Principal Educator NHS Scotland Academy (National Perioperative Programmes

NHS Education For Scotland; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A national health board in the United Kingdom is seeking a Principal Educator for the NHS Scotland Academy. This role involves strategic oversight of the National Perioperative Programme, fostering innovation in healthcare education. Candidates should demonstrate significant expertise in perioperative practice and a passion for transforming healthcare training. The position offers a hybrid working model and ample benefits, making a lasting impact on Scotland's healthcare workforce.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Annual incremental salary progression

27 days annual leave plus public holidays

NHS discounts

Qualifications

• Significant expertise in perioperative practice and healthcare education.
• Passion for education and transformation.
• Strong project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Strategic responsibility for the National Perioperative Programme portfolio.
• Lead development of educational priorities for the NHS Scotland Academy.
• Collaborate with stakeholders for program design and delivery.

Skills

Operational management

Mentoring

Project management

Multi-stakeholder engagement

Research coordination

Initiative

Organizational skills

Job description

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Principal Educator NHS Scotland Academy (National Perioperative Programmes

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Client:

NHS Education For Scotland

Location:

United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

fb7e58cdfa7c

Job Views:

5

Posted:

12.08.2025

Expiry Date:

26.09.2025

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Job Description:

Flexible Location: Based throughout Scotland, NES is a remote friendly employer supporting office and hybrid working. We’re happy to talk about how you want to work.

Work Pattern: Permanent,Full Time, 37 hours per week

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

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is the national health board with statutory responsibilities to effect sustainable change through workforce development, education and training across the health and social care system in Scotland, while working at UK level with partner organisations.

NHS Scotland Academy, Learning and Innovation is a recently formed (2023) directorate within NES to support the development of learning and innovation within the organisation which will have system-wide impact on the development of the health and social care workforce. Uniquely, the Director works across the executive teams of two national health boards: NES and NHS Golden Jubilee to lead the development, implementation, and ongoing management of NHS Scotland Academy.

The role of the NHS Scotland Academy, Learning and Innovation (NHSSA, LI) Directorate is wide-ranging and exciting. The Directorate was formed to support the development of learning and innovation within the organisation, which will have system-wide impact on the development of the health and social care workforce.

The NHS Scotland Academy (NHSSA) is an exciting partnership between NHS Education for Scotland and NHS Golden Jubilee, established in 2021 to offer accelerated training for a wide range of health and social care roles and professions. NHSSA provides an opportunity for staff to improve their skills in specific areas, using residential, distance and virtual reality learning. It offers attractive training programmes linked to workforce need, recruitment and career progression. NHSSA draws on the strengths of both parent organisations, using both the state-of-the art clinical and simulation facilities at NHS Golden Jubilee and the educational expertise and technology-enabled learning offered by NHS Education for Scotland. NHSSA supports NHS Scotland to develop additional capacity and new capabilities. It adds to existing educational programmes and responds to evolving and emerging workforce needs. By addressing recruitment gaps and training needs, it will ensure the health and social care workforce is prepared for future needs in Scotland.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a forward-thinking, driven individual to join a dynamic and fast-paced team at the forefront of healthcare education and training innovation. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a high-performing, collaborative environment that delivers a diverse portfolio of accelerated education and training programmes, programmes designed to enhance workforce capability and capacity, ensuring the right people with the right skills are in the right place at the right time.

Reporting directly to the Head of Programme (Education), you will take strategic and operational responsibility for the National Perioperative Programme portfolio. In this pivotal role, you will also lead the development of new educational priorities for the NHS Scotland Academy, working collaboratively with key stakeholders to ensure initiatives are expertly designed, developed, and delivered.

You will play a central role in shaping a 'Once for Scotland' approach, promoting a culture of innovation, adaptability, and future focused practice that meets the evolving needs of the healthcare sector.

Do you bring significant expertise in perioperative practice and healthcare education?

Do you have a passion for education, transformation, and delivering outcomes that truly make a difference?

Do you thrive in a fast paced, dynamic environment where innovation and collaboration are valued?

Do you enjoy working with a diverse range of stakeholders to design and deliver meaningful future focused programmes?

Do you have strong project management skills and a talent for developing high-quality, learner centred educational initiatives?

Working within the NHS Scotland Academy team, you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact on Scotland’s healthcare workforce and, ultimately, on the quality of patient care through the development and delivery of accelerated education and training programmes.

Does this sound like you?

What We Love to See

Principal Educators offer a broad range of skills and experience, if you can offer some or all of these, we’d love you to apply:

• Senior Leadership role including operational management, mentoring and coaching of team members.
• Track record in managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong project management skills with the ability to deliver on time and within scope
• Experience in successfully working across complex health environments with multiple stakeholders
• Experience of initiating, conducting and / coordinating research and project evaluation
• 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
• 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 is impossible without ensuring we consider the diverse needs, perspectives and backgrounds of everyone in Scotland in our work.

We are focused on hiring the very best talent available for NES, and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and aim to ensure everyone is treated fairly, with respect and has a positive recruitment experience – regardless of the outcome.

It’s not essential to be in a Principal Educator role right now.You may be returning from a career break (e.g. maternity, paternity, caring for others) or returning after working in another field. Your experiences elsewhere can bring a fresh perspective to our work.

Next Steps

Our recruitment process is currently 100% remote and if successful you would initially work remotely, working from our offices as operationally required.

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

Online interviews (including a presentation) will take place on 2nd September to 4th September 2025. The presentation topic will be sent to candidates selected for interview.

Please note this advert may close early should a high volume of applications be received. Early submission is therefore strongly encouraged.

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.

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 Immigrations 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.

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.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsoredBEFORE submitting your application form.