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Job summary

Main area
Delivery
Grade
Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
346-CORP-136-26
Employer
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Flatts Lane Centre
Town
Middlesbrough
Salary
£100,000 - £200,000 pro rata, per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
09/11/2026 09:00

Employer heading

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust logo

Executive Director of Delivery

Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care —our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We’re committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We won’t rest until everyone in our region has the mental health care they need, to lead their best possible life.

Job overview

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
Executive Director of Delivery
Location: Trustwide (with regular travel and in-person visibility required)
Salary: Attractive VSM 

The new role of Executive Director of Delivery, a non-voting member of the board, will be the principal strategic adviser to the Chief Executive and Board. Reporting to the Chief Executive you will lead the delivery of our organisational strategy, transformation agenda and system partnerships, ensuring that strategic priorities are translated into clear plans, measurable outcomes and sustainable improvement.

Working closely with Executive colleagues, operational leaders and external partners, you will provide leadership, assurance and constructive challenge across strategy delivery, transformation, digital, data and stakeholder engagement. This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in helping shape the future direction of a large and complex NHS organisation at a significant point in its development.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking a credible senior leader with significant experience at, or close to, Board level in a large, complex organisation. You will have a strong track record of translating strategy into measurable outcomes, leading large-scale transformation, and building effective partnerships across organisational boundaries.  A strong understanding of NHS governance, regulation and the financial context in which NHS organisations operate will be important, alongside the ability to build high levels of trust and influence with senior stakeholders. Above all, you will be a compassionate, inclusive and values-driven leader who brings pace, clarity and focus while enabling colleagues to deliver the best outcomes for patients, carers and communities.

Working for our organisation

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health, learning disability and autism services to more than 2 million people across County Durham, Tees Valley, North Yorkshire and York. Our dedicated staff operate from more than 90 sites, working in partnership with patients, carers, communities and system partners to deliver high-quality care.

Whilst we have made significant progress in improving our services, we remain rated ‘Requires Improvement’ by the CQC. With a new Chair and Chief Executive, a refreshed Board, and a renewed focus on transparency, learning and improvement, we are committed to building a stronger, safer and more compassionate organisation. Guided by Our Journey to Change and our values of Respect, Compassion and Responsibility, we are determined to create an environment where colleagues can thrive and provide the very best care for those who rely on our services.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We want our Board to be as inclusive and diverse as possible, and we are keen to attract candidates who can bring diverse perspectives. We warmly welcome expressions of interest from the widest possible range of backgrounds, particularly those who are under-represented at board level in the NHS.  

To learn more about this incredible opportunity, please contact our recruitment partners at Gatenby Sanderson:

Will McAlpine, Niamh Blair, or Robin Staveley via

[email protected]

We are working in partnership with Gatenby Sanderson to manage the recruitment process for this role. All applications should therefore be submitted directly through Gatenby Sanderson. Please be aware that applications submitted via TRAC will not be considered.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Educated to master’s level, or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience gained through senior strategic leadership and management, supported by evidence of an externally accredited postgraduate or professional qualification relevant to the delivery portfolio.
  • Degree or equivalent professional qualification.
  • Evidence of significant continuing professional development.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant senior leadership and management experience within a large, complex organisation, operating at or close to Executive Director and Board level.
  • Significant and substantial experience of advising Chief Executives, Boards or equivalent senior governance forums on strategy, transformation and organisational delivery.
  • Proven experience of translating strategy into coordinated delivery plans and measurable outcomes
  • Demonstrable experience of leading large-scale organisation-wide transformation and complex programme or portfolio delivery.
  • Experience of leading system and partnership transformation across organisational boundaries.
  • Experience of integrated planning, cross-portfolio coordination and resolving complex organisational dependencies
  • Experience of providing clear, evidence-based assurance on strategic delivery, performance, risk, controls and improvement.
  • Experience of leading and developing senior leaders and multidisciplinary functions.
  • Desirable experience of major digital-enabled change, benefits realisation and data or analytics-led improvement.
  • Desirable experience of overseeing strategic communications and stakeholder engagement across complex partnerships, including during major change, emergencies and periods of heightened sensitivity or scrutiny.

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Extensive knowledge of strategy development and execution, integrated planning and organisational transformation within a large, complex organisation.
  • Strong understanding of NHS strategy, governance, performance, regulatory and financial frameworks.
  • Extensive knowledge of programme and portfolio management, benefits realisation, organisational improvement and delivery methodologies.
  • Strong understanding of system leadership, partnership working and transformation across integrated health and care systems.
  • Sufficient understanding of digital transformation, data, analytics and information governance to provide credible executive oversight and hold senior specialist leaders to account
  • Understanding of corporate communications, stakeholder engagement, public and stakeholder confidence, and communications in complex or sensitive circumstances.
  • Understanding of financial management, workforce planning, business planning, risk management and corporate governance.

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Highly developed executive leadership and management, communication, negotiation and influencing skills.
  • Ability to communicate complex, sensitive and contentious information clearly and credibly.
  • Strong strategic and analytical capability, with the ability to interpret highly complex organisational, performance, financial, workforce, digital and quality information.
  • Ability to act as a credible strategic adviser to the Chief Executive and senior decision-makers.
  • Ability to translate strategy into clear priorities, coordinated plans, accountabilities and measurable outcomes.
  • Ability to create grip across complex priorities without displacing the accountability of other executive and functional leaders.
  • Ability to lead and manage through complexity, ambiguity and change with compassion, resilience and pace.
  • Ability to build strong and influential relationships across executive portfolios, organisations and systems.
  • Ability to provide constructive challenge, exercise sound judgement and make effective decisions under pressure.
  • Strong written and verbal presentation skills, including Board-level reporting.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

We are a Living Wage EmployerVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveImproving working livesArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerNHS Rainbow badgeStep into healthArmed Forces CovenantBetter Health at Work Gold Award

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Gatenby Sanderson
Job title
Recruitment Partners
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0113 205 6071
Additional information

We are working in partnership with Gatenby Sanderson to manage the recruitment process for this role. All applications should therefore be submitted directly through Gatenby Sanderson. Please be aware that applications submitted via TRAC will not be considered.

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