Non-Executive Director – Digital

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust; North East; On-site; GBP 14,000 - 17,000; Part time

Job summary

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a strategically minded Non-Executive Director with a strong digital and technology background to join its Board. You will work alongside the Chair and fellow Directors, sharing responsibility for the strategic direction and performance of the organisation, with a particular focus on digital, data and governance.

This appointment supports the Trust as it strengthens its digital capability and governance culture to improve services for

Qualifications

• Senior leadership or board-level experience within a large, complex organisation.
• Significant experience developing and implementing digital or technology strategy.
• Understanding of how digital solutions, technology and data support organisational strategy.
• Experience leading strategy development and/or major organisational change.
• Experience working with complex stakeholders and partners.
• Knowledge of good governance and its application at board level.
• Ability to hold others to account while balancing quality, performance and finance.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal skills with constructive challenge.
• Strong analytical skills and independent, enquiring judgement.

Responsibilities

• Provide independent judgement and strategic advice across board responsibilities.
• Support delivery of the Trust's strategy including governance, risk, performance.
• Drive digital, technology and data capability at board level.
• Engage with stakeholders and oversee organisational change.

Skills

Board leadership

Digital strategy

Technology governance

Stakeholder management

Transformation experience

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Independent judgement

Job description

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Remuneration: £15,015 per annum

Time commitment: Approximately 4 days per month

Term: 3 years

Interviews: 13 November 2026

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint an experienced and strategically minded Non-Executive Director with a strong digital and technology background to join its Board.

One of the largest integrated care providers in England, the Trust provides hospital and community-based services across County Durham and Darlington and plays an important role as both a local partner and system leader.

This appointment comes at an important point in the Trust’s development. The Board is strengthening its capacity and capability as the organisation continues its work to improve governance, organisational culture, risk management and the quality of services provided to patients and communities.

The Role

As a Non-Executive Director, you will work alongside the Chair, fellow Non-Executive Directors and Executive Directors as an equal member of the Board, sharing collective responsibility for the strategic direction, performance and success of the organisation.

You will provide independent judgement, constructive challenge and strategic advice across the full range of Board responsibilities, including quality, performance, finance, governance, risk, organisational culture and the delivery of the Trust's strategy.

A particular focus of this appointment will be digital, technology and data. The Trust has identified the need to strengthen its Board-level digital capability and accelerate its digital agenda. The successful candidate will play an important role in this work, including through membership of the Trust's newly established Digital and Data Committee.

The Person

We are seeking an individual with extensive, first-hand experience of developing and executing a digital systems strategy, supported by a sufficiently strong technical background.

You are likely to have operated in a senior digital, technology, IT, data or transformation role within a large and complex organisation and will have experience of using digital solutions to support wider strategic objectives.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate:

• Senior leadership and/or Board-level experience within a large and complex organisation.
• Significant experience of developing and implementing digital or technology strategy.
• A strong understanding of how digital solutions, technology and data can support organisational strategy and transformation.
• Experience of leading strategy development and/or significant organisational change.
• Experience of working with complex stakeholders and partners.
• An understanding of good corporate or clinical governance and its effective application within a Board environment.
• Experience of holding others to account for delivery while balancing quality, performance and financial considerations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to probe, challenge and influence constructively.
• Highly developed analytical skills, sound judgement and the ability to bring an independent and enquiring perspective to complex issues.
• Personal resilience and the ability to operate effectively within a complex and highly scrutinised environment.