Head of Clinical Governance

St. John Ambulance; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading charity organization in the United Kingdom is seeking a Head of Clinical Governance to lead clinical strategies. In this role, you will oversee and improve clinical activities, ensuring high standards in patient care. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in healthcare management and clinical leadership. This full-time position includes a competitive salary and benefits, while promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Benefits

Competitive salary and pension scheme

33 days holiday, increasing to 38 days

Health and Wellbeing portal

Discounts for various services and products

Qualifications

• Registered healthcare professional with extensive knowledge of pre-hospital healthcare needs.
• Proven experience in managing clinical teams and fostering collaboration.
• Ability to lead and manage under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Champion quality clinical services at St John Ambulance.
• Provide expert leadership to improve clinical standards.
• Lead and innovate clinical training aligned with vision.

Skills

Healthcare management

Clinical leadership

Stakeholder relationships

Project planning

Communication

Education

Degree in healthcare-related field

Job description

Head of Clinical Governance

Full Time - Permanent - (Hybrid) Closing Date: 09/02/2026

Our offer to you

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work, providing a supportive culture with opportunities to grow and develop your career, achieve a healthy work life balance and to be recognised for the great work you do. You will receive:

• Competitive salary and pension scheme
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays) - increasing to 38 days over 5 years
• Hybrid, Flexible working
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric Vehicle Scheme
• Health and Wellbeing portal - access to financial, health and wellbeing support and an Employee Assistance Programme
• Discounts – you will have access to Blue Light and NHS Discounts as well as discounts on mobile phones, gym membership, cinema tickets, restaurants, holidays and shopping

About Us

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 1,400 employees and over 28,000 volunteers, united by our goal of saving lives through essential first aid services, training and campaigning. As a charity with rich heritage and a long history of serving humanity, we are proud of our past and excited about creating a healthier, safer, more resilient future.

St John Ambulance works at the heart of communities, supporting and enabling them to access and receive physical and mental health first aid. We do this through developing and providing effective community response and outreach services (e.g. Ambulance response & Nighttime Economy) and using our longstanding expertise to empower people with vital clinical skills and the confidence to use them (e.g. our Volunteers and Community Advocates, NHS Cadets and Young Responders programmes). There is also a buoyant social enterprise network which delivers first aid training and supplies medical consumables to businesses and consumers.

Job Summary

The Head of Clinical Governance will play a key role in shaping and delivering the clinical strategic direction of St John Ambulance. Reporting to the Medical Director, this senior leadership position is responsible for leading, overseeing, and continuously improving all clinical activities across the organisation. Acting as Deputy Medical Director when required, the postholder will champion excellence in clinical training, supervision, governance, and leadership across our employee and volunteer networks. Working collaboratively with colleagues and partners, the Head of Clinical Governance will ensure the highest standards of patient care and support the development of new allied health professional roles and skillsets. This role demands exceptional clinical leadership, sound judgement, and the ability to influence both operational delivery and long‑term strategic direction.

About You

Required Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Degree‑level education in a healthcare‑related field and a registered healthcare professional
• Extensive knowledge of healthcare needs in the pre‑hospital environment
• Proven experience managing clinicians and leading clinical teams
• Experience building effective cross‑functional and stakeholder relationships
• Strong project and programme planning and delivery skills
• Competent in medical planning and risk assessment
• Ability to work autonomously and provide specialist advice under pressure
• Demonstrated ability to lead, manage, and motivate others to achieve results
• Collaborative approach, valuing input and contributions from others
• Effective communicator with external stakeholders to support best practice
• Commitment to continuous improvement and innovation

About the role

• Champion the delivery of high‑quality clinical services, ensuring excellent patient care remains at the heart of all St John Ambulance activities.
• Provide expert clinical leadership, advice, and guidance across the organisation to support continuous improvement in clinical standards and practice.
• Offer specialist clinical input to support contract bids and service development opportunities.
• Act with delegated authority from the Medical Director to provide effective clinical leadership, drawing on specialist expertise, professional judgement, and extensive managerial experience.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure all services meet or exceed national and local clinical standards.
• Support the development and delivery of clinical training and education programmes aligned with the charity's clinical vision, including active participation in the Tripartite Committee.
• Lead, coach, and inspire colleagues to foster innovation, professional growth, and a positive, patient‑focused culture across the organisation.
• Apply continuous improvement methodologies (including PDSA cycles) to ensure clinical services are safe, effective, and demonstrate measurable quality improvements.
• Develop and deliver medical planning and leadership training in partnership with network and sector partners.
• Provide compassionate and supportive line management within the Medical and Clinical Directorate, promoting learning, wellbeing, and professional development.

Please see the job description for more detail (this can be viewed on our website or once you click apply).

If you are a current St John Ambulance employee, please apply here: Click here.

For all other candidates, or St John Ambulance volunteers wishing to apply please apply below.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive high volume of applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Please note: St John does not accept speculative CVs and will only review CVs sent in application for an advertised vacancy.

St John Ambulance are committed to increasing the diversity of our team and making sure we best reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. At St John, everyone is valued and supported to thrive, we have several networks including Multi Culture, Disability and Accessibility, Pride, Family and Carers and Women's groups. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination and engender a sense of belonging for all, by creating an environment of mutual respect, where we value unique differences and demonstrate authentic allyship. We believe passionately in equality, diversity and inclusion.