Director of Strategy and Transformation

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 130,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare trust in the United Kingdom is seeking a Director of Strategy and Transformation to lead their strategic initiatives. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in strategic planning within the NHS, capable of engaging stakeholders at all levels. This full-time role offers a salary of £134,225 per annum, providing the opportunity to shape the future of healthcare in the community.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in strategic planning and transformation at a senior level.
• Confidence in working at Board level and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong commitment to leading complex programmes and driving innovation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of 'Our Journey to Change'.
• Contribute to statutory and corporate duties as a Trust Board member.
• Oversee strategic partnerships and manage commissioning of services.

Skills

Strategic planning

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Governance

Education

Experience in NHS or healthcare systems

Relevant degree or equivalent qualification

Job description

Overview

Are you a visionary leader with a passion for driving strategic change in healthcare? We are seeking a Director of Strategy and Transformation to join our Executive Team and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our organisation. This is an opportunity to lead the delivery of "Our Journey to Change", the Trust's strategic vision, ensuring that planning, performance, partnerships and quality improvement are aligned to deliver a positive impact for the people and communities we serve.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of "Our Journey to Change", aligning planning, performance, partnerships and quality improvement to deliver a positive impact for the people and communities we serve.
• Co‑create a strategically aligned business plan that integrates workforce, finance, estates, and operational priorities.
• Oversee the delivery of the Trust's strategy, fulfill assigned objectives within the business plan, and support colleagues in achieving theirs.
• As a member of the Trust Board, contribute to the fulfilment of statutory and corporate duties, providing informed advice, guidance, assurance, and constructive challenge at the Board of Directors.
• Lead as Director for the Provider Collaborative and Strategic Partnerships, managing clinical subcontracts held by the Trust and overseeing the commissioning of high‑quality services.
• Promote effective engagement and reputation management with service users, members and system members, ensuring legal and statutory compliance and upholding the highest standards of transparency and accountability.
• Participate in the Council of Governors and serve on various Board sub‑committees, including contributions to Serious Incident Panels, HR panels, Executive Group sub‑committees, and multiple Programme and Project Boards.
• Lead the regular monitoring of the market to identify and manage key opportunities and threats, ensuring the organisation understands the wider context in which it operates.
• In conjunction with Care Groups, lead the development and submission of high‑quality tender documents that respond to detailed requirements in invitation to tender specifications and within the timescales set by the commissioners.
• Support the development of the Annual Quality Account/Report, ensuring its publication in line with timescales set by the Department of Health and NHSE, verifying this through an external assurance opinion from external audit.

Qualifications and Experience

We are looking for a strategic, values‑driven leader who has extensive experience in strategic planning, transformation and governance at a senior level. You will understand the complexities of the NHS and wider health and care systems, be confident working at Board level, and engage with a wide range of stakeholders. A collaborative, inclusive leadership style and a strong commitment to supporting our Journey to Change are essential. You will be able to lead complex programmes, drive innovation and improvement across the organisation, represent the organisation at the highest levels externally, influence policy and strategy, and support system‑level decision making.

Other Information

Salary: £134,225 per annum (full‑time post).

Interview schedule:
Stakeholder day – Thursday 18th December online.
Formal interviews – Monday 22nd December in person.

Right to Work in the UK:
Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the United Kingdom (UK) are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. From January 2021, to work in the UK all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless they have permission to work via another route. Non‑UK/ RoI candidates wishing to apply can self‑assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship here: Browse: Work in the UK – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Please provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form. Overseas applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK must present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided in continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Guidance can be found here: Criminal records checks for overseas applicants – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Your current immigration status will not be considered as part of the short‑listing or interview process.
Not everyone needs a ‘Skilled Worker’ visa. If you are applying for a vacancy in health or adult social care, you may be eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead, subject to role meeting the required conditions.
We are able to offer sponsorship for a Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker visa, subject to candidate and position eligibility. Please review the job eligibility guidance for skilled workers here: Skilled Worker visa – Your job – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and for the Health and Care Worker visa here: Skilled Worker visa: eligible healthcare and education jobs – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
We will be unable to offer sponsorship if the job does not meet the eligibility criteria above and you will need to explore whether you may be eligible to apply for an alternative immigration route to secure your Right to Work in the UK before you apply. If you are in the UK already on a visa, please ensure you have no restrictions that would prevent you from taking this post.

AI in Recruitment:
We are aware that Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is increasingly being used to generate responses for application forms. Applications for this role should be written by the applicant and if, during short‑listing, a Recruiting Manager believes AI has been used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Fixed Term Posts:
If the contract type on the vacancy states "Fixed Term" this would mean the vacancy is being advertised to address a temporary need for the duration stipulated on the advert. However, in the event that permanent funding is secured for the post the successful applicant will be confirmed in post on a permanent basis.

Support with applications:
We have computer facilities available in our libraries (Durham, Middlesbrough, and Darlington) to support applicants. If you would like access to a laptop for your application, please contact the library team to arrange a time to visit. Please email: [email protected] . We will always endeavour to make this available however we cannot guarantee that we will be able accommodate this before the vacancy closes.

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust is committed to the protection of staff, service users and visitors from second‑hand smoke and currently operates a no‑smoking policy which ensures all buildings and grounds are smoke‑free.

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby. From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care – our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for. We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health. We are committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region, connecting with our communities and partners to get mental health care right in areas that really need it.