The closing date for this job has now passed.

Job reference: 127968
Salary: Band 8D (£88,385- £92,424)
Job closing date: 01/12/2022
Job Type: Administrative Services
Location: Flexible Location
Employment type: Permanent
Hours Per Week: 37.5
Job posted date: 21/11/2022
Employer (NHS Board): NHS Education For Scotland
Department: NES Technology Service

Job Advert

Flexible Location: Based throughout Scotland, NES is a remote friendly employer supporting office, remote and hybrid working. Frequent presence at the Glasgow and Edinburgh offices is a requirement of this role.

We’re happy to talk about how you want to work.

Work Pattern: Permanent, Full Time, 37.5 hours per week.


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.

NES Technology Service (NTS) has created a strategic programme for the transformation of digital based services to allow NES to become a leading digital organisation in Scottish Health, digital by default and fully aligned with the Scottish Government’s technology strategies. It is in pursuit of this aim that NTS are working with partners to develop the National Digital Platform.


The National Digital Platform

The first point of contact for many health and social care services will be digital and this requires technology that enables innovation and communication between systems, in order to ensure these services are delivered in the most effective way.

The National Digital Platform (NDP) is an open, standards-based platform, supporting technology for the health and social care environment. It underpins our commitment to making health and care information and services more accessible. Working with those delivering solutions across health and social care to bring new and existing digital components onto the platform, for re-use.

The National Digital Platform


Our Technology

We are in the business of providing safe, secure and innovative technology products and services that aim to improve outcomes across education, training, workforce, health and care in the public sector in Scotland. Using modern cloud-based technology we deliver sustainable products and services for the future.


The Opportunity

We are looking for an Associate Director for our Engineering department to lead a highly talented and growing team to collaborate and problem-solve some of the most complex challenges in health and social care. The Associate Director has a critical role, working closely with the Deputy Director, executive leaders, and with expert programme managers.

The remit of the department covers:

Software Engineering - Designing, building, testing, deploying and operating complex national-scale technology products and services using best practices and appropriate technologies. 

Data Engineering - Designing, building, testing, deploying and operating systems and processes that collect, transfer, transform and store data at scale for ongoing operational and analytical workloads. 

Security Engineering - Ensuring adequate security considerations, design patterns, controls and software engineering practices are in place to protect the security posture of our technology products and services. ​​​​​​​


Do you want to improve the health and wellbeing of the people in Scotland by working on innovative technology products that support the health and social care workforce?

Do you enjoy having a leadership role in multi-disciplinary teams to bring technology products from concept to production to delivery of sustained solutions?

Do you want to play a key role in transforming the design and delivery of services in the public sector in Scotland?

Do you enjoy working in fast pace and ever-changing environment that make a difference in national health and social care?

Leading within the NTS Engineering business unit, you will have the opportunity to develop multidisciplinary teams that build a complex and evolving national technology portfolio. Your work will directly influence the development of impactful technology services for health and care professionals and the general public.

Does this sound like you?


What We Love to See

The demands of this role requires a broad range of skills and experience, if you can offer some or all of these, we’d love you to apply:

  • Highly experienced in providing senior leadership, functional specialism expertise and domain knowledge to multidisciplinary teams
  • Effective communicator at all levels, building national relationships utilising a complex array of senior networks and strategic contacts
  • Demonstrate ability to nurture workforce skills capabilities, establish clear career development pathways, manage performance and encourage innovation to deliver a rewarding
  • Able to work in partnership with key stakeholders to develop strategic and implantation plans for education and training with clear priority actions, outputs and timelines for the workstream  
  • Demonstrate and maintain sound working knowledge of all legislative, policy, service, professional, workforce and educational developments relevant to the delivery of education in Scotland
  • Support strategic policy development and implementation along with appropriate service support, design and enablement, that reflects both corporate and systemwide directives
  • Proven experience in budgetary, performance and risk management


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 an Associate Director 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 david.mccoll@nhs.scot


Next Steps

Our recruitment process is currently 100% remote and if successful you would initially work remotely, only working from our offices once official guidance supports this.

All applicants who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail.

Online interviews (including assessments and presentation) will take place between 12th and 16th December 2022 (candidates will only be required to attend one day).

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 - only candidates who submit the full online application form will be considered.

Take a look around the company https://jobs.scot.nhs.uk/