Assistant Director - Transplant

NHS; Barnsley; Hybrid; GBP 91,000 - 106,000; Full time

Job summary

A national health organization is seeking a senior leader to oversee organ donation services across the UK. This role requires expertise in government frameworks and strong negotiation skills to enhance organ retrieval efforts. The ideal candidate will drive strategic initiatives to improve transplant outcomes while working collaboratively with various stakeholders. This position offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to make a significant impact in healthcare.

Qualifications

• Experience with government, legal, and commissioning frameworks across the UK.
• Leadership skills and ability to influence national policy.
• Strong negotiation skills for commissioning.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic development and implementation for organ retrieval services.
• Ensure achievement of targets for transplants.
• Engage with NHS providers to enhance service quality.

Job description

Overview

Join NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), a unique Special Health Authority at the heart of saving and improving lives across the UK. As the UKs designated Organ Donation Organisation, we ensure a safe, reliable, and efficient organ donation service to the NHS. This is an exceptional opportunity to play a leading role in shaping organ and tissue donation services across all four nations England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. In this high-profile position, you will influence national policy and practice, navigating government, legal, and commissioning frameworks to deliver services that truly transform patient outcomes. You will also take the lead in commissioning negotiations for Organ Retrieval, ensuring world-class services that directly support life-saving transplants. This role offers the scope to make a real difference, working at the forefront of healthcare innovation, strategy, and delivery.

Main duties

In this role, you will support NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), which provides blood, organs, and related services to the NHS. The post covers England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, requiring knowledge of government, legal, and commissioning frameworks across all four nations. You will also lead commissioning negotiations for Organ Retrieval. Your responsibilities will include:

1. Leading for the Directorate on the strategic development and implementation of services commissioned by the directorate (circa £25m) and in particular organ retrieval and takes the lead for commissioning of associated services.
2. Ensuring the delivery of targets assigned to the role to ensure that retrieval and associated organ, tissue and eye improvement schemes contribute to an increase in the number of transplants.
3. Providing the strategic lead for the Directorate in engaging with NHS organ retrieval and transplantation providers to plan services and develop a commissioning strategy with the aim of achieving an integrated high quality organ retrieval service.
4. Ensuring operational delivery, service quality and budget for the Organ Donation and Transplantation Hub; a 24/7 operations centre that holds the UKs Transplant Lists, makes organ offers, coordinates resource, mobilises organ retrieval teams and processes patient follow-up information.

About us

It takes all types of people to deliver the kind of service that saves and improves lives. At NHS Blood and Transplant, youll join a team of more than 6,000 people who are making a genuine difference to communities, families, friends, relatives and more across the UK. We play a unique and special role in the NHS by helping people do something extraordinary- donate blood, blood products, organs, tissues, or stem cells to save someone in need. Our three core values are what set us apart. They guide and inspire everything we do. By being caring, expertly meeting the needs of our patients and our people, and accepting nothing less than the best quality, we can do extraordinary work and help our people to do something extraordinary in their career, too. Three small words, one big difference - Caring, Expert and Quality. Together we'll save and improve more lives than ever. You will join us on our journey to create an inclusive workplace and aim to reflect the diverse communities we work with, and we positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

Details

Date posted: 24 September 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for Change

Band: Band 8d

Salary: £91,342 to £105,337 a year

Contract: Fixed term

Duration: 18 months

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 007485

Job locations:

• NHSBT, Unit D, Capitol Way, Dodworth, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 3FG
• NHSBT, Plymouth Grove, Manchester, M13 9LL
• NHSBT, 500 North Bristol Park, Northway, Filton, BS34 7QH
• NHSBT, Vincent Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2SG
• NHSBT, Tooting, 75 Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RB
• NHSBT, Colindale, Charcot Road, Colindale, London, NW9 5BG

Employer details: NHS Blood and Transplant. Address: NHSBT, Unit D, Capitol Way, Dodworth, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 3FG. Website: https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/

Disclosure and Barring Service Check: This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a Disclosure submission will be required.