Job Advert
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** commencing three years from start date.
**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.
NHS Scotland Academy, Learning and Innovation is a recently formed (2023) directorate within NES to support the development of learning and innovation within the organisation which will have system-wide impact on the development of the health and social care workforce. Uniquely, the Director works across the executive teams of two national health boards: NES and NHS Golden Jubilee to lead the development, implementation, and ongoing management of NHS Scotland Academy.
The Youth Academy team is based within the directorate and works collaboratively with territorial Boards, Local authorities, colleges and other stakeholders to:
- Develop pathways from school/college into health and social care careers, and
- Raise awareness of career options amongst young people, parents and educators
The Opportunity
This is an exciting leadership opportunity to help the NHS Scotland Youth Academy and NHS Education for Scotland address the shortfall in young people applying for medicine and related careers.
We are seeking three highly skilled and motivated Senior Specialist Leads to join our team. As a Senior Specialist Lead you will provide leadership support building effective working relationships with universities, NHS boards, local authorities, schools and other partners, to help secure widening access routes into medicine and related careers. This will include identifying regional/sectoral solutions to complex challenges, providing locally effective outcomes within a coherent national framework.
Do you want to play a key role in supporting the NHS workforce of the future?
Do you enjoy working collaboratively with a range of partners at all levels, communicating a shared vision and sense of purpose?
Do you enjoy making a difference to young people’s lives, helping remove barriers and supporting young people to fulfil their potential?
Do you enjoy collaborating to achieve change and problem solving with a wide range of stakeholders?
Do you enjoy the challenge of working across professional, clinical, and organisational boundaries internally and externally to achieve our objectives?
Working within the Youth Academy team you will have the opportunity to bring your unique skills and experience to the table, collaborating across multiple workstreams to effect real change within NES, and further afield.
Does this sound like you?
What We Love to See
Senior Specialist Leads offer a broad range of skills and experience, if you can offer some or all of these, we would love you to apply:
- Proven experience of leading defined workstream(s) within a project management structure
- Proven experience of building collaborative partnerships to address skills challenges
- Effective leadership experience able to effectively collaborate with a variety of stakeholders at a range of levels
- A track record in collaborating, influencing and building key networks and strategic alliances across a complex system of stakeholders
- A clear knowledge and understanding of Scotland’s health workforce and/or the education and skills system
- Ability to demonstrate a creative and innovative approach to problem solving
- Ability to work on own initiative, to organise and prioritise workloads, and those of others, and to meet strict deadlines
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 Senior Specialist Lead role right now. You may be returning from a career break, eg 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 Dylan White (dylan.white@nhs.scot)
Next Steps
**NHS candidates will be considered firstly on a secondment basis, and so are strongly encouraged to discuss this with their current NHS 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 between Monday 15 April and Thursday 18 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