Chief People Officer

Closing date: 28/05/2026 at 9:00am

Interview date: To be confirmed

Lead consultant: Elle.Hurst@ulassociates.co.uk

The University of Cumbria is seeking an outstanding Chief People Officer to lead our long‑term people, culture and workforce transformation agenda. This is a senior executive role at the heart of a university that is ambitious, growing and deeply rooted in its regional mission.

As a member of our senior executive team, reporting directly to the Vice Chancellor, you will provide strategic leadership across People & Culture, shaping organisational capability, digital confidence, workforce intelligence and employee experience. You will lead the development of a future‑focused workforce strategy, champion digital enablement, and embed a values‑led, psychologically safe and high‑performing culture.

You will play a pivotal role in enabling the University to deliver its refreshed Towards 2030 strategy, supporting our place-based mission and values, including major developments such as our new Barrow campus, as well as the complexities of a dispersed multi-campus University. This is not a traditional Higher Education context.

We are seeking a senior leader with:

• Significant executive‑level experience of organisational and cultural transformation, with the judgement to balance values, compassion, pace, risk and sustainability.
• The skills and insight to lead the adoption of digital enablement across the organisation.
• A values‑driven, collaborative leadership style.
• The ability to inspire, mobilise and develop people through change.

If you are motivated by purpose, partnership and the opportunity to make a lasting impact on people and place, we welcome your application.

The University of Cumbria has engaged University Leadership Associates (ULA) to support the appointment of the Chief People Officer.

Further information and details about how to apply can be found at University of Cumbria - Chief People Officer - ULA.

Informal Enquiries: Elle Hurst | Senior Consultant | elle.hurst@ulassociates.co.uk

For more information about the university of Cumbria, click here.

We encourage applications from the broadest range of society, including all under-represented groups with particular emphasis on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, who are currently under-represented in our University and in comparison, to the sector.

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