Job Advert
Foundation Programme Director (South-East Scotland) EC-1565
Hours: Part Time, 1 PA (4 hours per week)
Duration: Fixed Term / Secondment for 36 months
Flexible Location: NES is a remote friendly employer supporting office, remote and hybrid working (within the UK). We’re happy to talk about how you want to work.
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is the national health board with statutory responsibilities to effect sustainable change through workforce development, education and training across the health and social care system in Scotland, while working at UK level with partner organisations.
This will be across 1 PA of time (1PA = 4 hours)
The Foundation Programme Director will be responsible for managing a Foundation Programme (S01 - FY1 & FY2) and the education and training needs of each individual on the programme.
The FPD should be a permanent member of staff (Consultant, GP or SAS doctor) based in NHS Lothian and is accountable to the Postgraduate Dean or appropriate Associate Postgraduate Dean. He or she may also combine the role with that of an educational and/or clinical supervisor.
This is an existing FPD post and preference will be for clinicians based in the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh or its environs. Applications are open to permanent staff (Consultant, GP or SAS doctor) based in NHS Lothian. Applicants will be expected to have Recognition of Trainer status and will contribute, in partnership with the existing FPDs based in the Royal Infirmary, to the formal Foundation teaching programme in the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh.
Informal enquiries are welcome. Please contact –
Dr Alistair Milne, Associate Postgraduate Dean, South-East region Alistair.Milne@nhs.scot
Dr Alistair Gibson, Associate Postgraduate Dean, South-East region Alistair.Gibson@nhs.scot
Applicants who wish to apply on a secondment basis are strongly encouraged to discuss this with their current employer at the earliest opportunity.
* For NHS employees considering this post, please note that appointments will only be considered on a secondment or SLA basis, in the first instance
Fixed Term for 3 years in the first instance.
Unless otherwise stated the deadline for applications is 23:59hrs on the closing date.
CVs will not be accepted.
Closing Date: 18th February 2026
Interview Date: from 4th March 2026
1. Please be advised that if you are successful in being offered the role following the recruitment process, you will be expected to attend the office prior to your start date to complete face-to-face pre-employment checks. If you require any adjustments to support this, please let us know.
2. To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.
As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.
For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licenced Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here.
It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form.
If you have any queries regarding the NHS Scotland National Recruitment Portal or the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to contact our recruitment partners, the East Region Recruitment Service, at: EoS.ERRS@nhs.scot