Director of Strategy and Partnerships
We will not tolerate discrimination on any of the following: gender, marital status, sexual orientation, race, colour, nationality, religion, age, disability, working pattern, caring responsibilities trade union activity or political beliefs-or any other grounds.
The Trust is currently under-represented in terms of staff from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. We encourage applications from all backgrounds to improve the diversity of our workforce and to better reflect the communities we serve to provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place; every time.
The Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy early if a large number of applications are received.
Due to the volume of applications received for our advertisements, we will only contact those candidates shortlisted for interview via email; we aim to do this within 4 weeks of the closing date. If you do not receive the email, it will be that you have not been shortlisting on this occasion.When applying for this position, it is essential that you read the job description and person specification fully. Please use the supporting information space to demonstrate your ability to undertake this role, drawing on your skills, knowledge and experience.
We also offers a range of excellent benefits including a pension scheme, up to 33 days Annual leave (exclusive of bank holidays), training and development opportunities, access to NHS discounts, Car Lease Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme, NHS Mortgages and Childcare Vouchers.
Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of our Trust as the Director of Strategy and Partnerships. We are looking for a bold and visionary leader to develop and drive a brand-new strategy in the forthcoming year, ensuring we stay ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving healthcare landscape.This is a key leadership role covering strategic planning, transformation, communications, and partnership building, giving you the platform to influence not only our Trust’s direction but also the wider system. You will play a pivotal role in aligning our ambitions with the priorities of the three ICBs, forging strong collaborations, and ensuring our services deliver the best possible outcomes for service users, carers, our workforce, and the broader community.
Additionally, you will oversee trust-wide portfolios, programmes, and projects, ensuring they align with our strategic goals. Reporting directly to our newly appointed Chief Executive, Salman Desai, you will be a key leader at Trust, collaborative, and system levels – ensuring that we strengthen relationships, drive innovation, and play a central role in shaping decisions that impact healthcare delivery.
Main duties of the job
You will be an energetic and innovative strategic leader, with experience at or close to Board level, who has the drive to develop the organisational strategy and partnership arrangements, and the practical delivery skills to translate vision into reality, working collaboratively with our staff, partners and patients.You should have a track record of improving patient services by developing strategic partnerships and leading through others to deliver the strategic ambitions of the organisation. Above all else, we are seeking an individual whose personal values mirror our own and whose priorities are firmly focussed on developing and delivering outstanding services that are accessible to all.
Working for our organisation
Rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and Ofsted, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust provides 24 hour, 365 days a year Urgent and Emergency Care to those in need of immediate medical treatment, and where necessary, transport to the most appropriate receiving hospital/centre.As the geographically largest Ambulance Service in the UK, our 8,000 staff and volunteers in over 300 different roles serve a population of more than 7.5 million people across Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, and part of Derbyshire.
Each year we receive approximately 1.4 million 999 calls, respond to just under 1 million emergency incidents, and make more than 1.4 million patient transport journeys for those who require non-emergency transport to and from healthcare appointments.
We also deliver the NHS 111 service across the region for people who need medical help or advice, handling around 1.7 million calls every year.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To learn more about us and this exceptional role, please visit our dedicated microsite. For a confidential discussion, and details of how to apply, please contact our search partners Mohamed Ebrahim, Emily Smith, or Emma Pickup at Gatenby Sanderson on 07471037135 or [email protected].
Closing date for applications: 9am 17th March 2025Final assessments and interviews: 23^rd 24^th April 2025
https://nwas-leaders.co.uk/
Person specification
Qualifications and Education
Essential criteria- Educated to Masters level or with current equivalent experience
- Additional appropriate specialist qualification or management qualification
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a relevant senior management role
- Substantial evidence of specialist knowledge and ongoing education relevant to varied aspects of role
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria- Highly developed negotiation/interpersonal skills
- Excellent communication and relationship skills
- Excellent analytical and judgement skills, including ability to consider and manage the strategic, political and operational factors within highly complex situations
- Excellent planning and organisational skills and ‘whole system’ analysis
- Project management skills
- Ability to manage complex and contentious situations and to resolve/move forward in situations where there are no obvious solutions
- Ability to work and act autonomously within senior decision-making forums internally and as Trust representative in external forums
- Resilience and ability to cope within a highly challenging environment
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and deal with situations in a sensitive manner
- Able to communicate across wide demographic boundaries in an appropriate manner
- Strong management, motivational and leadership skills
- Ability to think strategically and grasp complex policy and political issues, good understanding on the healthcare policy context.
- Ability to grasp, analyse and interpret complex ideas and translate them into language that is easily accessible to all audiences.
- Understanding of public affairs, stakeholder engagement techniques and best practice, branding and marketing communications
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria- Extensive and significant experience and demonstrable success of working at a very senior level in a communications and stakeholder engagement role in a large complex organisation
- Project management within a complex, multiagency service system, including proactive management of change
- Managing across different organisational cultures and working across professional groups
- Working effectively within the local political and health sector environment
- Leadership of substantial service change
- Understanding of national requirements and developments within the health and social care and their implications for ambulance services
- Experience of managing a team
- Experience of budget management, including large scale project budget management
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria- Flexible and highly motivated
- Project a professional image
- Compliant with the requirements of Fit and Proper Persons Regulations, including Board level competency framework
Any offer of employment may be withdrawn if you knowingly withhold information, provide false or misleading information.
Should you be successful at interview stage successful candidates will receive a conditional offer of employment, this will be subject to the NHS Employment Checks Standards.
Right to work - You will be required to provide a valid right to work in the UK document. North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust are currently able to provide sponsorship for roles that identified under the Health and Care visa, further information on this can be found here Health and Care Worker visa: Your job - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Reference checks - This will cover a minimum of a three year period and will include a request for the number of days and occasions of sickness absence covering a minimum two year period. In line with equality legislation, the earliest point at which we will ask health related questions is when an offer of employment has been made.Absences related to disability may be excluded from these considerations; consideration would be given as to what would be a reasonable attendance level, based on the information available. Absences related to pregnancy, maternity and/or gender reassignment will be excluded from these considerations.
Detailed information on the NHS Employment Checks Standards is available on the NHS Employers website; search ‘employment checks’.
DBS Checks - If the post is subject to DBS disclosure, a charge will be made for this disclosure.
Occupational Health - You will require satisfactory medical clearance.
Whilst not a condition of employment, all staff are encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as this remains the best lined of defence against COVID-19.
From 1^st September 2018, Section 2 of the Agenda for Change Terms and Conditions will automatically apply to the calculation of unsocial hours for all appointments that commence in post from this date (except secondments).
If you do not have regular access to your email please contact a member of the HR Hub Team on 03451122018.