Head of Healthcare Planning
Job summary
The New Hospital Programme is more than building hospitals, it's a once in a generation opportunity to shape the future of healthcare in England. We're delivering over 40 new hospitals that will be modern, sustainable and built around the needs of patients and staff. We're looking for people who care about purpose, who thrive in complex environments and who want to help deliver change at scale for future generations.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for an experienced Head of Healthcare Planning to support the Integration Director in delivering the New Hospital Programme.
In this key leadership role, you will help design and develop a high-performing team of healthcare planning specialists, fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement. You will lead a range of healthcare planning activities, with a particular focus on demand and capacity planning, data analysis, and model development to support service design and operational planning.
About You
- Experience in healthcare planning, demand and capacity modelling, or a related field.
- Strong analytical and numerical skills, ideally supported by experience in informatics, data analysis, or IT systems.
- Ability to interpret complex data and translate findings into practical solutions.
- Experience working collaboratively with clinical and operational stakeholders.
- Strong leadership and communication skills.
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 announcedthat 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
You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
Please note that this vacancy may close earlier than the advertised closing date due to the high volume of applications received.
Due to ongoing organisational change and developments, aspects of this role may be subject to change.
By applying for this position, you acknowledge and understand that NHS England is currently undergoing a consultation process to finalise its structure, which may impact this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- A relevant degree in IT, healthcare informatics, or a related field
- Educated to master's level and equivalent experience of working at a senior operational level in relevant specialist area
- Relevant specialist professional registration
- Evidence of relevant CPD
Experience
- Significant experience in healthcare planning and analytics, preferably within the NHS or a similar healthcare setting
- Experience in building and leading successful teams and creating high-quality outputs
- Experience working in a senior role with operational responsibilities
- Experience in employing recognised improvement methodologies
- Experience in translating high-quality standards into patient care, understanding of patient safety, patient experience and staff experience
- Extensive knowledge of quality standards including the KLOE and fundamental standards set out by the CQC and how to translate this into practice and patient environment
- Experience at a senior level of complex infection prevention and control issues including how to manage patient environments to promote safety and minimise infection transmission
Skills
- Extensive Health Planning knowledge
- Relationship builder in a complex environment - comfortable building strong relationships at all levels internally and externally (DHSC, NHS Trusts, design organisations, construction organisations and the wider public sector) and being able to influence in complex stakeholder environments.
- Excellent communicator - on platforms, in teams and writing. Ability to develop, use, analyse and interpret data
- Ability to analyse highly complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources (verbal, written and numerical).
- Demonstrable leadership, vision, strategic thinking, and planning with highly developed political skills
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.
Employer details
Employer name
NHS England
Address
Any NHSE office base
Nationally
SE1 8UG
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/