Job Advert
On 1 April 2026, NSS and NES became one national organisation, focused on continuity today and a stronger, more connected service for tomorrow.
As part of this transformation, NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) have joined to form a new organisation: Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSD Scotland). This new organisation will play a pivotal role in supporting the renewal and ensuring the long-term sustainability of health and care services across Scotland.
Flexible Location: PSD Scotland is a remote-friendly employer with staff based throughout Scotland. We support office-based and hybrid working arrangements. We welcome conversations about alternative working patterns—please get in touch during the application process to discuss.
Work Pattern: Permanent, Full Time, 36 hours per week
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
PSD Scotland unites expertise from NES and NSS in a way that will allow us to accelerate national programmes to support the NHS to deliver better care, now and in the future.
We support staff with education and training, provide the tools and data that improve services, and run vital national functions such as procurement, logistics and blood, tissue and cell services.
The core function of the NMAHP Directorate is to design, deliver and support high quality education, training and workforce development for nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, healthcare chaplains and support workers. We also work across wider professional groups and disciplines, often in partnership with other organisations and agencies, to support key policy imperatives for health and social care. Our goal is to ensure we have a skilled, confident and capable health and social care workforce to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland.
The NMAHP Directorate is made up of the following programmes of work:
* Workforce Education and Career Development
* Practice Education and Pre-registration
* Public Health
* Women, Children, Young People and Families
* Mental Health and Wellbeing
The Opportunity
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Deputy Director of Nursing post within the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Directorate. The purpose of the role is to provide strategic leadership for the organisation’s educational agenda to influence, support and implement Scottish Government’s policy direction and implementation plans. Alongside this, they will provide direction to a substantial portfolio within the Directorate including specific national responsibility for education and development of the NMAHP workforce in Scotland.
The postholder will be required to represent the organisation at a senior strategic level across the NHS, social care, higher and further education, and other sectors within Scotland as well as the UK wide nursing and midwifery regulatory and government forums.
The postholder will hold current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and will have substantial post-registration experience and personal credibility in professional education and clinical practice. Educationally, you will demonstrate the equivalent experience of being educated to Doctoral level or hold a Doctorate.
First rate communication, interpersonal and relationship building skills will be key to your success. Combined with considerable strategic leadership, change management experience and robust knowledge of professional education, you will possess excellent analytical and negotiation skills and have the ability to influence at the highest level. Flexibility, diplomacy and a commitment to inclusion will inform all that you do.
Do you want to play a key strategic role in contributing to PSD Scotland’s ambitions to continue to respond to changing circumstances and opportunities across the health, care and education sectors?
Do you want to provide strategic leadership for education for the health and care workforce in Scotland and represent PSD Scotland at national and UK wide professional and government forums?
Do you have a clear understanding of, and want to contribute to Scotland’s health and social care policy landscape?
Do you have the ability to think strategically, influence, negotiate and work in partnership with others demonstrating visible and dynamic leadership?
Working within the NMAHP Directorate will give you the opportunity to support better rights-based quality care and outcomes for every person in Scotland through a skilled, capable, and resilient health and social care workforce.
Does this sound like you?
What We Love to See
Deputy Director roles need to offer a broad range of skills and experience, if you can offer some or all of these, we’d love you to apply:
The skills necessary to develop and utilise an extensive and complex professional network of contacts and relationships with government agencies, funding bodies, professional regulatory bodies, other education providers and the health and care service.
A proven and demonstrable ability to function and support others within the context of a rapidly changing environment.
Ability to work at a strategic level across the directorate and organisation as well as with external partners such as Scottish Government, health and care, education partners, and other national bodies including other Boards, social care providers and wider public sector.
Ability to think creatively, analyse information, understand and present complex arguments, make judgements and reconcile competing demands.
Excellent communication, negotiation, organisational, management and leadership skills, along with an excellent understanding of policy, practice, education and professional structures and processes, including regulatory and other professional standards.
Demonstrate honesty, integrity, care and compassion when dealing with others, utilising tact and persuasion skills when necessary
Ability to work on own initiative, to organise and prioritise own workloads, 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 hybrid 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 means considering the diverse needs, perspectives, and backgrounds of everyone in Scotland. We are focused on hiring the very best talent and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Our aim to ensure that everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has a positive recruitment experience—regardless of the outcome.
We welcome applications from all under-represented groups, including racially minoritised people and disabled people. It is not essential to be in a Deputy Director role right now—you may be returning from a career break (e.g., maternity, paternity, caring) or coming from another field. Your experiences can bring a fresh perspective to our work.
If you are considering applying and would like to discuss the opportunity, any adjustments or alternative work patterns, please contact Karen Wilson, Executive Director of Nursing/Deputy Chief Executive, karen.wilson@nhs.scot.
Next Steps
All applicants who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail.
In person interviews (including a presentation) will take place on 8th July 2026. 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, CVs will not be accepted.
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.
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