Associate Director

Hours: Full Time 37.5 hrs

Duration: Permanent

Flexible Location: NES is a remote friendly employer supporting office, remote and hybrid working.  We’re happy to talk about how you want to work.

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.

 An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Associate Director within the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Directorate.  The purpose of the role is to provide leadership and direction to a substantial portfolio within the Directorate including specific national responsibility for education and development of the Allied Health Professions workforce in Scotland.  The Associate Director will play a key strategic role in contributing to NES’ ambitions to continue to respond to changing circumstances and opportunities across the health, care and education sectors.   

The post holder will work closely with NMAHP colleagues, including our Associate Director and Deputy Director with professional leadership for Nurses and Midwives, and in collaboration with the Executive Director of NMAHP, the NES Executive Team and with Scottish Government, NHS Scotland, Scotland’s Universities and Colleges, AHPFS, professional regulators and health and social care sectors across Scotland to provide strategic leadership for education for the health and care workforce in Scotland.  This will require understanding of Scotland’s health and social care policy landscape thus representing NES at national and UK wide professional and government forums. 

The post holder will hold current registration with the Health and Care Professions Council in one of the named Allied Health Professions and will have substantial post-registration experience and personal credibility in professional education and clinical practice. You will be able to think strategically, influence, negotiate and work in partnership combined with a visible and dynamic leadership.  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.  

What you'll do 

Key tasks will include but are not restricted to;

• Provide strategic leadership and engagement for the current NES educational agenda at a national level, taking a collective responsibility for the overall strategic vision, leadership and management of the Directorate. 
• Provide professional leadership to NES AHPs and act as an ambassador for NES to obtain and share valuable perspectives on best practice (nationally or internationally) for benefit of all parties.
• Work in partnership with key stakeholders to develop strategic and implementation plans for education and training with clear priority actions, outputs and timelines for multiprofessional programmes of work.
• Have responsibility for multiprofessional programmes of work including line management and manage the budget allocated for the specific portfolio and lead the preparation of business cases for any new projects, posts or additional resources required to deliver the plan. 
• Work closely with Scottish Government to influence and contribute to policy developments, to negotiate resource for specific priority areas, and to implement education policy through collaborative relationships with education and service providers. 
• Communicate and negotiate at the highest levels to ensure that the Directorate’s strategy and plan is in line with NHS workforce development strategies across a diverse range of clinical and operational services. 
• Work collaboratively within the Directorate and with NES cross-cutting workstreams to promote synergy and maximal efficiency and effectiveness across NES initiatives. 

What you'll bring

These will include but are not restricted to;

• 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 the social care and wider public sector.
• Ability to think creatively, analyse information, understand 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 HCPC regulation and other professional standards.

​​​​​​​

Informal enquiries may be directed to Karen Wilson karen.wilson@nhs.scot

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.

Closing date: 31st March 2023

Interview date: TBC, via MS Teams or face to face

You must have eligibility and entitlement to work in the UK which is required to be maintained throughout your period of employment. Evidence of this must be produced upon request.

We actively encourage applicants from a range of backgrounds, regardless of gender, age, disability, race, sexual orientation, religion or belief. https://www.careers.nhs.scot/about/who-we-are/

If you have any queries regarding the application portal or the recruitment process, please contact us at:  NES HR Recruitment: EoS.ERRS@nhs.scot