Associate Director of Digital

Job description

Job responsibilities

As a progressive thinker and creative disrupter, focused on the need to deliver benefits to patients, the public, and care professionals, you will work cohesively & collaboratively with the Clinical Boards and Executive team across the Trust to generate innovative digital solutions to support clinical processes, improving both staff & patient experience. You will be a strategic thinking so we can continue to modernise and improve our digital services, but also be able to execute change and get the job done. If this sounds like you & you have the skills, expertise & motivation to succeed in this career changing role, we would be delighted to hear from you.

For further information on this role please refer to the job description and person specification in the recruitment pack attached to this vacancy. Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail.

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This post is subject to the rehabilitation of 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 Services (formerly known as the Criminal Records Bureau) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Due to the seniority of post, appropriate checks relevant to the Fit and Proper Persons Requirement will also be undertaken.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Closing Date for applications: Sunday 7 December 2025

Selection Day: Tuesday 6 January 2026/Thursday 8 January 2026

Person Specification

Qualifications and Experience

• Educated to master's level or equivalent experience (must be able to demonstrate ability to have the capacity/experience to take on a senior management role)
• Significant experience as a digital leader & senior management in a complex organisation or system.

• Significant experience in a technical or architecture role delivering digital services and solutions
• Membership of appropriate professional body (eg. CHCIO, FEDIP, Topol Fellow, Nightingale Digital Academy,or certification as MSP, Prince 2)
• A leadership or management qualification (e.g. Diploma in Management Studies) or equivalent experience

Skills, Knowledge and Understanding

• Track record of digital innovation in multiple settings.
• Impacted on health outcomes through the implementation of digital solutions
• Led digitisation strategy and roadmap development
• Experience in governance arrangements and assurance reporting
• Extensive experience of managing a large department including day to day management, team organisation and development.
• Experience of working on substantive digital programs/implementation (i.e., EPR, LIMS, Radiology, Maternity, PAS, Eobs, Virtual Ward) digitizing care delivery.
• Advanced knowledge and experience in managing large groups of IT/Digital/clinical personnel, significant budgets, commercial contracts and supplier relationships and complex strategic programmes of work.
• A full understanding of the implementation of business change management, overcoming resistance to change and digital/IT change management. Leading through complex and sometimes contentious change and transformation at scale.
• Experience implementing a critical enterprise-wide digital Trust system .
• Experience in preparing business cases & board level reports.
• Understanding of data migration, integration, interoperability projects
• Understands system integration, interoperability standards (HL7, FHIR, OpenEHR) and GDPR, and data reporting to NHS
• Experience delivering complex projects to timescale and budget
• Understands the principles of how to manage a budget, and work with a team to reduce expenditure and able to develop business cases, and manage contracts
• Computer literate with an ability to use the required systems/office packages
• Experience managing under NHS HR policies

• An understanding and knowledge of the workings of the NHS, the national NHS Digital Strategy, the challenges it faces and of the reform agenda and involvement in the production of local or sector wide strategies
• Exposure to Power BI and reporting systems

Attributes

• Inspires others and leads by example. Advanced motivational, influencing and negotiating skills with proven success
• Able to work as part of a team and lead teams in a positive way
• Action oriented and committed to excellence
• Excellent analytical skills, with a practical approach to problem-solving and can break down complex projects into composite parts
• A commitment to ethical standards expected of public sector leaders in the UK including declaration of the Fit and Proper Persons Requirements Test Framework (FPPT)
• Resilient under pressure and calm in a crisis
• Excellent planning and organisational skills, ability to manage competing priorities
• Ability to communicate confidently and frequently with credibility within the scope of the role using appropriate tools and language to a varied audience of internal and external stakeholders. Can engage across organisational boundaries, disciplines and levels of operation.
• A progressive thinker and creative disrupter, focuses on the needs to deliver benefits to patients, the public and care professionals.
• Ability to accurately produce written documents relating to procedures and policies, business cases, functional requirements
• Able to present project management at a senior level
• A commitment to organisational as well as system excellence. Able to put the patient at the center of our vision.
• Politically astute
• Able to work with diverse workforce and comply with WDES, and understanding of health inequalities
• Excellent verbal communication, persuasion, influencing and negotiation skills. Able to communicate with tact and sensitivity where appropriate
• Self motivated and able to work autonomously
• The ability to produce clear, concise and accurate written documents, presentations and deliver to various audiences
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Able to interpret highly complex programme information and communicate effectively across multiple stakeholders, at a senior level, as well as communicating effectively in the public domain.
• An innovative and pragmatic leader who has a track record of conceiving and implementing systems and services that have achieved demonstrable and continuing benefits for organisations

• Curious and seeks to understand advanced and new technologies including artificial intelligence, assess its application, collaborate on governance of AI design requirements and ensure it is deployed fairly

NHS Leadership Competency Framework

• NHS Leadership Competency Framework

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

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Trustwide

317 Trustwide

NE1 4LP

Employer's website

https://careers.nuth.nhs.uk/why-us