Assistant Postgraduate Dental Dean

NHS National Services Scotland; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

A national health organization in the United Kingdom is seeking a part-time leader in Dental Workforce Development. The successful candidate will manage a team of Dental Advisers and support education and training for dental professionals across Scotland. Applicants must have a BDS and be registered with the General Dental Council. This role involves flexibility and excellent communication skills, with opportunities for part-time working or job shares.

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge and experience of Dental Workforce Development.
• Engagement in teaching and training relating to Postgraduate Education and CPD.
• Understanding of postgraduate dental education in Scotland.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of Dental and DCP Advisers throughout Scotland.
• Work with the Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean on relevant projects.
• Deputise for the Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean at meetings.

Skills

Leadership

Excellent communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Coaching and mentoring

Flexibility

Education

BDS and registration with General Dental Council

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, Part Time, 36 hours per week

Fixed-term or Secondment** Until 31st December 2026

**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 Workforce Development workstream within the Dental Directorate responsible for supporting education and training for Dental teams across Scotland.

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

The successful candidate(s) will work as part of the national team for Dental Workforce Development supporting education and training for Dental teams including the quality assurance of training delivered throughout Scotland.

Candidates should have a BDS and be registered with the General Dental Council. The successful candidate(s) should be able to demonstrate extensive knowledge and experience of Dental Workforce Development and be engaged in teaching and training relating to 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. 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.

Postholder Responsibilities

• Manage a team of Dental and DCP Advisers located throughout Scotland
• Work with the Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean in respect to projects relevant to the workstream, including Mandatory Training, New to Scotland Education Support Training (NEST) and developing career pathways for those entering the NHS Scotland workforce.
• Deputise for the Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean at NES wide and national meetings as required.
• 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

• Manage a team of Dental and DCP Advisers located throughout Scotland
• Work with the Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean in respect to projects relevant to the workstream, including Mandatory Training, New to Scotland Education Support Training (NEST) and developing career pathways for those entering the NHS Scotland workforce.
• Deputise for the Associate Postgraduate Dental Dean at NES wide and national meetings as required.
• 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 Thomas Lamont, Associate Postgraduate Dean (DWD) at [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 20th January 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.

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.

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].