lead Business Partnering

Next Steps

All applicants who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail.

In person OR online interviews (Including a presentation) will take place on the week of the 20^thApril 2026.

For further information please refer to the Job Information Pack below.

Unless otherwise stated the deadline for applications is 23:59 hours on the closing date. Please note, CVs will not be accepted.

1. Please be advised that if you are successful in being offered the role following the recruitment process, you will be expected to attend the office prior to your start date to complete face-to-face pre-employment checks. If you require any adjustments to support this, please let us know.
2. To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here. 

For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licenced Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form.

If you have any queries regarding the NHS Scotland National Recruitment Portal or the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to contact our recruitment partners, the East Region Recruitment Service, at: EoS.ERRS@nhs.scot