Group Chief Technology and Product Officer (GCTPO)
Job summary
The Group Chief Technology and Product Officer (GCTPO) plays a pivotal leadership role in shaping and delivering UHL and UHN's shared digital transformation ambitions. Reporting to the Group Chief Digital Information Officer, the GCTPO leads innovation, technology adoption, and the development of digital infrastructure that supports clinical and operational excellence.
The GCTPO plays a central role in delivering the Group's One Digital Strategy. This includes embedding digital into all transformation efforts, accelerating the adoption of safe and effective emerging technologies, and creating a unified, user-focused digital culture across UHL and UHN.
Please confirm that you acknowledge that the recruitment for this post is led by UHL and UHN. Your full application details will be shared between both Trusts
Main duties of the job
This role requires a combination of strategic acumen, political awareness, system leadership, and partnership influence across organisational boundaries.
Budget: Responsible for multi-million-pound digital and innovation budgets (> £10 million), ensuring strategic return on investment, value for money, and funding from grants and partnerships.
Staff: Leads a diverse senior digital workforce across disciplines. Accountable for their development, training, appraisal, wellbeing and performance across both UHL and UHN.
Policy: Shapes and influences Group-wide digital policy, aligning with regional and national strategies, including the NHS Long Term Plan, the 10-Year Health and Care Plan, and other enabling digital and innovation frameworks.
Communication: Leads effective communication and stakeholder engagement across clinical, operational, digital, academic, and industry partners locally, regionally, and nationally.
About us
Please submit your application as soon as possible, as we reserve the right to close adverts once sufficient applications have been received.
Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023-2030).
We have four primary goals:
- high-quality care for all,
- being a great place to work,
- partnerships for impact, and
- research and education excellence
And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities.
Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:
- we are compassionate,
- we are proud,
- we are inclusive, and
- we are one team
This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve.
About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:
https://www.uhleicester.nhs.uk
Job description
Job responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Innovation
- Set the Groups digital innovation agenda and deliver the digital innovation strategy, aligned with NHS Long Term Plan, 10-Year Health and Care Plan, and enabling frameworks.
- Act as strategic advisor to Boards and Executives on innovation, technology investment, and digital capability.
- Influence national digital and innovation policy through engagement with NHS and government bodies.
- Represent the Group regionally and nationally to shape and contribute to wider system innovation agendas.
- Expand and mature strategic partnerships with health tech, academia, and industry to position the Group as a national leader in safe, responsible innovation.
- Identify and deliver opportunities for digital commercialisation and innovation income generation, ensuring ethical compliance and reinvestment into services.
Digital Infrastructure, Systems and Governance
- Lead the modernisation of core digital foundations, ensuring network resilience, rapid device turnaround, and responsive support to meet operational needs.
- Define and oversee enterprise architecture, technical design principles, and digital standards to ensure coherence and scalability across the Groups digital estate.
- Drive consolidation of legacy systems and standardisation of infrastructure to create intuitive, seamless digital experiences across the Group.
- Champion secure, cloud-based, interoperable and AI-ready digital platforms.
- Ensure cyber resilience, business continuity, and compliance with UK GDPR and NHS standards.
- Lead strategic oversight of digital risk, governance frameworks, and clinical safety in digital systems.
Transformation Delivery and Innovation Enablement
- Oversee delivery of complex digital transformation programmes across the Group.
- Support delivery of EPR and frontline digitisation programmes, ensuring readiness for AI and analytics.
- Enable scaling of innovation in care delivery and corporate services, including automation.
- Align transformation work with regional and national innovation programmes.
People, Culture and Leadership
- Develop and lead a high-performing senior digital and innovation workforce.
- Champion a culture of continuous learning, digital confidence, and inclusion.
- Act as a mentor and system leader in developing digital talent across the NHS.
Financial and Commercial
- Manage significant digital investment and innovation portfolios.
- Shape business cases and lead funding strategies from public and private sources.
- Lead strategic procurement for innovation and technology services.
Research and Data Collaboration
- Collaborate with the Group Chief Data Officer to ensure high-quality data is generated through digital platforms.
- Enable safe, ethical and interoperable data use to support research, innovation and care improvement.
- Contribute to Group partnerships such as the Federated Data Platform and AI Lab initiatives.
Please see job description and person specification for further details on the role
Person Specification
Educations, Training and Qualifications
- PhD or MBA with focus on healthcare innovation
- Postgraduate degree in Digital Health, IT, Business or Innovation Management
Knowledge and Experience
- 10+ years in digital leadership within healthcare or public sector
- Proven track record delivering large-scale digital transformation
- Deep understanding of UK GDPR, NHS cyber frameworks
- Experience with AI, robotics, or blockchain in health
- Stakeholder management across NHS England, ICS, and tech partners
- Experience in public-private health tech partnerships
- Experience influencing national digital policy
Skills
- Excellent communication and strategic planning
- Advanced analytical and judgement skills
- Ability to manage senior teams and complex change
Key Competencies/Personal Qualities and Attributes
- Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust's Values and behavioursX
- Passionate and committed to bring our values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients and service user
- Able to demonstrate a commitment to and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs.
- All staff are expected to engage in compassionate and inclusive leadership in the provision of high-quality care and interactions with others
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
Northampton General Hospital
Address
Leicester Royal Infirmary
Infirmary Square
Leicester
LE1 5WW
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.northamptongeneral.nhs.uk/Home.aspx