Job summary
- Main area
- Associate Dean
- Grade
- Associate Dean (AD)
- Contract
- Secondment: 15 months (until 31 March 2027)
- Hours
- Part time - 4 sessions per week (16 hours per week)
- Job ref
- 990-SE-19049-E
- Employer
- NHS England
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Premier House
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- In line with AD sessional payments
- Closing
- 01/01/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Associate Dean - Thames Valley
Associate Dean (AD)
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 role of Associate Dean (AD) in England has evolved over a number of years, as a result of changes in healthcare education and training, the implementation of revalidation, the emergence of new workforce solutions and the continuing development of Health Education England (HEE) and subsequently the Workforce, Training and Education (WT&E) Directorate of NHS England (NHSE).
The roles of the ADs in NHSE Thames Valley (TV) have been developed to help support the NHSE TV Locality Postgraduate Dean (PGD) in embracing corporate, statutory and non-statutory functions, aligning with previous HEE mandates and NHSE’s priorities. The role is focused firmly upon improving patient and learner safety and experience and ensuring effective educational outcomes.
We are seeking applications for the role of Associate Dean in Thames Valley to take on a wide portfolio supporting medical education in the Thames Valley region as detailed below.
Main duties of the job
You will join the team of the Thames Valley Locality Dean to support their mission. The role is dynamic and flexible, with each member of the team having direct responsibility for engagement and support, governance and quality for their area of work.
The associate deans provide direct support for the directors of medical education and other senior educational leaders in various organisations across the region, as well as local heads of school and their teams.
There are also a number of innovative portfolio responsibilities covering operational, faculty and patient-focussed development focused on current NHSE priorities such as health inequalities, clinical pathways, and enhancing doctors working lives.
Oversight and support for the following areas is expected:
- Responsibility and oversight of Thames Valley Study Leave.
- Education support and development across Thames Valley (often in conjunction with South-East colleagues).
- Collaboration across the South-East region, developing the SE offering.
- Involvement with ARCPs and educational governance.
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
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.
There is a degree of flexibility depending on the experience and ambition of the successful candidate.
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.
Applications are welcomed from those who hold a substantive post in the Thames Valley region (i.e. a consultant or SAS doctor in a secondary care trust or a permanent post CCT employee in a GP practice).
Additional contact information:
Enquiries about this role are welcomed. Please contact the Thames Valley Locality Dean – Rebecca Black - [email protected]
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Membership/Fellowship of a College, Faculty, professional association and/or regulatory body
- Primary clinical healthcare qualification
Desirable criteria
- Attendance at educational development training/courses
Experience
Essential criteria
- Considerable experience of working with learners or doctors in training in an educational context
Desirable criteria
- 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.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable leadership skills and an ability to influence and motivate others
Desirable criteria
- Ability to rapidly establish academic credibility with colleagues and other key stakeholders.
- A strong sense of vision and ability to innovate.
- Politically astute with an ability to sensitively manage complexity and uncertainty.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, written and presentation skills.
- Excellent organisational and time management skills.
- Committed to own personal development and an ability to support others to develop and progress.
Behaviours and 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 safeguards the health and safety of yourself and your colleagues, trainees and staff.
- A continuing quest for personal and professional development.
- An academic interest in training and education across primary and secondary care.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Rebecca Black
- Job title
- Locality Postgraduate Dean
- Email address
- [email protected]
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