Training Programme Director in Birmingham

Main area: Healthcare Science

Grade: NHS AfC: Band 8c

Contract: Fixed term: 6 months (until 31st March 2027. Secondment only for current NHS employees)

Hours: Full time, Part time, Job share, Flexible working, 37.5 hours per week

We support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you and your colleagues. Talk to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement, whether that’s a job share, part time, hybrid working or another flexible pattern.

Job overview: We have a vacancy for a Training Programme Director position to fulfil national duties and represent healthcare science on a regional basis. This role is fixed term until 31.3.27, however, we are open to a secondment agreement subject to approval from your substantive employer. This senior post in the National School of Healthcare Science is an exciting opportunity to take a regional leadership role for the Scientist Training Programme for NHS healthcare scientists. Reporting directly to the Head of School/Deputy Chief Scientific Officer, these posts are senior, highly visible regional leadership roles for scientific training, and will ensure that healthcare science is able to continue to deliver future senior NHS scientists with the necessary scientific, clinical, managerial and leadership competencies. You will be responsible for the continuing development, delivery, innovation, and future strategic direction of this important programme across the scope of healthcare science specialties. The successful post holder will also be expected to lead and develop profession specific workforce transformation priorities when required.

Main duties of the job:

• The opportunity to influence the education and training of healthcare scientists, making a real difference to patient care.
• The ability to provide further leadership development of senior staff in healthcare science education across the Workforce, Training and Education Directorate.
• This is one of 7 senior management roles to provide leadership and oversight of the design, development, delivery and innovation of Scientist Training Programmes on a national, four nations basis through regional representation, and across the whole scope of healthcare science specialties (currently 32 sciences).

Working for our organisation: Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms — enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services. We lead the NHS in England by:

• Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities.
• Making the NHS a great place to work, where people can develop and make a difference.
• Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care.
• Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation.

Earlier this year, the Government announced that NHS England will gradually merge with the Department of Health and Social Care, to create a smaller, more strategic centre that reduces duplication and waste. If successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process. Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in-person. Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities: The post holder will be a member of the National School for Healthcare Science (NSHCS) and will work closely with specialist scientific and non-scientific staff in the school, academic education providers and other stakeholders such as professional bodies, national education commissioners and providers including senior scientists in the ongoing development of and support for trainees, workplace-based training officers, and the higher education (HEI) partners. The post holder will be a highly visible, national lead for HCS programmes and to ensure the programmes provide excellent quality and content to deliver the scientific, clinical, and managerial and leadership competencies that are relevant to the future requirements of healthcare science services. This job description and person specification is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The post holder will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by their line manager.

See Job Description and Person Specification for full details. This includes:

• Work closely with the Head of School, to ensure that the healthcare science training programmes are implemented in an effective and efficient manner that responds to the policy objective of NHSE and the Department of Health. This will include supporting the Head of School across the Healthcare Science governance framework, deputising when necessary and representing NHSE at meetings on healthcare science with key delivery partners and others.
• Understand the future developments coming on the horizon in healthcare science and be able to judge their impact on patient care in the NHS and be able to clearly communicate their likely impact on clinical services following the developments and continuation of HCS educational programmes.
• Highlight exceptions and risks ensuring mitigating action can be taken to keep the training programmes on track. This will include providing risk updates/reports for the Head of School.
• Support development and champion new transformational initiatives or projects across NHSE.
• Actively role models ethical behaviours and establishes a culture of team work and cooperation.
• Is a mindful and decisive thinker who makes insightful and effective decisions based on known information and good business awareness.
• Make recommendations for changes which may have a significant impact on the make-up of the NHS workforce or the way that education and training is commissioned and delivered to meet the healthcare science requirements of the future.

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Secondments: Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

Person specification:

Essential Qualifications:

• Honours Degree in Appropriate Science
• Post Graduate Qualification or equivalent
• Doctoral Level qualification in specialised scientific field or equivalent academic experience
• Registration as a Clinical Scientist with HCPC
• Education or teaching qualification
• Experienced in survey design and analysis to inform programme deliverables.

Experience:

• Experienced in strategy development in new policy areas and taking it through to implementation
• Significant experience of working on national education and training programmes or other high-level national implementation programmes in other areas.
• Demonstrable experience in decision making in complex environments across a range of national initiatives and programmes.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Ability to interpret national policy and offer subject matter expertise to influence direction and implementation, with the confidence to debate this on a national stage.
• Ability to problem solve and respond to sudden unexpected demands.
• Will consider the most effective way to promote equality of opportunity and good working relationships in employment and service delivery and can take actions which support and promote this agenda.

Our commitments to you: We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better patient outcomes. We strive to ensure our people feel trusted, valued and empowered. When you join us, we want you to grow and excel, and we offer many opportunities for you to do that. We welcome your talent and enthusiasm irrespective of age, disability, neuro-divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. We ensure all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process. This includes considering reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neuro-divergent. We welcome applications from disabled candidates. If you meet all the essential criteria, you will be guaranteed an interview.

Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the role. While we appreciate you may have had some support with your application (for example, using AI technology or guidance from a trusted individual), it’s important all the information you provide in it reflects your own knowledge, skills and experience and we trust that you apply on that basis. If you’re applying for this role on a secondment basis, please get agreement from your current line manager before you apply. We don’t accept applications via recruitment agencies, and we cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.

To comply with the HM Government Functional Standard GovS 007, and specifically the Personnel Security Standards 2024, individuals employed or contracted by NHS England may be required to undergo a Baseline Personnel Security Standards check, dependent on the role. NHS Business Services Authority is responsible for processing your application; our privacy can be accessed directly on the application page when you select to apply. If you are appointed to a post, your information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system. If you have a query about your application, please contact the recruitment team: nhse@nhsbsa.nhs.uk or 0300 330 1369.

NHS England Employer certification / accreditation badges: You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Name: Delia Ripley

Job title: Head of School and Deputy Chief Scientific Officer

Email address: delia.ripley@nhs.net

Telephone number: 07872815794

Additional information: I welcome contact from interested individuals for a discussion before applications.