Assistant Director of Delivery

Assistant Director of Delivery

Working Conditions:

• Hybrid – 2-3 days per week at NHS England Waterloo offices, with occasional visits to client sites. Flexible remote working arrangements outside of office days.

About the Role:

As Assistant Director of Delivery, you will be responsible for leading the end-to-end delivery of FDP implementation across NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Boards, and wider healthcare systems.

• Define and lead the national delivery structure, ensuring scalable and efficient implementation across NHS organisations.
• Oversee a diverse portfolio of FDP projects, ensuring delivery within agreed timescales, budgets, and quality standards.
• Engage and influence senior NHS stakeholders, including NHS England leaders, Trust executives, and regional teams, ensuring alignment with national priorities.
• Drive service transformation, embedding agile, lean, and user-centred design methodologies to maximise efficiency and impact.
• Manage a multi-disciplinary team, providing strategic oversight on demand management, technical delivery, change management, and benefits realisation.
• Develop and implement a robust governance framework, ensuring clear decision-making, risk management, and performance monitoring.

This is a high-profile role that requires a strong strategic mindset, operational leadership, and a track record of delivering large-scale digital and service transformation within the NHS.

The Federated Data Platform:

NHS England’s Data and Analytics Directorate is driving the transformation to put patients in control of their data, support clinicians, decision-makers, and researchers with real-time, high-quality data, and empower the NHS Data Community to leverage their skills for high-value opportunities. We pride ourselves on our dedication, creativity, and values-driven approach to improving decision-making across health and care, helping people live healthier, longer lives.

The NHS relies on data every day to manage patient care and plan services, but it is often stored in systems that don’t communicate with each other, creating burdens for both patients and staff.

The Federated Data Platform connects existing NHS systems, allowing each Trust and Integrated Care Board to manage their own customised version, enhancing data integration and care coordination.

As Assistant Director of Delivery, you will:

Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Establish a national delivery framework, ensuring effective planning, risk management, and performance oversight.
• Ensure alignment with NHS priorities, supporting wider data and digital transformation strategies.

Programme & Portfolio Management

• Lead multiple FDP transformation projects, ensuring delivery across acute, community, mental health, and ambulance Trusts.
• Manage budgetary control, performance reporting, and programme governance to drive efficiency and impact.

Stakeholder Engagement & Influence

• Build strong partnerships with NHS England, ICBs, Trusts, and regional teams, ensuring smooth implementation and system-wide adoption.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior NHS leadership, shaping policy, governance, and digital transformation strategies.

Team & Supplier Management

• Lead and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the performance of third-party suppliers and service providers, ensuring contract deliverables align with NHS requirements.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Champion agile, lean, and user-centred design methodologies, embedding best practices across NHS digital transformation.
• Identify and drive opportunities for continuous improvement, ensuring FDP remains future-proofed and scalable.

Essential Skills & Experience:

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• Extensive experience in leading large-scale digital and service transformation within the NHS or a similarly complex healthcare environment.
• Proven expertise in programme and portfolio management, including governance, risk management, and performance monitoring.
• Strong leadership experience, with the ability to manage multi-disciplinary teams and large-scale service change initiatives.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with experience working at Board level and leading system-wide transformation.
• Deep understanding of the UK health system, including NHS operational structures, policy, and regulatory environments.
• Ability to manage complex programmes in politically sensitive environments, ensuring alignment with national and regional NHS priorities.

Desirable Experience:

• Board-level leadership experience in NHS digital transformation, data analytics, or service management.
• Relevant professional qualifications in project and programme management (e.g. PRINCE2, MSP, Agile).
• Experience working with national NHS digital and data strategies.

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to lead one of the most ambitious data transformation programmes in the NHS. As Assistant Director of Delivery, you will:

• Shape the future of NHS data and digital transformation, influencing policy, governance, and national healthcare delivery.
• Engage with senior NHS leadership, driving digital adoption and service transformation at scale.
• Be part of a high-profile, nationally significant programme, making a tangible impact on patient care and system efficiency.
• Join a collaborative, forward-thinking team, committed to delivering innovation and excellence in healthcare transformation.

Benefits & Perks:

• Competitive NHS salary in line with Agenda for Change Band 8D (£88,168 - £101,677 per annum).
• 27 days annual leave (increasing with service) plus bank holidays.
• Flexible hybrid working arrangements to support work-life balance.
• Access to professional development and training, ensuring career growth and progression.
• Support for mental wellness, with a focus on fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment.

Next Steps:

• Closing Date: Monday 3rd March, 12:00pm
• We’ve made applying quick and easy – you can submit your application via: LinkedIn (one-click CV submission)

To learn more about Arden & GEM CSU, our services, and how we support the NHS, visit www.ardengemcsu.nhs.uk

We are unable to sponsor visas for this role, so applicants must be UK residents.