Group Chief Digital Information Officer

Job summary

A senior, credible, delivery-focused values driven person is needed to lead digital services across our hugely visible and important trust as we set out our future direction. As one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, the Royal Free London, has made impressive ground in implementing a group-wide Electronic Patient Record (Cerner). We are now seeking the senior technology leader who can influence across the trust, build relationships and realise value from this significant investment, whilst also continuing to improve digital services, to ensure we enable our clinicians to deliver the world class care our population deserves.

Working closely with clinical and professional services colleagues, you will hold responsibility for all IT and Digital Services across the trust plus the ongoing delivery, and adoption, of technology enabled change. The CDO will foster positive, peer-to peer relationships and lead senior stakeholder engagement, both within the trust and in the local and national health economies. You will also progressively lead a Digital Services team of more than 100 colleagues plus manage a multi-million-pound annual budget.

Main duties of the job

The Role

  • Take complete accountability for the successful creation and delivery of an ambitious digital strategy which ensures a seamless colleague and patient digital experience and ensures RFL takes the lead in UK healthcare technology.
  • As the senior leader for digital at the trust, act as a highly-visible ambassador for IT and digital technology. Seek opportunities to co-operate and build relationships with key senior stakeholders and the hospital leadership teams across the group. Pro-actively represent RFL externally, ensuring the Trust takes a leading role in driving the technology aspects of the regional health economy.
  • Provide strong functional leadership to the Digital Services teams, building confidence, increasing capability and spearheading the adoption of contemporary customer focused disciplines. Develop a positive culture and a Digital Services team which earns a reputation for fast-paced, consistent delivery. Lead the bringing together of digital teams for the enlarged organisation, including work to deliver a business case for expanded EPR and patient systems.
  • As the digital lead for what will be the largest acute hospital group in North Central London provide clear digital leadership and voice across London and nationally.

About us

The Royal Free London (RFL) is a large NHS foundation trust, employing more than 12,000 staff and serving a population of more than 1.6 million people from our three main hospitals -- Royal Free Hospital, Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital -- and across 70 other satellite sites and hospitals trusts in London and Hertfordshire. Following years of partnership working we expect to merge with the North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust in January 2025. We believe coming together will enable us to go further and faster in improving services for patients and improving the health of our local community.

We want to bring the best of the NHS to every patient, no matter which of our hospitals or services they visit. We aim to achieve this through our three-fold mission of delivering world class treatment and local care, underpinned by ground-breaking research and the very best in class for learning and education. Our group-wide clinical priorities are cancer, cardiovascular, and organ failure and transplantation. We play a leading role in treating these areas within North Central London and beyond.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Full details about the role and application method can be found in the attached role summary.

Application method is via CV via Odgers and Berndtson website - www.odgersberndtson.com/92552. Full details regarding the application method are in the attached role summary.

For an informal and confidential discussion, please speak with our advisor at Odgers Berndtson; Alex Richardson on 0161 498 3409.

Person Specification

Educational & Professional Qualifications

Essential
  • Educated to Masters Level or equivalent
  • Management Qualification
  • Evidence of continuing professional and personal development
Desirable
  • Project Management qualification (eg Prince)

Experience

Essential
  • Demonstrable experience of leading a Digital function operating at a senior level and experience of working with a Board.
  • Experience of developing and delivering digital strategies and technology roadmaps
  • Exceptional leadership and communication skills with experience of dealing with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
  • A proven track record of delivering complex digital change programmes, service redesign or modernisation to improve organisational performance.
  • Experience of improving and building staff experience
  • Evidence of successfully leading, influencing and motivating teams with differing levels of seniority, grade, professional group and experience.
  • Experience of leading a culture of continuous improvement, that harnesses quality improvement with value for money and efficiency through service delivery development
  • Experience of capacity planning and translating organisational strategy into operational objectives
  • Experience of working with an organisation going through large scale changes, e.g. following a merger.

Skills and Abilities

Essential
  • Strong commercial and business acumen with an ability to contribute to major investment programmes
  • Ability to influence a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to bring about change and service improvements
  • Intellectual flexibility to make strategies and complex situations accessible to stakeholders
  • Ability to balance the need to think strategically and manage and deliver operationally
  • Thorough understanding of the financial requirements of an NHS organisation
  • Innovative style of management, motivating and setting direction whilst communicating vision and leading change through others
  • Collaborative working style with peers, sharing knowledge and understanding of current issues

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer details

Employer name

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Royal Free Hospital

Pond Street

London

NW32QG


Employer's website

https://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/

Company
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Location
London, United Kingdom NW32QG
Employment Type
Permanent
Salary
Negotiable
Posted
Company
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Location
London, United Kingdom NW32QG
Employment Type
Permanent
Salary
Negotiable
Posted