Strategic People Lead – Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service

Strategic People Lead (Maternity Cover)
Salary: £59,465 – £69,036 (subject to job evaluation)
Location: Flexible / Hybrid working

At Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, our purpose is clear: Prevent. Protect. Respond. From our frontline crews to our professional support teams, we work together to reduce risk, build trust, and make a difference in the communities we serve.

As our Strategic People Lead, you’ll be a senior professional leader in the Service, responsible for leading our People and EDI team to deliver a proactive, forward-thinking People function. You’ll act as a trusted partner to leaders at all levels – coaching, advising, and guiding them to make inclusive, evidence-informed decisions that help our people feel engaged, supported, and able to reach their potential.

You’ll oversee the delivery of key strategic priorities, making sure that people matters are always considered, championed, and aligned with our values. You’ll lead, support and inspire your team to ensure people remain at the heart of everything we do.

You’ll build strong and credible relationships at every level – internally and externally – working in partnership with Service leaders, unions, operational and professional support colleagues. You’ll be responsible for delivering a defined People Strategy and ensure all policies are current and consistently applied, draw on best practice from across sectors, and provide meaningful performance insights to inform decision-making.

Your role includes oversight of employee relations, policy development, people governance and risk, and strategic workforce planning. You’ll lead with integrity and professionalism, acting as senior HR advisor to the Senior Leadership Team and working closely with our Legal Advisor and other stakeholders to balance risk and support our ambition of being a welcoming, respectful and professional place to work – for everyone.

We’re looking for a credible, emotionally intelligent people leader who thrives in a collaborative, values-led environment. You’ll bring significant senior-level HR experience and a track record of delivering people strategy, supporting complex ER cases, supporting organisational change, and working closely with trade unions.

Most of all, you’ll be motivated by our purpose of Prevent, Protect, Respond and committed to creating an inclusive, engaging, and high-performing workplace that reflects the needs of our communities.

To apply, please email your application to recruitment@cambsfire.gov.uk.

Your application should include:

A copy of your CV, and

A detailed cover letter explaining how you meet the criteria for the role and why you could make a difference at CFRS as our Strategic People Lead. We reserve the right to close the advert at any time, so early applications are encouraged.

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