Digital and Data Transformation Lead

NHS Scotland; Scotland; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Location

Hybrid working

NHS pension scheme

Annual leave 27 days + 8 public hols

Job summary

PSD Scotland is seeking a forward-thinking Digital and Data Transformation Lead to drive national digital transformation across Scotland’s health and social care sector. You will lead transformation initiatives, engage diverse stakeholders and shape resources for frontline teams.

You will plan and facilitate sessions, collaborate with Government bodies and partners, and influence culture to embed new technologies and ways of working at scale.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading digital, change or transformation programmes.
• Ability to engage people, influence culture and enable adoption of new technologies.
• Strong partnership and networking skills across organisations.

Responsibilities

• Lead elements of a national programme enabling digital transformation across Scotland’s health and social care sector.
• Develop content and resources for diverse audiences and plan engaging sessions.
• Facilitate sessions, webinars, and networks with subject matter experts and partners.
• Support transformation at scale by turning digital, data and AI developments into practical guidance.

Skills

Digital project leadership

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Facilitation skills

Communication

Strategic thinking

Job description

On 1 April 2026, NSS and NES became one national organisation, focused on continuity today and a stronger, more connected service for tomorrow.

As part of this transformation, NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) have joined to form a new organisation: Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSD Scotland). This new organisation will play a pivotal role in supporting the renewal and ensuring the long-term sustainability of health and care services across Scotland.

Flexible Location: PSD Scotland 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, 36 hours per week

Fixed-term or Secondment** until 31st March 2028

**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

PSD Scotland unites expertise from NES and NSS in a way that will allow us to accelerate national programmes to support the NHS to deliver better care, now and in the future.

We support staff with education and training, provide the tools and data that improve services, and run vital national functions such as procurement, logistics and blood, tissue and cell services.

The role of the People and Culture Directorate is wide-ranging and exciting. We not only enable to attract, recruit, support, train, develop, reward and recognise its own workforce, but also play a significant role in employing doctors and dentists in training across Scotland.

Furthermore, we support recruitment of medical and dental trainees and other vocational groups for the whole of Scotland's health sector. We support the management of change, providing organisational consultancy. We also play an active part in the organisation’s commitment to fulfilling its Equality and Diversity responsibilities, not just to its own staff but throughout all the activities of the organisation.

Nationally the People and Culture Directorate act as key strategic partner to Scottish Government in the delivery of national Talent, Leadership and Management, Quality Improvement, and Learning & Development ambitions. We also provide information, advice, educational solutions and support to the wider NHS through links with Territorial Boards and the Scottish Government.

The Digitally Enabled Workforce (DEW) team within PSD Scotland is a high impact, delivery focused, multi award winning team, working remotely across the UK. Commissioned by Scottish Government and COSLA they deliver on national priorities from Scotland’s Digital Health and Care Strategy, the Health and Social Care Data Strategy, the Care in the Digital Age Delivery Plan and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework.

DEW thrive on what they do, empowered to innovate, adapt, and demonstrate how teams should work in a digital age. Enabling transformation at scale by providing national learning resources, networks and programmes for the whole health and social care sector that includes NHS, Local Authorities, Health and Social Care Partnerships, Social Work, Social Care, Care and Support Providers, Housing, Third and Independent Sectors.

The DEW team lead on key initiatives, designing and delivering national programmes shaped and directed by Scottish Government and COSLA, that strengthen digital and data capability across Scotland’s health and social care workforce. Providing organisations with resources to adopt, embed and sustain digital transformation at scale.

Find out more about the DEW team here.

The Opportunity

We’re looking for a forward-thinking Digital and Data Transformation Lead to lead key elements of a national programme enabling digital transformation across Scotland’s health and social care sector.

Are you an experienced digital, change or transformational leader who understands what it takes to bring people with you and turn digital, data and technology into meaningful, sustainable change?

We’re looking for someone with practical experience of transformation and change whether leading or playing a key role in delivery or upskilling the workforce in readiness. With the ability to draw on that experience to shape content and resources for diverse audiences. Someone who understands how to engage people, influence culture, address resistance and enable new technologies and ways of working to be successfully adopted and embedded.

Working with Scottish Government, COSLA and partners across health and social care, you’ll help bridge the gap between digital, data, AI and emerging technologies and the people who need to adopt and maximise them. You’ll translate developments in digital, data, AI and emerging technologies into practical content and approaches that leaders and teams can apply in real-world settings.

You’ll contribute to Scotland’s flagship Digital Health and Care Leadership Programme, alongside a portfolio of national programmes, pathways, networks, webinars and resources. You’ll develop and evolve content, plan and facilitate engaging sessions, and work with subject matter experts and partners to bring frontline experience, specialist knowledge and good practice into our national offer.

