Job summary
- Main area
- Medicine
- Grade
- Head of School
- Contract
- 12 months (Secondment only for current NHS employees (until 31 March 2027))
- Hours
- Part time - 2 sessions per week (8 hours per week)
- Job ref
- 990-SE-EC617-E
- Employer
- NHS England
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- York House
- Town
- Horley
- Salary
- In line with HoS sessional payments
- Closing
- 04/03/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Deputy Head of School for Medicine - Kent Surrey & Sussex
Head of School
Our Organisation
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 wellbeing 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.
Job overview
The Deputy Heads of School are responsible for assisting the Head of School in managing the Medicine Training programme across NHS England (NHSE) KSS Local Office.
This is a 8 hours per week vacancy. For variations in hours, the contribution is paid pro-rata.
The Deputy Heads of School for the Medicine Training programme will ensure that both national standards determined by the Royal College of Medicine and guidelines and standards established within London are met.
The Deputy Heads of School will be expected to assist the Head of School in implementing national and NHS E policies in relation to the education and training of junior doctors within Medicine on whole workforce transformation and developing multi-professional links.
Main duties of the job
To support the Postgraduate Dean, Heads of Schools will work across the spectrum of health and where relevant, social care, within the context of a team, so that the provision of education reflects changing service models.
The Head of School will:
- Provide effective clinical leadership, contributing to the strategic development
- Work closely with Postgraduate Deans and Deputy Head of School to implement the NHS E Quality Framework to enable improvements in education and training quality
- Oversee School programme management and advise the Postgraduate Deans on specialty-specific matters and recruitment to training posts and programmes
- Support professional development of the educational faculty
Working for our organisation
Our work supports the NHS to deliver high quality services for patients and best value for taxpayers.
Our staff bring expertise across hundreds of specialisms — including clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial — enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
We lead the NHS in England by:
- 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
Earlier this year, the Government announced that NHS England will gradually merge with the Department of Health and Social Care, leading to full integration. The aim is to create a smaller, more strategic centre that reduces duplication and eliminates waste.
If successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the recruitment process.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please note: The post is offered on a secondment basis and all candidates are reminded that if they are successful, they are responsible for securing written agreement from their Trust/Practice for release from clinical work for the specified number of PAs/sessions.
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.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Primary clinical healthcare qualification
- Membership/Fellowship of a College, Faculty, professional association and/or regulatory body
- Attendance at courses aimed to support educational development
Desirable criteria
- Educational qualification such as PG Cert diploma or Master of Medical Education
Employment/Experience
Essential criteria
- Considerable experience of working with learners or doctors in training in an educational context
- Experience of clinical and educational leadership and innovation, including managing a multi-professional team
- Demonstrable track record of delivery in service and education
- Understanding of developments involving the relevant Colleges/Faculties, professional bodies, related NHS organisations and regulatory bodies
- Understanding of the workforce transformation agenda
- Trained and experienced in recruitment, selection and Equality and Diversity in the last 3 years
- Active involvement in, and up to date with, appraisal processes
- Knowledge of the NHS, its structures and processes, including an understanding of healthcare/multi-professional workforce matters
- Applicants who are doctors require a Licence to Practice
Desirable criteria
- Understanding of current health and social care and education policy
- Previous or current appointment as leader in healthcare education
- Awareness of funding streams for healthcare education
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable leadership skills and an ability to influence and motivate others
- A strong sense of vision and ability to innovate
- Politically astute with an ability to sensitively manage complexity and uncertainty
- Ability to problem solve and maintain objectivity
- Strong interpersonal, communication, written and presentation skills
- Ability to quickly establish personal and professional credibility with colleagues and other key stakeholders Excellent organisational and time management skills Committed to own personal development and an ability to support others to develop and progress
- Excellent organisational and time management skills Committed to own personal development and an ability to support others to develop and progress
- Committed to own personal development and an ability to support others to develop and progress
Desirable criteria
- Ability to rapidly establish academic credibility
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Charlotte Porter
- Job title
- Programme Support Manager KSS
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
For an informal conversation about the role please contact Professor Nik Patel, Head of School of Medicine, KSS [email protected].
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