Job Advert
Applications are open to NHS Education for Scotland (NES) staff only.
Flexible Location: Based throughout Scotland, NES is a remote friendly employer supporting office and hybrid working. We’re happy to talk about how you want to work.
Work Pattern: Fixed Term**, Full time, 37.5 hours per week
Fixed-term or Secondment** until 22 May 2025
**For NHS applicants, an NHS secondment will be offered in the first instance. For non-NHS applicants, a fixed-term or secondment would be considered.
You must have eligibility and entitlement to work in the UK which is required to be maintained throughout your period of employment.
Who We Are
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.
The Workforce Directorate works at a national level to support the delivery of NES’s strategic plan and is a key partner to the delivery of Scottish Government priorities for the health and social care workforce. It also provides a comprehensive People and Organisational Development strategy and service for the people who work for NES and externally to NHS Scotland in the recruitment of medical and dental trainees and other vocational trainee groups.
The Opportunity
This is an exciting opportunity to lead a dynamic, fast paced and innovative programme of work to increase workforce supply across NHS Scotland, helping to ensure the sector has the right people, in the right place at the right time.
Overseeing a team of eight high performing individuals you will be responsible for the overall successful delivery of the team’s four workstreams. By bringing together expertise across NES, Scottish Government and NHS Scotland in the areas of workforce data, planning, education and development, you will successfully identify and prioritise workforce challenges and deliver impactful interventions.
Key tasks will include but are not restricted to:
Providing leadership and strategic direction to the CWS team
Overseeing the delivery of four large workstreams designed to improve the utilisation of workforce data, supply (including international recruitment) and attraction
Providing expertise in the field of evidence-based workforce supply inititaives and experience in managing, large complex workforce improvement programmes
Informing the development of workforce policies and practice that will have impact across health and different professional groups
Supporting, developing and leading the CWS programme team, including managing multiple direct reports
Identifying, developing and analysing workforce data and insights to ensure work is data driven and impactful
Governance and programme reporting including development of success metrics, programme plans and management of key meetings such as the CWS Programme Board
Identifying opportunities and leading initiatives for shared, interprofessional and cross organisational working to support CWS and NES objectives
Working collaboratively across NES Directorates, Scottish Government Directorates and other national and territorial Health Boards to deliver high quality, impactful outputs
Playing a lead role in implementing and embedding national policy and initiatives that support workforce capacity building
Actively contributing to NES Workforce Directorate and Corporate planning activities ensuring that plans are progressed
Management of the CWS budget
Do you enjoy collaborating with stakeholders to advise and cocreate innovative workforce solutions?
Do you enjoy rising to the challenge in a fast paced, complex and political environment?
Do you enjoy nurturing a team to realise their full potential?
Do you have a passion for policy development, working with data and compassionate leadership?
Working within the CWS team you will have the opportunity to implement real change within the NHS Scotland workforce, making a difference to people’s every day working lives
Does this sound like you?
What We Love to See
Heads of Programme need to offer a broad range of skills and experience, if you can offer some or all of these, we would love you to apply:
Senior leadership experience within the health and or social care sector
Master’s degree or equivalent experience
A clear understanding of the challenges facing the health workforce and what interventions could support
Proven experience leading and delivering complex workforce improvement programmes across health and / or social care
Ability to confidently lead and facilitate a team to deliver large, complex pieces of work
Highly experienced in working successfully across complex health and social care environments with multiple stakeholders
Excellent communication, interpersonal, negotiating, influencing and facilitation skills at a senior level, with the ability to communicate sensitive and complex information
Expertise in policy and strategy development
Experience of working with key health stakeholders e.g. Territorial and National Board representatives and the Scottish Government
Benefits Which Matter
As a valued employee of NHS Scotland, you can enjoy an extensive range of benefits including:
Life-work balance - with opportunities for flexible working and remote working
Generous NHS pension scheme
Annual incremental salary progression (up to the maximum of the salary band) plus annual NHS salary scale review
Annual Leave - 27 Days increasing in line with service plus 8 days public holiday
NHS discounts and more
Diversity and Inclusion
Developing a successful national service for Scotland is impossible without ensuring we consider the diverse needs, perspectives, and backgrounds of everyone in Scotland in our work.
We are focused on hiring the very best talent available for NES, and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and aim to ensure everyone is treated fairly, with respect and has a positive recruitment experience – regardless of the outcome.
It’s not essential to be in a Head of Programme role right now. You may be returning from a career break (e.g., maternity, paternity, caring for others) or returning after working in another field. Your experiences elsewhere can bring a fresh perspective to our work.
If you are considering applying and feel it would be helpful to discuss this initially, please contact Andrea Kwek, Head of Programme, CWS, andrea.kwek@nhs.scot
Next Steps
** Candidates wishing to apply on a secondment basis are strongly encouraged to discuss this with their current employer at the earliest opportunity, ideally prior to application.
Our recruitment process is currently 100% remote and if successful you would initially work remotely, working from our offices as operationally required
All applicants who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail.
Online interviews (including a presentation) will take place on the 24 April 2024. The presentation topic will be sent to candidates selected for interview.
For further information please refer to the Job Information Pack below.
Unless otherwise stated the deadline for applications is 23:59 hours on the closing date. Please note, CV’s will not be accepted.
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