Associate Director - Clinical Systems

Merseywestlancs; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Generous pension

27 days annual leave (pro rata)

Staff discounts

Job summary

Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust is seeking a Senior Digital Systems Leader to drive the strategic development, maintenance and support of the trust's clinical digital systems. You will work closely with the CCIO and informatics leadership to advance digital maturity and patient safety across the organisation.

The role provides leadership to the Digital Systems and Project Teams and requires expert guidance to staff managing clinical digital systems.

Qualifications

• Degree qualification or Post Graduate qualification MSc/MBA or ability to demonstrate relevant knowledge, skills & experience to masters level.
• Prince2 qualification is desirable for programme delivery.
• ITIL v3 or above experience is required.
• Experience in Change Management within large organisations is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Digital Systems and Projects teams to deliver the digital strategy.
• Provide expert advice to CCIO and informatics leadership on digital system development.
• Governance and programme management across NHS digital systems.
• Develop and implement the Trust's Digital Strategy to improve patient safety and digital maturity.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure scalable, reliable digital services.

Skills

Senior leadership

Strategic planning

Education

Masters or equivalent qualification

Prince2

ITIL v3

Change Management

Job description

We want talented and enthusiastic people from all backgrounds to join #TeamMWL, with us you can learn, grow and develop yourself and your career, realising your true ambitions and aspirations.

Whatever you’re looking for in your career, you’ll find it here at MWL.

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Job overview

The postholder will be responsible for the strategic development, maintenance, and support of the trust's clinical systems to develop a single, comprehensive digital clinical record. Working closely with Deputy Director of Informatics and the Chief Clinical Information Officer the role will contribute and lead the overall strategic development of digital systems and their use to support the trust clinical and operational services.

The role provides leadership and line management to the Digital Systems and Project Teams, as well as advice, support and guidance to the staff responsible for administering or managing departmental digital systems.

The post is key member of trust's senior digital leadership team.

Please note that the interview process for this role will include an assessment centre - interviews will be held on 7th September 2026.

Main duties of the job

The post holder establishes strong working relationships with internal operational teams and external systems suppliers alike to deliver the necessary suite of digital systems to support the Trust.

The role is the primary source for advice and guidance for staff managing departmental or other digital systems outside of the IT Department’s corporate responsibilities.

To be a senior member of the EPR Programme management team and contribute to the strategic decision making and development process which impacts the whole organisation. Taking the lead on advising on long-term strategic IT business plan that impact the whole organisation.

Assist in the development of the Trusts Digital Strategy ensuring that the whole organisation continues to develop its digital maturity.

The postholder will be expected to create an environment of continuous quality and service improvement, patient safety and increasing digital maturity, in line with the organisation’s digital strategy, the national Minimum Digital Standards and “What Good Looks Like”.

The post holder will have a key role in helping to ensure that the organisation achieves its corporate objectives whilst making a positive contribution in ensuring that the care provided is safe, personal, and effective by providing digital solutions that are innovative, reliable, resilient and easy to use.

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

Our services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Responsible for the management, delivery of the Digital Systems and Project services acting as the lead for Digital Systems services, offering expert advice and support to the CCIO, Informatics leadership team, Trust senior clinical management, users of corporate clinical systems, senior clinical staff and external agencies as required. The role is the primary source for advice and guidance for staff managing departmental or other clinical systems outside of the IT Department’s corporate responsibilities.

Communications and Relationships

Provides and receives highly complex or contentious information, communicating with system suppliers, colleague networks, local internal governance arrangements, Trust staff and NHS bodies external to the Trust regarding the management, maintenance, improvement and strategic plans for corporate digital systems which impact the whole organisation. Assesses the impact of the gathered information on the Trust’s current plans and adjusts them as required to meet the Trust’s stated goals, aligning with the Digital Strategy and 5-year plan. Communicate IM&T service issues to both operational and external staff guiding them on the course of action to take. Develops and delivers complex IT presentations to large groups of peers and executive teams.

Explains the financial, clinical, qualitative and patient safety benefits of the agreed plans for corporate clinical systems to staff at all levels of clinical and non-clinical staff throughout the Trust, influencing, persuading and negotiating with staff where those plans are contentious. These explanations are provided in settings that include but are not limited to, Trust Board, Hospital Management Board, IM&T Council, EPR Council, service meetings and external events, such as user groups, conferences etc.

