Director of Infrastructure Services
Job summary
The Technology pillar provides the secure, resilient and cost-effective foundations on which NHSE's digital, data and operational services depend. It brings together the engineering, platforms and operational capabilities needed to run business-critical national and enterprise technology, support frontline services and enable wider digital transformation.
Within the pillar, Infrastructure is responsible for on-premises and cloud hosting, networks and connectivity, cloud enablement, infrastructure engineering, platform lifecycle management, vulnerability and configuration management, technology asset management, operational resilience and the transition from legacy infrastructure to modern strategic platforms.
The postholder will provide executive leadership for this portfolio, setting its strategy, service model, engineering standards and investment priorities while ensuring services are secure, reliable and financially sustainable. The role leads a large multidisciplinary team and significant supplier landscape, is accountable for major infrastructure operations and programmes, and provides assurance on performance, resilience, risk, cost and delivery.
Working across NHS England, DHSC, the wider NHS, government and industry, the post holder will shape common infrastructure approaches, enable safe adoption of cloud and modern hosting, lead during major incidents and ensure that infrastructure decisions support better outcomes for patients, clinicians and frontline staff.
Main duties of the job
- Set the strategy and investment priorities for NHS England's infrastructure services.
- Lead infrastructure operations, engineering, transformation and service improvement.
- Oversee hosting, cloud, networks, connectivity and the transition from legacy technology.
- Ensure services are secure, resilient, reliable, supportable and cost-effective.
- Provide assurance on performance, operational risk, cyber security, delivery and finances.
- Lead multidisciplinary teams, suppliers, major programmes and commercial relationships.
- Direct the response to major infrastructure incidents and drive continuous improvement.
- Advise senior leaders and collaborate across NHS England, DHSC, government and the wider NHS.
About us
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR).This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.
We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached Job Description.
Important: Please be aware there are residency requirements you need to meet:
All NHS England Technology personnel must hold SC security clearance level as a minimum.
To meet National Security Vetting requirements, SC clearances require 5 years continuous UK residency. In certain cases, this can be reduced to three years continuous UK residency, with additional overseas checks for the previous two years.
Candidates who were posted abroad for service with HM Government, Armed Forces or within a UK government role - will still be considered.
Please make sure you meet these requirements before applying for this role. You dont need to have SC security clearance already, however, failure to achieve the requirements for SC security clearance after offer, will result in the job offer being withdrawn.
For further advice please check https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels#security-check-sc.
For further information on National Security Vetting please check National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK,or contact england.securityvetting@nhs.net.
Person Specification
Knowledge & Experience
- oSubstantial senior leadership experience of delivering large-scale, business-critical infrastructure services across cloud, hosting, networks, connectivity and data-centre technologies.
- oStrong technical knowledge of modern infrastructure architecture, cloud platforms, automation, observability, resilience, cyber security and the management of legacy technology.
- oDemonstrable experience of developing infrastructure strategy, leading complex technical transformation and translating architecture into deliverable roadmaps and investment priorities.
- oProven experience of managing major incidents, operational and technical risk, significant budgets, multidisciplinary engineering teams, suppliers and commercial contracts.
Skills & Capabilities
- oAbility to provide authoritative technical leadership, constructively challenge designs and make sound decisions on architecture, engineering standards, resilience, security and technical debt.
- oAbility to set strategic direction and translate it into prioritised, measurable and financially sustainable delivery
- oStrong analytical and problem-solving skills, including making effective decisions in complex, high-risk and time-critical situations.
- oExceptional leadership, communication and influencing skills, with credibility across technical specialists, executive leaders, government, suppliers and wider NHS stakeholders.
Qualifications
- oEducated to master's level or able to demonstrate equivalent senior-level experience in infrastructure, technology, engineering or a related discipline.
- oRelevant professional qualification, accreditation or equivalent recognised expertise in areas such as cloud, architecture, networking, service management, cyber security or technology leadership.
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.
Employer details
Employer name
NHS England
Address
Any NHS England or DHSC office
Nationally
LS1 4AP
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/