Deputy Director of Technology
Job summary
The Deputy Director of Technology is a senior strategic leadership role within Group Digital Services, reporting directly to the Director of Technology (Chief Technology Officer). The postholder will provide leadership across the Group technology portfolio and will responsible for the development, delivery and continuous improvement technology services which enable the delivery of the Group Strategy and support the ambitions of the NHS 10 year plan through modern, resilient and secure digital services.
The post holder will be accountable for the development and delivery of technology strategy, enterprise technology standards, architecture, technology operations, service management, cloud platforms, infrastructure, end user computing, network services and technology resilience.
Working as a key member of the Technology senior leadership team, the post holder will translate UHL Group 2030 ambitions and NHS Long Term Plan priorities into deliverable technology outcomes. The role provides leadership across multiple services and teams, ensuring technology is a trusted enabler of safe, high-quality care, operational efficiency, research, education and innovation at scale.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will successfully lead complex, multi-disciplinary technology services in a large, federated acute provider group, balancing day-to-day operational resilience with long-term modernisation. Success will be demonstrated through highly available, secure and clinically safe technology platforms that support 24/7 patient care and evolving service models.
A critical success factor is the ability to operate credibly at executive and Hospital Leadership Team (HLT) level, shaping decisions through clear articulation of risk, opportunity and value. The role requires confident leadership across infrastructure modernisation, cloud adoption, legacy reduction and technical debt management, while maintaining patient safety and business continuity.
The Deputy Director will be expected to embed consistent Group standards, architectures and ways of working, reducing unwarranted variation while remaining sensitive to local clinical and operational needs. This includes strengthening technology governance, supplier performance, service management maturity and compliance with national standards.
Success will also be measured by the development of a high-performing, inclusive and future-ready technology workforce. The post holder will champion professional development, succession planning and modern engineering practices, ensuring UHL Group remains an attractive destination for digital and technology talent.
About us
NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHL Group) was formed on 1 November 2024, born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our communities.
We are one of the largest employers in region, with over 18,900 colleagues who are dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.
For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services that extend to more than two million people in the North West.
We operate from five hospital sites:Aintree University Hospitalis the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside, and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility.Broadgreen Hospitalis home to several elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation.Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospitalprovide specialist services incardiothoracic surgery,cardiology and respiratory medicine, both in the hospital and out in the community.Liverpool Women's Hospitalspecialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK's largest single site maternity hospital each year. TheRoyal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single en-suite bedrooms and mainly focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Provide visible and credible strategic leadership across UHL Group, translating organisational ambition into executable technology strategies, roadmaps and investment plans.
Lead the design and delivery of technology transformation programmes which support standardisation, convergence and optimisation across UHL Group.
Ensure technology services remain secure, resilient ,scalable and compliant with recognised standards and assurance frameworks
Create a high performing, inclusive and innovative technology workforce which embraces continuous improvement, professional development and service excellence.
Lead the strategic development and delivery of technology services across UHL Group.
Act as deputy to the Director of Technology and represent the technology portfolio within executive, corporate and operational governance forums.
Develop, maintain and implement enterprise technology strategies, architecture principles and technology roadmaps.
Lead multiple technology services through senior managers and specialist teams. Deliver service excellence through KPI, SLA and performance management frameworks.
For full details, please refer to the attached job description
Person Specification
Skills
- Ability to communicate highly complex, sensitive or contentious information to senior stakeholders and large audience where barriers and large audiences where barriers to acceptance may exist
- Advanced negotiation, influencing and relationship management skills with the ability to reconcile conflicting priorities and competing demands
- Ability to formulate long-term strategies, business plans and investment proposals covering multiple services and organisational objectives
- Highly developed analytical and judgement skills for interpreting complex technical, financial and organisational information
- Formal presentation and public speaking skills at Board or executive level.
- Strategic supplier management and commercial negotiation skills
Qualifications
- Master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Digital Leadership, Business Management or related discipline, or demonstrable knowledge and operational experience to an equivalent level.
- Evidence of advanced theoretical and practical specialist knowledge supplemented by substantial leadership and management experience, or demonstrable knowledge and operational experience to an equivalent level.
- Chartered professional accreditation or equivalent senior professional recognition.
- Postgraduate leadership, executive management or organisational development qualification.
Experience
- Significant senior leadership experience managing multiple technology services within a large and complex organisation.
- Experience developing technology strategy, enterprise architecture and service transformation programmes involving technologies such as Microsoft 365, cloud platforms, datacentre services and enterprise infrastructure.
- Experience holding responsibility for substantial budgets, workforce establishments and major supplier relationships.
- Experience analysing highly complex organisational and service issues requiring interpretation, evaluation and comparison of multiple options before making strategic decisions
- Experience operating within a large NHS organisation or integrated healthcare environment.
- Experience leading multi-organisational technology convergence, standardisation or shared service programmes.
Knowledge
- Advanced knowledge of technology management, technology governance and strategic technology leadership.
- Extensive knowledge of cloud computing, infrastructure services, networking, cyber resilience and service management frameworks.
- Knowledge of technology assurance, regulatory compliance, information governance and cybersecurity principles.
- Knowledge of digital transformation methodologies, DDaT frameworks and technology operating models.
- Knowledge of NHS technology standards and national digital policy
- Knowledge of enterprise architecture methodologies and strategic portfolio management
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.
Employer details
Employer name
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Liverpool Innovation Park
Edge Lane
Liverpool
L7 9NJ
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.liverpoolft.nhs.uk/