At a moment of strategic renewal, the University is seeking to appoint its next Chief People Officer. This is a senior executive appointment and a member of the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive (VCE), reporting to the University Secretary. The role will provide strategic leadership for the OU’s people, culture and organisational capability, ensuring the University has the workforce, leadership, systems, culture and ways of working needed for its next phase.
People Services has already supported the University through significant organisational change, savings delivery and important work on data, culture, wellbeing and systems. The next Chief People Officer will build from this platform, shaping an integrated People Plan and leading work across workforce planning, organisational design, leadership capability, culture, employee and industrial relations and People Services transformation, while contributing fully as a member of VCE.
About You
We are looking for an experienced people leader with the credibility to operate at executive level in a large, complex and values-led organisation. You will bring a strong record of leading people, culture, workforce or organisational capability strategy at scale, with evidence of delivering change, influencing across complex stakeholder environments and providing confident advice and constructive challenge at executive level.
We are interested in candidates from a wide range of sectors who have operated at scale in complex, highly accountable environments. This may include higher education but could equally include other organisations facing significant market change, financial pressure, workforce transformation, regulatory scrutiny or shifting customer, service user or stakeholder expectations. What matters most is strategic judgement, values-led leadership and a strong record of shaping people, culture and organisational capability in ways that deliver lasting institutional impact.
This is a rare opportunity to shape the people and culture agenda of an institution that matters profoundly to students, colleagues, partners and communities across the UK and beyond.
The closing date for applications is noon, Monday 3 August 2026.
