Associate Director of Digital Programmes (Strategy and Investment)

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Job Overview

In our refreshed Digital Services leadership structure, this role is one of two Band 8d Associate Directors with a clear and intentional distinction. While the Delivery Associate Director leads the execution of major digital programmes, this Strategy & Investment role is the engine room that sets the overall direction of travel, working in close partnership to ensure seamless handover from strategic planning into delivery. As the strategic lead, you will shape the Group’s digital roadmap, drive prioritisation across both Trusts, and ensure the right governance, business cases, financial planning and capacity modelling are in place before programmes move into delivery. This role lines up every duck — planning, investment, risk, benefits, CIPs, portfolio oversight and organisational readiness — so that when delivery begins, it succeeds. Reporting to the Group Deputy Chief Digital Information Officer, you will work collaboratively as part of a mature senior leadership team. With a highly competent and experienced digital programmes function already in place, we are looking for someone who can build on this strength, accelerate strategic alignment and take our digital planning capability to the next level. If you are energised by strategic thinking, system‑wide alignment, intelligent planning and influencing at scale — and thrive on working with senior clinical, operational and executive leaders — this is your opportunity to shape the future digital landscape for NBT and UHBW

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Main duties of the job

The role provides confident senior leadership of the Group’s digital strategy roadmap and investment planning working closely with Executives senior clinicians operational leaders and system partners to ensure alignment with clinical operational and corporate priorities. You will lead the strategic front end of digital transformation shaping prioritisation planning governance business cases & benefits and ensuring programmes are fully scoped risk‑assessed and assured before moving into delivery. You will oversee the development of digital business cases, capital proposals and strategic funding plans as well as divisional CIP alignment and capital planning ensuring investment decisions are evidence‑based and sequenced effectively. The role requires building strong and influential relationships across senior clinical operational corporate & digital stakeholders acting as a trusted advisor on digital priorities risks benefits & resources & representing digital strategy across boards & system forums. You will ensure programmes are organisationally ready through capacity planning governance stakeholder engagement & risk mitigation & lead communications that build confidence and readiness for digital change. As the leader you will bring deep expertise in methodologies governance and benefits realisation. You will also act as a senior ambassador for digital strategy across both Trusts and the wider system ensuring co

nsistency convergence and effective partnership working.

Working for our organisation

North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities and we are part of the Bristol NHS Group.

Recognised as the Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff at the Nursing Times Workforce Summit and Awards 2025, our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.

North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Job Title: Associate Director of Digital Programmes (Strategy & Investment)

Band:

8d

Reports to: Group Deputy Chief Digital Information Officer

Base: NBT / UHBW

Role Purpose

The Associate Director of Digital Programmes (Strategy & Investment) is the senior strategic lead responsible for setting the digital direction for the Group, shaping the digital roadmap, and ensuring that all programmes are fully planned, prioritised, governed and investment‑ready before entering delivery.

This is one of two Band 8d Associate Director roles in the Digital Services leadership structure. While the Delivery Associate Director leads the execution of digital programmes, this Strategy & Investment role ensures every programme is strategically sound, financially viable, sequenced correctly and organisationally ready for successful delivery.

The two roles work in close partnership to ensure seamless transition from planning into execution.

You will be joining a highly competent, experienced and well‑established team, with strong foundations and a clear plan already in place. The successful candidate will build on this existing strength, accelerate strategic alignment, and uplift our capability in digital planning, prioritisation and investment management.

This is a role for an experienced, senior digital leader

— someone “ready‑to‑go”, confident working with very senior clinical, operational and executive colleagues, and able to provide authoritative direction in a complex and high‑profile environment.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Digital Roadmap
• Lead the development, refinement and oversight of the Group’s digital roadmap, ensuring alignment with clinical, operational and corporate strategies.
• Shape strategic priorities across both Trusts, providing clear, evidence‑based recommendations on investment, sequencing and organisational impact.
• Drive convergence, interoperability and shared digital platforms across the Group.
• Ensure digital planning aligns with requirements for cyber security, clinical safety, data and analytics, and information governance.
• Portfolio Strategy, Planning & Prioritisation
• Lead the strategic “front end” of the digital portfolio, ensuring all programmes are well‑defined, fully scoped and ready for delivery.
• Establish and maintain prioritisation frameworks that balance organisational need, strategic value, affordability and readiness.

Uphold NHS behavioral standards, equality and diversity commitments, sustainability responsibilities and the Group’s values.

Ensure confidentiality, safety, governance and regulatory compliance within all areas of work.

Person specification

Qualifications & CPD

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience with a programme or digital focus.
• Master’s level qualification or equivalent senior‑level experience.
• Relevant ICT or programme management qualifications (e.g., PRINCE2, ITIL, MSP, CCIE, MCSE).
• Evidence of ongoing continuous professional development.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Additional specialist ICT, digital, or leadership qualifications.
• Advanced training in portfolio, programme or change management (e.g., MoP, Lean, Six Sigma).
• In‑depth understanding of ICS/ICB digital strategy and system‑wide digital transformation.
  
  

Experience

Essential criteria

• Extensive programme and project management experience within large, complex organisations.
• Significant experience operating at a senior level, including working with Executive Directors, senior clinical and corporate leaders.

Proven background in digital programme delivery, with deep understanding of methodologies such as PRINCE2, Agile, Waterfall or CCPM.

Experience leading multi‑disciplinary teams and managing senior programme/project staff.

Demonstrable expertise in business case and business plan development.

Experience of managing financial performance, including CIPs, capital and revenue budgets.

Strong background in deploying digital systems, applications and mission‑critical technologies.

Experience of risk management, benefits realisation and portfolio assurance.

Understanding of NHS digital, information governance and national modernisation agendas.

Desirable criteria

• Experience influencing or contributing to regional or national digital strategy.
• Experience working across multiple Trusts or organisations simultaneously.
• Experience developing and embedding PMO frameworks at scale.
• Experience of major organisational transformation or Trust mergers.
• Experience in supplier and contract lifecycle management at senior level.
  
  

Skills & Competencies

Essential criteria

• Excellent communication skills, able to convey highly complex information to varied audiences.

Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.

Ability to interpret complex operational, financial and clinical data.

Strong organisational and planning skills, able to deliver long‑term strategic plans and manage competing priorities.

High‑level stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.

Strong leadership capability, with a track record of motivating and developing teams.

Resilience, adaptability and the ability to lead in complex and high‑pressure environments.

Ability to build relationships and collaborate across clinical, operational and executive levels.

Professional integrity, discretion and commitment to confidentiality.

Desirable criteria

• Ability to forecast and plan capacity, workforce and resource needs across large programmes.
• Ability to lead system‑wide digital alignment and interoperability initiatives.
• Experience supporting or presenting at Board‑level committees.
  
  

Values & Behaviours

Essential criteria

• Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and pro‑equity principles.
• Alignment with NHS values and behaviours, including patient safety, respect and high professional standards.

Commitment to digital clinical safety and cyber security responsibilities.

Commitment to sustainability and Net Zero objectives.

If you apply for this vacancy and have not received a communication from North Bristol NHS Trust within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.

Please note that North Bristol NHS Trust does not reimburse travel expenses relating to interview attendance.

If you feel you meet the requirements of the Disability Act / Two Ticks scheme and require further support/advice, please contact us on tel 0117 414 1151.

North Bristol NHS Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.

At North Bristol Trust (NBT), we know diverse and inclusive environments lead to happier and healthier teams and improved patient care and outcomes. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently underrepresented in NBT’s workforce at Band 8a and above. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people.

Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.