Assistant Postgraduate Dental Dean

NHS Scotland; England; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading health organization in Scotland seeks an experienced Assistant Postgraduate Dental Dean to manage a team and oversee the education and training of Dental Trainees across Scotland. Suitable candidates should have a BDS, be registered with the General Dental Council, and possess strong leadership and communication skills. This role offers flexible working arrangements, with both full-time and part-time options considered.

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge and experience of Core and Specialty Training.
• Engaged in teaching and training related to Postgraduate Education and CPD.
• Understanding of the postgraduate dental education context in Scotland and the UK.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of Core Training Advisers located throughout Scotland.
• Deputise for the Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean at Specialty Training Committees.
• Monitor trainee progress through the Annual Review of Competence Progression.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Coaching

Mentoring

Education

BDS

Registered on a Dental Specialist list

Job description

Flexible Location: NES is a remote‑friendly employer with staff based throughout Scotland. We support office‑based and hybrid working arrangements. We welcome conversations about alternative working patterns—please get in touch during the application process to discuss.

Work Pattern: Fixed Term, Full Time, 40 hours per week

Part Time and Job Share will also be considered.

Fixed‑term or Secondment** Until 31st March 2027

• For NHS applicants, an NHS secondment will be offered in the first instance. For non‑NHS applicants, a fixed‑term or secondment would be considered.

You must have eligibility and entitlement to work in the UK which is required to be maintained throughout your period of employment.

Who We Are

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is the national health board with statutory responsibilities to effect sustainable change through workforce development, education and training across the health and social care system in Scotland, while working at UK level with partner organisations.

The Dental Directorate is responsible for the delivery of high‑quality education and training across a diverse range of training programmes, including the management, funding and provision of postgraduate education for dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs).

The Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Dental Core and Specialty Training workstream within the Dental Directorate responsible for supporting education and training for Dental Core and Specialty Trainees working within Hospital and Public Dental Services settings across Scotland.

Consideration will be given from candidates who wish to work full‑time, part‑time or as a job share opportunity.

The successful candidate(s) will work as part of the national team for Core and Specialty Training supporting education and training within Dental Specialties including the quality assurance of training delivered throughout Scotland.

Candidates should have a BDS and be registered on a Dental Specialist list with the General Dental Council. The successful candidate(s) should be able to demonstrate extensive knowledge and experience of Core and Specialty Training and be engaged in teaching and training relating of Postgraduate Education and CPD. An understanding of the context of postgraduate dental education in Scotland (and the wider UK), with a strong grasp of all aspects of dental career development including Dental Specialist Training. Evidence of Line management experience is required. The post holder(s) will be able to demonstrate leadership, flexibility, excellent communication and interpersonal skills including experience in coaching, mentoring and mediation.

The post will require travel throughout Scotland due to the nature of national working and the location of training posts.

The Postholder Will

• Manage a team of Core Training Advisers located throughout Scotland.
• Work with the Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean in respect to projects relevant to the workstream, including the recruitment to Dental Core and Specialty Training posts, through both local and national recruitment processes.
• Deputise for the Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean at Specialty Training Committees and national meetings as required.
• Monitor trainee progress through the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) process.
• Ensure appropriate resourcing and work with the workstream Business Manager to prepare business cases.
• Demonstrate honesty, integrity, care and compassion when dealing with others, utilising tact and persuasion skills when necessary.
• Ability to work on own initiative, to organise and prioritise own workloads, to meet strict deadlines.

What You Will Do

Assistant Postgraduate Dental Deans offer a broad range of skills and experience, if you can offer some or all of these, we’d love you to apply:

• Manage a team of Core Training Advisers located throughout Scotland.
• Work with the Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean in respect to projects relevant to the workstream, including the recruitment to Dental Core and Specialty Training posts, through both local and national recruitment processes.
• Deputise for the Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean at Specialty Training Committees and national meetings as required.
• Monitor trainee progress through the Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) process.
• Ensure appropriate resourcing and work with the workstream Business Manager to prepare business cases.
• Demonstrate honesty, integrity, care and compassion when dealing with others, utilising tact and persuasion skills when necessary.
• Ability to work on own initiative, to organise and prioritise own workloads, to meet strict deadlines.

Diversity and Inclusion

Developing a successful national service for Scotland is impossible without ensuring we consider the diverse needs, perspectives and backgrounds of everyone in Scotland in our work.

We are focused on hiring the very best talent available for NES, and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and aim to ensure everyone is treated fairly, with respect and has a positive recruitment experience – regardless of the outcome.

It’s not essential to be in an Assistant Postgraduate Dental Dean role right now. You may be returning from a career break (e.g. maternity, paternity, caring for others) or returning after working in another field. Your experiences elsewhere can bring a fresh perspective to our work.

If you are considering applying and feel it would be helpful to discuss this initially, please contact Ailsa Morrison or Donald Thomson, Associate Postgraduate Dean (Core and Specialty Training), [e-mail] or [e-mail].

Next Steps

• NHS candidates will be considered firstly on a secondment basis, and so are strongly encouraged to discuss this with their current NHS employer at the earliest opportunity, ideally prior to application.

All applicants who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e‑mail.

In person OR online interviews (including a short presentation) will take place on 11th December 2025. The presentation topic will be sent to candidates selected for interview.

For further information please refer to the Job Information Pack below.

Unless otherwise stated the deadline for applications is 23:59 hours on the closing date. Please note, CVs will not be accepted.

• Please be advised that if you are successful in being offered the role following the recruitment process, you will be expected to attend the office prior to your start date to complete face‑to‑face pre‑employment checks. If you require any adjustments to support this, please let us know.
• To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre‑employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre‑settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.

For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licensed Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form.

If you have any queries regarding the NHS Scotland National Recruitment Portal or the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to contact our recruitment partners, the East Region Recruitment Service, at: [e-mail].