Training Programme Director - Teaching Lead

NHS ENGLAND; Southampton; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Southampton is seeking an experienced Consultant to become the Training Programme Director – Teaching Lead for Ophthalmology. The role involves leading the delivery of Postgraduate Teaching and requires strong leadership and communication skills. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in Ophthalmology training and a commitment to improving educational outcomes. This position offers a funding contribution of £10,000 per annum, emphasizing a commitment to healthcare education.

Qualifications

• The ideal candidate will have strong leadership and communication skills.
• Experience with Ophthalmology training across the region is essential.
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a multi-professional team.

Responsibilities

• Overall delivery of Postgraduate Teaching in Ophthalmology.
• Lead delivery of functions aligned to NHS England mandate.
• Focus on learner supervision, assessment, and educational outcomes.

Skills

Leadership skills

Strong communication skills

Understanding of Ophthalmology training

Education

NHS Consultant experience

Job description

Introduction

The NHS is building a culture that is positive, compassionate and inclusive - and we all have our part to play. As employers we are committed to protecting and promoting the physical and mental health and well‑being of all our colleagues. This underpins our values as set out in the NHS Constitution and supports us to be an Employer of Choice, while helping our colleagues to deliver high quality services for our patients and communities.

As a flexible employer, we want to support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you. Talk to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time, hybrid working or another flexible pattern. In addition, although the role advertised may have a ‘home’ office base indicated, we remain committed to supporting flexibility around workplace locations. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

We are an accredited Living Wage Employer which means that every colleague working for our organisation and third‑party contractors will earn a real Living Wage. We are one of over 15,000 organisations who voluntarily chose to pay the real Living Wage. Within NHS England, South East Region, the Wessex Local Office is responsible for the planning, development, education and training of the future and current healthcare and public health workforce across Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Salisbury.

An opportunity has arisen for a Consultant with a strong interest in medical education and training to be the Training Programme Director – Teaching Lead for Ophthalmology.

Applications are invited from current STC members, or from those within the specialty who can demonstrate relevant interest in education and training.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the overall delivery of the Postgraduate Teaching in Ophthalmology. For more information regarding the post please refer to the attached Job Description with enclosed Person Specification.

The role of the Training Programme Director – Teaching Lead is to work with the Training Programme Director and the Head of School in leading the delivery of a wide range of functions, aligned to NHS England mandate. The Training Programme Director – Teaching Lead will focus upon improvement of learner supervision, assessment and experience, engagement of faculty and ensuring effective educational outcomes, both now and in the future. The role is evolving and will also focus on whole workforce transformation and developing multi‑professional links. Prior to applying, please ensure you have discussed this role with your local Director of Medical Education to ensure that this work functions as a secondment with time freed up in your job plan to fulfil expectations. The financial contribution to the Trust is then to backfill any clinical time. This will be followed up at interview to ensure support is in place.

The Trust Director of Medical Education will be asked to provide a reference in support of your application.

NHSE is expected to cease as a separate entity following the merger into DHSC, therefore extensions and new appointments can only be guaranteed up until this date. We anticipate educator roles being required beyond this point and further arrangements to be made once the new structure becomes clearer. We recognise this will create some uncertainty and will do our best to keep anyone potentially impacted informed of future plans as they come available.

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Secondments

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only; agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

Our commitments to you

We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better patient outcomes. We strive to ensure our people feel trusted, valued and empowered. We’re passionate about nurturing and developing people. When you join us, we want you to grow and excel, and we offer many opportunities for you to do that. We welcome your talent and enthusiasm irrespective of age, disability, neuro‑divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. We have policies and procedures to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neuro‑divergent.

We welcome applications from disabled candidates. If you meet all the essential criteria, you will be guaranteed an interview.

Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role. Whilst we appreciate that you may have had support with your application (e.g., using AI technology or guidance from a trusted individual), it’s important that the information contained within your application reflects your own knowledge, skill, and experience and we trust that you apply on that basis.

If applying for this role on a secondment basis, please make sure you have obtained prior agreement from your current line manager to apply for this position.

Please note that we currently do not accept applications via recruitment agencies.

To comply with the HM Government Functional Standard GovS 007, and specifically the Personnel Security Standards 2024, individuals employed or contracted by NHS England may be required to undergo a Baseline Personnel Security Standards check, dependent on the role.

The NHS Business Services Authority is responsible for the processing of your application; a privacy notice is attached to advise you on how we will process your personal data.

If you have applied via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred third‑party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. If you are appointed to a post, information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Ideal candidate

The ideal candidate will be an experienced NHS Consultant with a thorough understanding of Ophthalmology training across the region and who will also have strong leadership and communication skills and be able to work effectively as a member of a multi‑professional team.

Organisational purpose

• Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities.
• Making the NHS a great place to work, where our people can make a difference and achieve their potential.
• Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care.
• Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation.
• Delivering value for money.

If you would like to know more or require further information, please visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/.

Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in‑person.

If you are successful at interview, we will run an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) in the Electronic Staff Record system (ESR). This transfer gathers valuable information from a previous or current NHS employer to support the onboarding process, including statutory and mandatory competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You will have the opportunity throughout the recruitment process to inform us if you do not consent.

Funding

The fixed level of funding contribution for this role is £10,000 per annum, per session, as an Educational Management Contribution (EMC). 0.5 EMC has been allocated for this role. The number of EMCs indicatively equates to the number of PAs for job planning; however, the level of funding for EMCs is fixed and may not equate to your individual personal salary with your employer in relation to your planned activities.