Systems Development Manager
Job summary
THIS POST IS FIXED TERM/SECONDMENT FOR 23 MONTHS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE SERVICE.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR THE SECONDMENT POSITION, YOU MUST OBTAIN PERMISSION FROM YOUR CURRENT LINE MANAGER PRIOR TO APPLYING FOR THIS POST.
We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Systems Development Manager to join our dynamic Digital and Data team at Public Health Wales. You'll focus on solving complex challenges by leading the technical design, development, and delivery of high-quality digital solutions that support national health services. By owning the vision, tactical plan and roadmap for a subset of our digital estate, you'll take impactful decisions shaping the future of digital health services in Wales. It's a great time to join us as we're adopting new technologies and this role will be crucial in leading our software development profession.
The role sits within the Research, Data and Digital Directorate and contributes directly to the organisation's strategic goals. You'll work closely with cross-functional teams, senior leaders, and external partners to help shape effective, future-ready services across the health system in NHS Wales.
If you're passionate about crafting quality solutions with population-level impact --this is your opportunity to make a real difference.
Main duties of the job
- Own the vision, tactical plan and roadmaps for a subset of the digital estate.
- Responsible for taking a strategic view across multiple systems and workstreams, from business and technical perspectives, ensuring alignment with the organisation's vision for digital enablement and support of key business operations.
- As a profession leader, coach and mentor colleagues and project team members to achieve shared objectives.
- Understand organisational objectives and external drivers, collaborating with senior and national stakeholders to ensure systems meet technical, clinical, and business standards.
- Champion agile and user-centred development practices and collaborating with diverse teams.
- Ensure compliance with data protection, cyber security, and national digital infrastructure standards.
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders and suppliers.
For further information on Public Health Wales please visit https://phw.nhs.wales/
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.
About us
We are Public Health Wales - the national public health agency in Wales. Our purpose is 'Working together for a healthier Wales'. We exist to help everyone in Wales live longer, healthier, happier lives. Together with our partners, we work to increase healthy life expectancy, improve health and well-being, and reduce inequalities for everyone in Wales, now and for future generations.
Our teams work to prevent disease, protect health, and provide leadership, specialist services and public health expertise. We are the leading source of public health information, research and innovation in Wales. In a world facing complex health challenges, our work has never been so important.
We are guided by our Values, 'Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference'. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace that values equality and diversity. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of the communities we serve and are supportive of flexible working arrangements, including part time roles and job sharing.
To find out more about working for us and the benefits we offer please visit https://phw.nhs.wales/careers/
For guidance on the application process, please visithttps://phw.nhs.wales/working-for-us/applicant-information-and-guidance/
Job description
Job responsibilities
Join Public Health Wales as a Systems Development Manager and play a pivotal role in transforming how we deliver digital and data services across the organisation.
As a Systems Development Manager, you will be responsible for delivering robust digital solutions that align with Public Health Wales strategic goals. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including product owners, architects, and user researchers, to ensure systems are designed with users in mind and built to the highest standards. You will also contribute to the wider developer community, promoting best practices and continuous improvement.
What Youll Do
- Own the vision, tactical plan and roadmaps for a subset of the digital estate.
- Accountable for the mid-term planning horizon, supporting teams to maximise the use of resources and ensure cohesive developments which contribute to the long-term strategic goals.
- Lead the communication of complicated, complex or risky systems decisions with technical and non-technical stakeholders, mediating between people in difficult discussions.
- Design digital solutions to meet the complex and dynamic needs of PHWs users, services and programmes.
- Lead others in applying all appropriate development principles, policies and standards to all developments and changes.
What You Bring
- Proven experience leading development teams and delivering complex digital solutions.
- Strong technical expertise in software development, cloud platforms, DevOps, and microservices.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-specialist audiences.
- A collaborative mindset, with a passion for mentoring and continuous learning.
- Desirable: Professional certifications (e.g., Microsoft, Scrum), experience with Blazor, Python, or Java.
- A Masters degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field.
The Job Description and Personal Specification provide full details.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
- Masters degree or equivalent qualification or equivalent level of knowledge and skills in an associated professional field.
- Applied knowledge of software, infrastructure, compliance and industry standards.
- Knowledge and experience of APIs, RESTful services and Microservice Architectures.
- Knowledge and understanding of developing and running applications securely in Cloud environments.
- Professional agile or project certification e.g. CSM, PSM, APM, PMP, PPM etc.
Experience
- Experience of leading teams and driving changes in technology whilst fostering a supportive development and collaborative culture alongside other roles and disciplines.
- Extensive software engineering experience, including systems analysis and systems design.
- Extensive experience in IT or Digital project management.
- Proven success in crafting secure, scalable and long-term solutions.
- Successful of a strategy or vision, for example, by creating roadmaps or plans.
- Knowledge or experience of working within the NHS.
- Specific knowledge of the requirements of working within Microsoft Azure.
- Familiarity with industry standard software development working practices such as Agile delivery, DevOps practices, test-driven and behaviour-driven development (TDD/BDD), pair programming, version control, branching strategies, CI/CD pipelines, containerisation.
Skills and Attributes
- Excellent coding skills in some of the following: C#, .NET, SQL, Python, Java, Spring Boot and/or Typescript / Express / Node.
- Comfortable leading and influencing in complex or agile environments, collaborating with diverse teams, and adapting to change.
- Manage, coach and mentor peers and junior team members.
- Adept at communicating technical value and facilitating systems and product decision making.
- Welsh Language Skills are desirable at levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh, or willing to learn.
Other
- Ability to travel between sites in a timely manner to meet the needs of the service.
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
Public Health Wales
Address
2 Capital Quarter
Tyndall Street
Cardiff
CF10 4BZ
Employer's website
https://phw.nhs.wales/