Director of Education and Workforce

Job Overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us. Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

This vacancy is only open to internal Consultants from University Hospital Southampton, NHS Foundation Trust.

Main duties of the job

This vacancy is only open to applicants from University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

We are now looking to appoint our new Director of Education and Workforce, due to the retirement of our much appreciated and highly valued colleague, Dr Jo Mountfield. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced consultant colleague to provide over-arching educational and workforce leadership to the organisation, aligned to our UHS People Strategy.

Reporting to Steve Harris, our Chief People Officer, you will lead the performance and direction of operational workforce deployment services for all staff groups; you will maximise all educational learning opportunities across the Trust for all staff and students, ensuring multiprofessional collaboration to develop new initiatives and education programmes.

You will bring your well-honed skills of influence and diplomacy to build and nurture effective relationships across our Trust and with the wider local and national health and social care landscape. With your excellent communication skills, your focus will be on collaboration and compassionate leadership; you will work across UHS, and beyond, to ensure our workforce and our services are meeting the demands of our patients and system stakeholders.

You will live and demonstrate behaviours that meet our Trust Values: Patients First, Always Improving, Working Together. You will inspire, develop and support every one of us to live these values - every patient, every colleague, every day.

To Apply, Please Complete The Following Sections

• Personal details
• Supporting statement (A few paragraphs on your skills and experience and how you would plan to deliver the key objectives of the role)
  
  

Working for our organisation

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.

All non-clinical roles may involve a mixture of on site and remote working, Specific details and flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

What You’ll Do

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• You will lead education and workforce within UHS, implementing our People Strategy, and ensuring this is aligned to the national People and Long-term Workforce Plans - and supports delivery of the Trust’s clinical and operational strategies.
• You will work in partnership with a wide range of external stakeholders including the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB), NHSE's Workforce, Training and Education (WTE) Directorate, University and College partners and regulators on education and workforce matters and priorities.
• You will champion multiprofessional collaboration to develop new initiatives and education programmes to ensure continued improvement in UHS education, and training and its delivery at the forefront of contemporary practice.
  
  

What We’re Looking For

• You will be a GMC registered consultant with previous experience of senior management/leadership in an educational role.
• You will demonstrate experience and knowledge of healthcare education and workforce development.
• You will have experience at a senior or strategic level within healthcare of developing and implementing multi-professional education programmes.
• You will be able to translate national and regional guidance into local actions and plans, building successful strategic relationships and partnerships with a complex group of stakeholders.
  
  

At University Hospital Southampton, we believe a diverse and inclusive workforce is key to delivering exceptional patient care. That's why we're proud to be a ‘Disability Confident’ employer and champion an environment that celebrates everyone's unique talents and perspectives.

We foster a strong sense of belonging, ensuring all staff feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best. Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Impact goes beyond words. We actively strive for a workforce that reflects the communities we serve, with recruitment practices free from bias and initiatives that promote inclusion at all levels.

Person specification

Qualifications And Training

Essential criteria

• MBBS or equivalent medical qualification.
• GMC registration with a licence to practise.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Higher degree in education or workforce related area.
  
  

Previous or relevant experience

Essential criteria

• Previous experience of senior management/leadership in an educational role.
• Significant experience and knowledge of healthcare education and workforce development.
• Educated to masters level or equivalent educational qualification or experience.
• Evidence of recent CPD at Senior Level.
• Evidence of building successful strategic relationships and partnerships with a complex group of stakeholders.
• Experience of managing highly complex, strategic programmes or projects, or areas with highly complex working practices.
• Significant experience at a senior or strategic level within healthcare of developing and implementing multi-professional education programmes.
• Evidence of working with education partners, NHSE WTE, ICB, UoS HIEs etc.
• Experience of financial management and budget management
• Knowledge of the NHS Education agenda, NHS Education Contract, and NHE WTE commissioning framework.
• Leadership/management experience relevant to this post with significant experience of successfully leading and managing teams.
• Experience of performance management and holding to account for performance and quality.
• Proven track record of implementing employment and workforce initiatives within a complex environment
• Ability to deliver innovative workforce solutions that meet business needs.
• Awareness of issues affecting NHS workforce with experience in translating national and regional guidance into local actions and plans.
• Workforce planning and development experience in a complex organisation.
• Demonstrating understanding of the key workforce challenges facing the NHS.
• Ability to work as an effective member of the Trust executive committee.
• Chairing skills.
• Ability to interpret and anticipate national government policy related to education and workforce.
• Excellent diplomatic, interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage a wide-ranging audience and network effectively with a variety of organisations/individuals within and outside the NHS and an inclusive style of decision-making.
• Politically aware.
• Creative, innovative, and diverse thinking style; open to new ideas and able to modify views.
• A strategic thinker; ambitious and realistic when setting objectives and targets.
• Person-centred approach when faced with difficult choices.
• Able to build trust, act with integrity and be relied upon Ability to effectively represent the Trust to its constituents, patients, partner organisations and regulators.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of educational or workforce related research and publications.