Works collaboratively with other colleagues in delivering shared Digital Systems projects as well as providing peer review support to new implementations in other Trust in the IC ES or more widely as necessary.

Working directly with the IC S and NHSE

Works with senior operational managers and directors to fulfil statutory obligations and clinical compliance, whilst maintaining performance (operational and financial).

Conveys user feedback and details of their prevailing issues within the IT Senior Team to ensure the Department remains focused on its service to end users and reflects changes in clinical service priorities and developments in care. Also conveys user feedback to suppliers in events such as user groups and workshops to influence future developments and functionality of the system.

Plays a part in the governance of IT in the Trust with membership of various Trust meetings along with chairing groups, representation on the IM&T Council as needed along with Supplier Service and programme Meetings as well as user and project groups as required.

Promotes the use of corporate digital systems and the information they provide throughout the organisation.

Provide direct management leadership to the Digital and Project teams providing expertise to work through complex service issues.

Present complex service system issues to stakeholder groups and provide advice and guidance to resolve.

Support and manage service re-design issues by presenting system options to alleviate and provide preferred outcome.

Use specialist knowledge and previous experience from similar system implementations to provide assurance to the organisation.

Communicates complex project design, financial, contractual information to senior managers, business partners, board level representatives as required.

Qualifications

• Degree qualification or Post Graduate qualification MSc/MBA or ability to demonstrate relevant knowledge, skills & experience to masters level
• Prince2 Qualification
• ITIL v3 (or above)
• Relevant qualification or work experience - Change Management

Knowledge & Experience

• Substantial management experience at a senior level in an EPR provision environment within the NHS
• Significant Managerial experience in an IT Department and working with various IT systems
• Significant experience with significant involvement in managing demand from multiple work streams including large scale projects
• Substantial experience of leading a department through a period of significant technological and service change
• Ability to demonstrate success in managing large complex ICT environments
• Experience of working/managing projects as part of the NHS National ICT Strategy
• Successful implementation of complex, large scale IT projects and programmes within NHS organisations
• Experience of managing organisational change projects/programmes
• Previous NHS Experience

Skills

• Demonstrates personal and professional credibility Proven leader

Other

• Ability to drive to various hospitals by own car/assisted driver
• Demonstrates personal and professional credibility Proven leader
• Work collaboratively with both IM&T and non-IM&T colleagues

Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust.

MWL is an exciting and forward-thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.

Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.

The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

We also commit to offering an interview to all armed forces veterans who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

The Trust operates anonymous shortlisting where no personal information about you, including your name or personal details are shared with the recruiting manager. No equality information is shared at any time during the recruitment process with the recruiting manager or other people involved in the decision-making process.

The equality monitoring information you provide is used in the following situations: to review our recruitment practices; where a job is limited to a specific person to verify their eligibility to apply; and to offer disability reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click here to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship.

eVisa Update

For successful candidates on selected work and study visa routes, who have completed and paid for their applications will no longer receive a visa vignette in passport as evidence of their permission to enter the UK.

Instead, you will be issued with an eVisa only, which is accessed by creating a UKVI state.

Before travelling to the UK, we advise applicants to:

• Understand how to generate an eVisa share code

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

If this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 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.

Please note if applicable, applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment.

If you have not already done so, you are therefore encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service to which a small annual fee of £13 per year applies.

Flexible Working

We actively support flexible working patterns throughout MWL. Changes made to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook mean that:

• All employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment.
• There is no limit on the number of requests they can make.
• Employees have the right to make requests, have them considered, regardless of the reason.

At Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we will consider requests for flexible working. We would also encourage you to also discuss flexible working options at interview stage.

Working for Team MWL

Staff recognition is especially important to us; as well as performance reviews and appraisals, we recognise staff through Employee of the month. Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

The Trust is a non smoking across all our sites. Failure to follow this rule could lead to disciplinary action. For more information, see the Smoke Free NHS and site on the smoke free website.

You will be expected to undertake the Trusts{?? } commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

You must ensure that your application, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

The Trust will not accept applications which are found to be AI generated and will check all applications against AI detection software.

Additional Information

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trusts Values and Behaviours which are We are KIND, We are OPEN, We are INCLUSIVE, which can be found here .

An applicant guide to help and support you with your application and what to expect during your recruitment journey

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome …