Deputy Chief Digital Information Officer - Digital Transformation

We are seeking an ambitious Deputy CDIO of Digital Transformation to lead the strategic delivery and operational oversight of digital transformation across our organisation, that will modernise clinical care and enhance patient and staff experience. As a senior member of the Group Digital Services Leadership Team, you will oversee critical functions - including clinical applications and digital project delivery - ensuring that systems used across both acute and community settings are safe, integrated, and optimised. You will champion innovation, enable workforce and patient digital adoption, and play a pivotal role in delivering our digital strategy, shaping the future of care through technology and transformation.

Main duties of the job

• The Deputy CDIO is a senior leader responsible for delivering clinically safe, user-centred, and sustainable digital solutions that align with the hospital group’s transformation and service redesign priorities.
• Key areas of responsibility include:

• Clinical Applications: Leadership of the development, implementation, and optimisation of clinical applications across acute, and neighbourhood care settings, including EPRs, digital documentation, clinical decision support, and specialty systems.
• Digital Projects Delivery: Accountability of digital programmes and projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope and budget, and deliver measurable value to patients and staff. The role ensures that transformation programmes meet clinical safety, information governance, and service improvement requirements.

The Deputy CDIO will work closely with clinical, operational, and IT leaders to ensure digital change is safe, inclusive, and impactful. They will champion innovation, patient-centred design, and a culture of continuous digital improvement.

The postholder is expected to have a clear understanding and vision for how this post contributes to the achievement of the group’s strategy and vision of offering outstanding care founded on: collaboration and work in partnership; services which are affordable and fit for the future; offering the right care, in the right place, at the right time; and ensuring the highly skilled, committed workforce is empowered and engaged.

Working for our organisation

St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey. Our sites include St George’s Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC). After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.

At St George's we are committed to supporting flexible working arrangements. Applicants are encouraged to discuss any flexibility they may need during the recruitment process.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Shape and drive the digital transformation strategy in alignment with organisational goals and national NHS digital ambitions. Act as the senior leader responsible for digital maturity across clinical services, ensuring digital capabilities support integrated, person-centred care. Work in close alignment with the Trust COOs to develop an integrated leadership structure.
• Clinical Applications: Oversee the full lifecycle management of the group’s clinical applications portfolio, including procurement, deployment, optimisation, and retirement. Ensure systems are clinically safe, interoperable, compliant with NHS standards, and designed with end-user experience in mind. Lead stakeholder engagement across acute and neighbourhood services to ensure applications support operational and clinical priorities.
• Digital Projects & Programmes: Lead the delivery of complex, multi-stakeholder digital projects, ensuring robust project management methodologies (e.g. PRINCE2, Agile) are used. Monitor delivery against KPIs, benefits realisation plans, and risk registers. Work with finance, IT, IG, and clinical teams to ensure coordinated planning, delivery, and reporting.
• Governance and Assurance: Ensure all digital solutions comply with NHS Digital standards, including IG, cyber security, and clinical safety frameworks. Be the subject matter expert across clinical applications and digital programmes, including horizon scanning for best practice and future developments. Lead risk and assurance processes related to application and project delivery.
• People and Culture: Lead and develop multidisciplinary teams including programme managers, clinical systems leads, business change analysts, and engagement specialists. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and inclusion. Build digital capability across the clinical and non-clinical workforce through training, support, and partnership, considering long term skills and development.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with regional partners, ICBs, and suppliers to ensure alignment with place-based digital priorities. Act as a senior representative in regional digital boards or shared digital service initiatives. Deputise for the CDIO when required.

Person specification

• Knowledge and Experience: In-depth professional knowledge in a number of disciplines such as financial management, performance management, information systems, staff management acquired through training and experience over extended period. Proven leadership in digital transformation in a healthcare or complex organisation. Director-level experience managing clinical systems and large-scale digital projects. Extensive experience working with clinical and operational teams across acute/community settings. Experience and technical knowledge in the oversight and management of clinical applications. Highly developed communication skills with the ability to communicate and present on highly complex, sensitive and/or contentious matters and difficult situations. Ability to persuade board and senior managers of the respective merits of different options, innovation and new market opportunities. Leadership, vision, strategic thinking and planning with highly developed political skills.
• Education and Qualifications: Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
• Values: Demonstrates commitment to NHS and organisational values and behaviours. Demonstrate commitment and role model behaviours and actions that support equality, diversity, belonging and inclusion. Strong compassionate and inclusive leadership.

Your recruitment team

The NHS South West London Recruitment Hub is your dedicated recruitment team, here to support you at every stage of the process. If you have a query, please contact us: E: krft.askrecruitment@nhs.net

Your application

Please ensure your supporting statement clearly reflects the job description and person specification, as shortlisting will be based on these criteria. Please refer to the latest UKVI guidance and ensure you have the appropriate right to work before applying for this role.

Use of Artificial Intelligence: We kindly ask that you avoid using AI tools to draft your application. We value authentic, individual responses that reflect your own experience and communication style.

References: Please provide a minimum of 3 years’ employment and/or education history, including professional email addresses (not personal accounts such as Hotmail or Gmail). If you cannot provide these, please inform the interview panel to avoid delays in pre-employment checks.

Closing date: To help us manage recruitment efficiently, some vacancies may close early once we have received a sufficient number of applications.

Shortlisting: If you are successfully shortlisted, you will be contacted by email or SMS from the South West London Recruitment Hub. Please check your registered TRAC email regularly.

Application feedback: If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has not been successful on this occasion.

Safeguarding and DBS Checks: We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. For roles with direct access to these groups, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required. All staff are expected to understand and uphold their safeguarding responsibilities as part of their role.

Employer certification / accreditation badges: The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Application numbers: This vacancy may have an application cap, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. Ensure your supporting statement clearly shows how you meet the job specifications.