Associate Director - Wessex Health Partners | University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

University Hospital Southampton NHS FT; Chilworth; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare institution in Chilworth is seeking an Associate Director to lead a strategic alliance that drives collaborative health and care research. The ideal candidate will have proven skills in stakeholder engagement and programme delivery, managing a small high-impact team to deliver significant health initiatives. This role offers the opportunity to influence systemic change in health research and innovation.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of delivery in a partnership setting.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and programme delivery skills.
• Ability to build relationships quickly and work collaboratively.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day management of the WHP core team.
• Promote cross-organisation collaborative research.
• Design and deliver WHP activities.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Programme delivery

Relationship building

Communication skills

Management skills

Collaboration

Job description

Overview

Health Innovation Wessex is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us. Come and join Wessex Health Partners as Associate Director and lead a dynamic strategic alliance driving collaborative health and care research across the region. We're seeking a visionary leader with exceptional stakeholder engagement and programme delivery skills.

Wessex Health Partners (WHP) is a unique regional alliance uniting NHS providers, Integrated Care Systems, leading academic institutions and Health Innovation Wessex, to accelerate improvements in health and care through research. WHP supports a vast ecosystem of innovators and research-active clinicians, academics, and public contributors. The core team is small but high-impact, working with partners to deliver multi-million-pound programmes and nationally recognised initiatives such as NIHR infrastructures and the WHP Small Grant Scheme. WHP is known for its collaborative excellence, ambitious innovation, and trusted leadership, making it an exciting environment for strategic thinkers who thrive on shaping systemic change.

About University Hospital Southampton

University Hospital Southampton is one of England\'s largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations. Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

Role and Responsibilities

The Associate Director will have a pivotal role in the development of the ambitious WHP plans. They will liaise with partners to align the strategic priorities of each partner and navigate complex governance structures to facilitate the shaping, delivery and impact of the WHP ambitions.

Leading the day-to-day management of the WHP core team, the Associate Director will be key in promoting cross-organisation and academic discipline collaborative research across Wessex. They will lead on the design and delivery of a number of WHP activities.

Requirements and Qualities

• Proven track record of delivery in a partnership/laying foundations for collaboration across multiple organisations
• Strong stakeholder engagement and programme delivery skills
• Ability to build new relationships quickly and work collaboratively to deliver WHP plans
• Tenacity, excellent communication and management skills
• Willingness to embrace new challenges and lead on design and delivery of WHP activities
• A willingness to consider a wide range of past experiences; an appreciation of the challenges involved in delivering collaborative, interdisciplinary health and care research and innovation is advantageous

Other Information

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Kathy Wallis - 07990 002 108

This advert closes on Sunday 21 Sep 2025

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At UHS we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. We proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.