Operating across NHS Scotland, Local Authorities, Health and Social Care Partnerships, Social Care, Housing, the third and independent sectors, academia and national organisations, you’ll connect people, experience and expertise to support digital adoption, new ways of working and sustainable transformation at scale.

This is an opportunity to take what you have learned from leading and enabling change and transformation in practice and use it to shape how others lead digital transformation across Scotland.

As this is a maternity cover role, we’re seeking a credible and experienced leader who can quickly establish themselves, take ownership from day one and drive delivery, improvement and impact across a high-profile national portfolio.

Why join us?

If you have energy, creativity, curiosity, a sense of fun and bring fresh thinking and enthusiasm to how you engage people, facilitate sessions and bring digital transformation to life, this role is for you.

Bring your experience of digital change and transformation to translate into the development of the programmes resources that builds capability at scale.

• Help leaders and teams navigate the people, cultural and behavioural dimensions of digital and data transformation.

• Shape practical approaches that help people adopt and maximise digital, data, AI and emerging technologies.

• Work with senior leaders, practitioners and subject matter experts from across Scotland’s health and social care system.

• Contribute to national reform and digital transformation as part of the multi-award winning Digitally Enabled Workforce (DEW) team.

Do you..

• Want to bring your experience to help others turn digital opportunity into meaningful and sustainable transformation.

• Bring that experience to life through engaging presentations and facilitation that inspires people, challenges thinking and makes transformation happen?

• Have proven experience of leading digital projects, change or transformation and bringing people with you?

• Understand how to influence culture, address resistance and embed new ways of working?

• Have experience turning digital, data, AI and emerging technology developments into practical resources, programmes and approaches?

• Have experience planning and facilitating engaging sessions, workshops, webinars, networks or programmes for diverse audiences?

• Know how to draw on frontline insight, subject matter expertise and good practice to develop relevant and impactful content?

• Excel at building partnerships and networks that mobilise expertise and support transformation at scale?

• Use evidence, insight and evaluation to understand needs, demonstrate impact and continuously improve what you deliver?

• Have a strong blend of leadership, practical transformation experience and engaging delivery.

• Want to apply your experience to work that can make a national impact across Scotland’s health and social care system?

Working within the DEW team means joining a fast-paced, nationally recognised programme where the quality, impact and reputation of our work really matters.

Does this sound like you?

What We Love to See

A Digital Data and Transformation Lead that will offer a broad range of skills and experience, if you can offer some or all of these, we’d love you to apply:

In particular we are looking for:

• An engaging personality who naturally builds trust and instant rapport to easily establish positive working relationships at all levels.

• Real-world experience of leading digital projects, change and transformation, with insight into what it takes to bring people with you and make new ways of working stick.

• A track record of mobilising people, influencing culture and overcoming barriers to the use of data and technology adoption.

• Engaging and confident presentation and facilitation skills with the ability to connect with diverse audiences, spark discussion, challenge thinking and inspire action.

• The ability to bring together leaders, subject matter experts and partners to share expertise and shape impactful sessions and resources.

• Strong partnership and influencing skills, with the ability to build relationships across organisational and sector boundaries and contribute to national transformation and reform.

• The ability to turn both your experience and emerging developments in digital, data, AI and technology into practical, relevant content and resources that people can apply in their roles.

• A strategic mindset combined with a practical approach, curiosity about what’s next and a drive to continually evolve and improve what you deliver.

• A real drive to champion the people side of digital transformation, creating the behaviours, mindsets and cultural readiness that enable people and organisations to adopt and maximise new technologies.

• 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.

Benefits Which Matter

As a valued employee of NHS Scotland, you can enjoy an extensive range of benefits including:

• Life-work balance - with opportunities for flexible working and hybrid working

• Generous NHS pension scheme

• Annual incremental salary progression (up to the maximum of the salary band) plus annual NHS salary scale review

• Annual Leave - 27 Days increasing in line with service plus 8 days public holiday

• NHS discounts and more

Diversity and Inclusion

Developing a successful national service for Scotland means considering the diverse needs, perspectives, and backgrounds of everyone in Scotland. We are focused on hiring the very best talent and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Our aim to ensure that everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has a positive recruitment experience—regardless of the outcome.

We welcome applications from all under-represented groups, including racially minoritised people and disabled people. It is not essential to be in a Digital and Data Transformation Lead role right now—you may be returning from a career break (e.g., maternity, paternity, caring) or coming from another field. Your experiences can bring a fresh perspective to our work.

If you are considering applying and would like to discuss the opportunity, any adjustments or alternative work patterns, please contact Paula Baird, Programme Lead, Digital and Data Enabled Workforce [e-mail]

Next Steps

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

In person OR online interviews (for this role the interviews will be online and will include a presentation) will take place on the week commencing 23 November 2026. The Microsoft Teams Link 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 Immigration 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 licenced 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