Deputy Director of Voice, Culture and Experience
Band 8d
Main area Human Resources Grade Band 8d Contract Fixed term: 18 months (37.5 hours per week) Hours Full time – 37.5 hours per week Job ref 279-8304527-SEP26
Employer University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Worthing/Brighton Town Sussex Salary £94,356 – £108,814 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 27/09/2026 23:59 Interview date 01/10/2026
At UHSussex we’re proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK’s largest acute trusts, we’re a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.
Our hard-working, talented and dedicated people work together towards a common goal – to deliver Excellent Care Everywhere for our patients, our people and our communities. Whatever your role here at UHSussex you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex.
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us deliver Excellent Care Everywhere. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We value compassion, inclusion and respect as our core values . We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our wellbeing programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance – because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research , we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
Job overview
Deputy Director of Voice, Culture & Experience
Band 8D (indicative), Fixed Term 18 Months
Interview Date: 01/10/2026
Are you an experienced organisational development leader with a passion for culture, staff and patient voice, and meaningful change?
We are seeking an exceptional Deputy Director of Voice, Culture & Experience to join our acute NHS Trust at a pivotal time of transformation. This influential leadership role will shape how we listen to, understand and involve our staff, patients and communities, ensuring that insight is translated into visible action and sustainable improvement.
You will lead our approach to organisational listening, culture, psychological safety, participation and co-design, helping create an environment where people feel heard, valued and empowered to improve care. Working closely with executive, clinical and operational leaders, you will provide expert organisational development support across major change programmes, new ways of working and challenged teams.
Main duties of the job
The Deputy Director of Voice, Culture and Experience will lead the Trust’s approach to organisational listening, staff and patient voice, culture, organisational development, psychological safety, participation and co-design, ensuring that insight is translated into meaningful organisational action. The postholder will strengthen the listening-to-action cycle, lead the development of Every Voice Matters and the Trust’s “You Said, We Did” approach, and provide senior OD expertise to support culture change, behavioural change, challenged teams and major organisational transformation. They will lead targeted interventions in areas experiencing cultural or relational difficulties, support the embedding of the Trust Operating Model and the development of new multidisciplinary teams, and create the conditions for improvement through participation, co-design, constructive challenge and psychological safety.
Working for our organisation
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We are looking for an experienced OD practitioner with a clinical background, a strong track record of leading culture and organisational change in complex environments, and the ability to influence at the most senior levels.
This is a unique opportunity to help build a culture where every voice matters, psychological safety thrives, and staff, patients and communities play an active role in shaping the future of healthcare.
Join us and help create an organization that listens, learns and improves together.
This role is eligible for visa sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route however sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements set by UKVI, including the relevant skill and salary thresholds (£25000), and any role-specific criteria.
Person specification
Professional expertise
- Significant professional experience and expertise as an organisational development practitioner, including organisational diagnosis, team development, facilitation and the design and delivery of complex OD interventions.
- Relevant clinical or clinically grounded professional background, with substantial understanding of clinical environments and care delivery.
- Advanced understanding of organisational culture, behaviour, psychological safety, team dynamics and organisational change.
- Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to OD, behavioural change, psychology, leadership, organisational development or a related discipline.
- Significant senior-level experience leading culture, OD and organisational-change programmes within a large and complex organisation.
- Demonstrable experience of working directly with challenged teams or services, diagnosing cultural and relational issues and delivering targeted interventions
- Experience of supporting the establishment, development or redesign of multidisciplinary teams and organisational structures.
- Experience of developing approaches to organisational listening, participation, staff/patient voice or co-design and translating insight into action
- Experience of working with senior clinical, operational and corporate leaders and influencing at Executive level
- Experience of leading organisational development, culture or employee/patient experience work within the NHS or another large, complex healthcare environment.
- Experience of supporting major organisational restructures, operating-model implementation or the establishment of new senior multidisciplinary teams
- Experience of developing and embedding approaches to psychological safety, behavioural change or culture improvement at organisational scale.
Experience
- Significant senior-level experience leading culture, OD and organisational-change programmes within a large and complex organisation.
- Demonstrable experience of working directly with challenged teams or services, diagnosing cultural and relational issues and delivering targeted interventions.
- Experience of supporting the establishment, development or redesign of multidisciplinary teams and organisational structures.
- Experience of developing approaches to organisational listening, participation, staff/patient voice or co-design and translating insight into action.
- Experience of working with senior clinical, operational and corporate leaders and influencing at Executive level.
Professional Qualification
- Postgraduate qualification in organisational development, organisational psychology, behavioural science, psychotherapy, leadership, change or a related discipline
- Formal qualification or advanced development in coaching, facilitation, team development, organisational consultancy or systemic practice
Skills and approach
- Highly developed facilitation, coaching and group-working skills, including the ability to work confidently where relationships are difficult, trust is low or there are competing professional perspectives.
- Ability to synthesise complex qualitative and quantitative intelligence into meaningful organisational insight.
- Strong understanding of the relationship between culture, behaviour, psychological safety, inclusion, staff experience, patient experience and organisational performance.
- Ability to translate concepts such as psychological safety, participation and behavioural change into practical approaches that work in pressured operational and clinical settings.
- Credibility, judgement and personal resilience to intervene constructively in sensitive and complex organisational situations.
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
- Advanced coaching, mediation, restorative, systemic or psychologically informed practice skills.
- Experience of using qualitative research, thematic analysis or mixed-method approaches to generate organisational insight from staff, patient or community voice.
People Management and Development
- Experience of leading and developing a small specialist professional team or matrix team across organisational boundaries
EDI
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles
- Experience of applying inclusive, participative and equity-informed approaches to organisational development, culture change or co-design.
Important information for applicants
A Note on AI Use in Applications
UHSussex values authenticity and encourages applicants to ensure that all application materials accurately reflect their own skills, experience, knowledge and motivations. Candidates may use AI and digital tools to support the preparation of applications, for example to assist with spelling, grammar, structure or accessibility needs. However, applicants remain responsible for the content submitted and should ensure that it genuinely represents their own abilities and experience. Where there are reasonable concerns that an application does not authentically reflect the applicant’s own knowledge, skills, experience or suitability for the role, the Trust reserves the right to explore this further and, where authenticity cannot be satisfactorily demonstrated, to reject the application.
Closing Adverts Early
In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check . We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications
Employer certification / accreditation badges
This post will require a submission for Disclosure to be made to check for any unspent criminal convictions.
Name Daisy Drage Job title Senior Executive Assistant Email address daisy.drage@nhs.net Telephone number 01903 205111 Additional information
For further information or to arrange an informal chat about the role, please contact Daisy on daisy.drage@nhs.net.
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