Head of Digital Network Voice and Data

NHS; Manchester; On-site; GBP 74,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

Join NHS as the Head of Digital Networks- Data and Voice to lead the development and management of vital network infrastructure. This senior role focuses on delivering reliable digital services that evolve with the healthcare needs of the Trust, utilizing cutting-edge technologies in a collaborative environment. Candidates should possess advanced technical skills, substantial management experience, and a commitment to quality and innovation.

Qualifications

• Master's or equivalent qualification in Digital or IT.
• Cisco CCNP, CCIE certification.
• Experience managing enterprise scale data and voice network infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Digital Networks- Data and Voice Team within IT Services.
• Develop and manage the Trust network infrastructure.
• Ensure reliability, performance, and security of digital services.

Skills

Ability to convey complex information

Strategic planning

Customer-centric approach

Problem-solving

Leadership

Education

Master's qualification in Digital or relevant IT experience

Cisco CCNP, CCIE certification or equivalent

ITIL Qualification

Job description

Job summary

As the Head of Digital Networks- Data and Voice, you will have responsibilities for the delivery of highly reliable, performant, and efficient data and voice networks services, all day, every day, to facilitate the delivery of digital systems and applications. You will have expert-level technical knowledge and hands-on experience in overseeing and managing large and complex network infrastructure, as well as the associated hardware, contracts, software elements.

The post-holder will lead the Digital Networks- Data and Voice Team within IT Services and will undertake the technical tasks and establish an architectural design for the network infrastructure required to provide a comprehensive and robust service to the Trust.

Main duties of the job

This role is pivotal in ensuring that the Trust digital services are not only running smoothly but also constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of system suppliers and internal systems demands required to support end users. It involves a combination of technical expertise, well organised and structured leadership, strategic planning, and a strong customer-centric approach. You will be working closely with senior managers and their teams within Digital and external partners to ensure a focused, structured, and co-ordinated approach to the provision and delivery of digital services.

The main focus is to lead the development and operational management of the Trust network Infrastructure ensuring that these are exploiting the latest technologies to ensure reliability, performance, and security. The post holder will be the design authority for the network topology. Taking full accountability for the associated infrastructure, ensuring swift resolution through collaboration with the Digital Networks- Data and Voice Team and third-party support contracts.

About us

MFT is one of the largest NHS Trusts in England with a turnover of £2.8bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We're creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.

Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 30,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you'll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.

We've also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research, and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our Electronic Patient Record system which launched in September 2022.

We're proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What's more, we're excited to be embarking on our Green Plan which sets out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.

At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open, and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.

Details Date posted

01 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£74,290 to £85,601 a year Per Annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

349-COR-7162417-RL4

Job locations

Oxford Road Campus ( Corbett House)

Trust HQ, Cobbett House Oxford Rd,

Manchester

M13 9WL

Job description Job responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating, and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at [e-mail].

Were looking forward to hearing from you!

Job description Job responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating, and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at [e-mail].

Were looking forward to hearing from you!

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Master's qualification or equivalent level of experience within Digital or equivalent IT relevant experience
• Cisco CCNP, CCIE certification or equivalent
• ITIL Qualification
• Evidence of Personal Development

Desirable

• ITIL Practitioner Qualification
• PRINCE 2 /Agile Accreditation

Experience / Knowledge Essential

• experience in the management of enterprise scale data and voice network infrastructure with strong levels of technical understanding across a broad range of technologies and infrastructure, with significant experience in managing voice and data network teams.
• Significant experience in installation, configuration, upgrade, managing and monitoring network hardware / software
• Significant experience in a responsible managerial IM&T services role
• Experienced in developing and implementing a robust and comprehensive network strategy to support the healthcare infrastructure, ensuring it aligns with industry best practices
• Significant experience in managing a cisco or equivalent voice and data network infrastructure environment that includes firewalls, specialist datacentre network technologies WI-FI infrastructure;
• Substantial experience in capacity planning, availability and performance monitoring for 24/7 data and voice network infrastructure
• Significant understanding, implementation, and modification of firewalls with appropriate change control.
• Significant experience of working with third party suppliers where required to resolve problem.

