Senior EPRR & Resilience Executive

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting a Head of Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response to provide Trust‑wide leadership in preparing for, responding to and recovering from major incidents, protecting patients and sustaining essential care. The post blends professional leadership with executive advice to strengthen organisational resilience.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Operations, you will lead and develop the EPRR team and programme, shape

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience in emergency preparedness, resilience, incident response or business continuity within a complex, service‑critical organisation.
• Education to master’s level or equivalent senior specialist experience and continued professional development.
• Experience applying governance frameworks and standards to organisational risk, assurance and governance.
• Ability to influence senior decision-makers and negotiate priorities across large, multi‑disciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for EPRR across UHS, assess emerging threats and dependencies, and establish a prioritised programme to support patient safety and resilience.
• Establish clear expectations for preparedness across divisions, provide executive assurance, and map readiness and risks for the Board.
• Advise executive and senior leaders on resilience issues and significant incidents, interpreting information and explaining implications for care and continuity.
• Influence joint planning with NHS leaders and resilience partners, drive improvements across organisational boundaries, and coordinate cross‑agency exercises.
• Lead training and exercising to strengthen leadership capability and translate incident learning into sustained improvement.
• Travel to UHS services across Hampshire and engage with partner organisations to strengthen networks.

Skills

Senior leadership

Emergency preparedness

Incident response

Business continuity

Risk management

Cross-agency collaboration

Education

Master's degree or equivalent senior experience

Job description

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting a Head of Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response to provide Trust‑wide leadership in preparing for, responding to and recovering from major incidents, protecting patients and sustaining essential care. The post blends professional leadership with executive advice to strengthen organisational resilience.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Operations, you will lead and develop the EPRR team and programme, shape