HR PROJECT MANAGER

Job Description: Delivering a new high–risk research funding agency for the UK

Title: Health Data Research Service HR Project Manager
Grade: G6
Number of roles: 1
Salary: standard G6/8c
Hours: full time, part time, flexible
Start date: January 2026 / asap
Contract type: fixed term appointment, loan, or secondment (estimated 9 months)

About the team:
The UK has an extraordinary research base and a ground–breaking innovation ecosystem. This helps make the UK a great place to work and for businesses to invest and grow. The Science Research and Evidence Directorate (SRE) is at the centre of UK science, research and innovation policy making and delivery. We work with partners across government, academia and business to understand and shape research and innovation policy, helping make the UK one of the world s most innovative nations, for the benefit of people, business and society.

On 7th April 2025 the Prime Minister announced that the Government and Wellcome will invest up to GBP600 million to create a new Health Data Research Service. Within the SRE directorate, the Chief Data Officers team are a small team, set up to deliver the creation of a new Health Data Research Service (as a government company) for the UK.
This service will bring new treatments and cures to patients by safely enabling the use of patient data to super–charge research, attracting investment and making the UK one of the best places in the world to conduct ground–breaking medical research
This groundbreaking initiative will deliver significant health benefits to the UK public and patients. HDRS will deliver a single point of access to health data from multiple sources.
NHS data is already being used to power incredible research, and the service will build on the NHS Research Secure Data Environment Network which enables safe and secure access to health and care data for research

The team is recruiting a CEO and Chair, who will be heavily involved in the design and set up of HDRS.

Job description:
This is a unique and exciting opportunity to be a crucial part of the creation of a brand new agency. The delivery of HDRS is moving towards organisational set up and we are looking for a talented HR professional to lead the design and building of the HR apparatus of the new agency from the ground up, and manage recruitment. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of the design and operation of a brand new arms length body.

The successful candidate will need to combine strong strategic vision (understanding the policy, operations, legislation, bespoke arrangements, working alongside the CEO and Chair etc), with hands–on, practical delivery of the fundamental HR structures and recruitment for a new public body.

This role will be working to set up HDRS, a new government company. This will involve, in the first instance, working with the existing DHSC policy team, and liaising with DHSC HR. You will need to drive and shape the people project plan and will be accountable for its success, and will need to be able to work independently and proactively from the outset.

Once the CEO has started, we expect this role to involve close working with the incoming senior leadership team and other operational leads. There is potential for the role to expand and transition to HDRS itself once the agency exists.

We expect the role to lead the design and delivery of the following:

• Leading the development of HDRS s people strategy, policies and procedures including reward; including advising Ministers and the CEO/Chair on pay scales, pensions etc, and codifying this for the Board
• Supporting with the design and operating model for the new organisation,
• Leading the operational delivery of HDRS s HR needs, including setting up payroll and HDRS s fundamental HR infrastructure,
• Recruitment, including of HDRS s executives, and key programme manager roles, as well as managing recruitment delivery,
• Supporting the onboarding of a new CEO and Chair and designing onboarding approach more generally,
• Preparation and management of temporary and permanent employment contracts (including working with legal experts in the design of contracts),
• Union engagement,
• Planning and Management of possible staff transfer once HDRS exists.

Essential experience:

NHS EXPERIENCE IS A MUST HAVE

• Successful track record of the practical design and delivery of new HR systems
• Project and change management skills to manage the planning and delivery of people–related strategic objectives
• Proven ability to successfully engage and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organisation, to inspire confidence in your professional expertise and knowledge and to coach senior leaders
• Highly developed written and oral communication skills
• The ability to be able to quickly understand complex information, and to be able to problem–solve
• Options appraisals and preparing advice for decision makers
• Chartered Member of the CIPD (or equivalent proven experience)

Desirable experience:

• – Designing and delivering reward structures

Behaviours:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective decisions