Desirable

• Project Management methodology
• Managing cloud service providers.
• Providing network services through commercial agreements

Skills Essential

• Able to convey complex information across multiple audiences, including senior and external partners. Communicate enthusiastically and motivate others by adapting your style to fit the audience.
• Ability to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information, where developed persuasive, motivational, negotiation, training, empathic or re-assurance skills are required.
• Ability to present complex, sensitive, or contentious information to a large group.
• Ability to make judgements on multi-stranded or complex IM&T problems which may have no precedent or where there are conflicting opinions
• Ability to formulate long-term, strategic plans which involve uncertainty, and which may impact across the whole organisation. Having the ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.
• Ability in making timely, difficult decisions to ensure project priorities meet critical business needs. (Make balanced risk decisions, taking full accountability)
• Ability to manage, motivate and develop staff, leading diverse teams with ability to provide direction, understand resource capability and successfully get results working with direct reports, dotted line and/or internal or external resources.
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently under pressure and challenge established views and think differently to deliver the business goals.
• Demonstrate high standards of documentation and record keeping.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Master's qualification or equivalent level of experience within Digital or equivalent IT relevant experience
• Cisco CCNP, CCIE certification or equivalent
• ITIL Qualification
• Evidence of Personal Development

Desirable

• ITIL Practitioner Qualification
• PRINCE 2 /Agile Accreditation

Experience / Knowledge Essential

• experience in the management of enterprise scale data and voice network infrastructure with strong levels of technical understanding across a broad range of technologies and infrastructure, with significant experience in managing voice and data network teams.
• Significant experience in installation, configuration, upgrade, managing and monitoring network hardware / software
• Significant experience in a responsible managerial IM&T services role
• Experienced in developing and implementing a robust and comprehensive network strategy to support the healthcare infrastructure, ensuring it aligns with industry best practices
• Significant experience in managing a cisco or equivalent voice and data network infrastructure environment that includes firewalls, specialist datacentre network technologies WI-FI infrastructure;
• Substantial experience in capacity planning, availability and performance monitoring for 24/7 data and voice network infrastructure
• Significant understanding, implementation, and modification of firewalls with appropriate change control.
• Significant experience of working with third party suppliers where required to resolve problem.

Desirable

• Project Management methodology
• Managing cloud service providers.
• Providing network services through commercial agreements

Skills Essential

• Able to convey complex information across multiple audiences, including senior and external partners. Communicate enthusiastically and motivate others by adapting your style to fit the audience.
• Ability to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information, where developed persuasive, motivational, negotiation, training, empathic or re-assurance skills are required.
• Ability to present complex, sensitive, or contentious information to a large group.
• Ability to make judgements on multi-stranded or complex IM&T problems which may have no precedent or where there are conflicting opinions
• Ability to formulate long-term, strategic plans which involve uncertainty, and which may impact across the whole organisation. Having the ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.
• Ability in making timely, difficult decisions to ensure project priorities meet critical business needs. (Make balanced risk decisions, taking full accountability)
• Ability to manage, motivate and develop staff, leading diverse teams with ability to provide direction, understand resource capability and successfully get results working with direct reports, dotted line and/or internal or external resources.
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently under pressure and challenge established views and think differently to deliver the business goals.
• Demonstrate high standards of documentation and record keeping.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such 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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such 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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details Employer name

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Oxford Road Campus ( Corbett House)

Trust HQ, Cobbett House Oxford Rd,

Manchester

M13 9WL

Employer's website

https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Oxford Road Campus ( Corbett House)

Trust HQ, Cobbett House Oxford Rd,

Manchester

M13 9WL

Employer's website

https://mft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)