Job summary
- Main area
- Acute Specialties
- Grade
- Head of School (HoS)
- Contract
- Secondment: 7 months (until 31st March 2027)
- Hours
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 990-NEY-EC3886-E
- Employer
- NHS England
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Stella House
- Town
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Salary
- In line with HoS sessional payments
- Closing
- 12/08/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Head of School for Acute Specialties
Head of School (HoS)
Our Organisation
We share the core values set out in the NHS Constitution, which all colleagues are expected to demonstrate.
We support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you and your colleagues. 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.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen within NHS England North East and North Cumbria office for the position of Head of School of Acute Specialties. Reporting to the Deputy Dean for Specialty Training and Postgraduate Dean, the role is responsible for the training and education of 100+ resident doctors in training in Acute Specialties.
The School of Acute Specialities aims to bring Royal College contacts, NHSE NE staff, LET staff and trusts together to ensure the effective organisation and delivery of Postgraduate Medical Education in Acute Specialties for the North East and North Cumbria.
Expected Start date: 1st September 2026
Hours per week: 2 PAs per week
Main duties of the job
The Head of School is professionally and managerially accountable to the Postgraduate Dean. The Head of School 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 mas well as innovative ways of curriculum delivery and workforce well-being strategies.
To support the Postgraduate Dean, Heads of Schools 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. This will deliver an integrated workforce comprising individuals from a spectrum of professional and other backgrounds.
Working for our organisation
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms — enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and 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 process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.
We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
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 (example: educator courses, Train the trainer, etc)
Skills & 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
Behaviours & Values
Essential criteria
- A transformation leadership style
- Ability to make decisions autonomously when required on difficult issues
- Management of transformation and change
- Sensitivity, tolerance and acceptance of criticism
- Perform all duties in a manner that supports and promotes NHSE commitment to equal opportunities
- Conduct all duties in a manner that safeguards the health and safety of yourself and your colleagues, trainees and staff. Note the special responsibility as a manager for assessing and minimising risks to staff.
- An academic interest in training and education across primary and secondary care
- A continuing quest for personal and professional development
Knowledge & 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
- Applicants who are doctors require a Licence to Practise
- 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
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Julie Khan
- Job title
- Senior Business Manager - Specialty Training
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01912754742
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