Head of Clinical and Health Protection Quality & Governance


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	£94,356 to £150,569 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	London, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, E14 4PU
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	9 Oct 2026
Closing date:	25 Oct 2026

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Summary

The post holder will: Provide professional leadership and expert advice on Clinical and Public Health quality, governance and improvement. Lead development and implementation of the UKHSA Clinical and Public Health Quality Management Framework. Coordinate the collection, analysis and interpretation of quality, governance and assurance intelligence across UKHSA. Support the Clinical Quality Oversight Committee in discharging its governance, assurance and oversight functions. Promote a culture of quality improvement, organisational learning and patient and public safety. Lead preparation and support arrangements for external inspections and reviews, including CQC-related activity where appropriate. Provide expert governance input into the development of new Clinical and Public Health services. Main Duties and Responsibilities Act as an ambassador and advocate for Clinical and Public Health Quality and Governance across UKHSA. Lead the development of a culture of quality improvement, effectiveness, patient safety and continuous organisational learning. Develop, implement and maintain the UKHSA Clinical and Public Health Quality Management Framework. Ensure governance, quality management and improvement arrangements remain aligned with national guidance, regulatory requirements and emerging best practice. Coordinate cross-organisational quality intelligence from incidents, audits, quality indicators, assurance reviews and other sources to identify emerging risks and themes. In collaboration with operational services and the corporate risk management function, analyse quality, risk and assurance information to support organisational oversight and improvement. Support the implementation and monitoring of action plans arising from significant incidents, reviews, audits and inspections, particularly where cross-directorate coordination is required. Provide leadership for organisational learning and dissemination of lessons across UKHSA. Oversee the development of a strategic approach to Clinical and Public Health audit aligned to UKHSA's remit and priorities. Oversee development of communication and engagement strategies that promote quality management, governance and improvement. Support directorates and service teams through expert advice, challenge and critical friend review of Clinical and Public Health quality management arrangements For full details, please see the attached Job Description & Person Specification. External: Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including internal applicants). Stage 1: Application & Sift This vacancy is using the Competency Framework At sift stage you will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the job advert. You will be required to complete an: Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application) Up to 1250 word Statement of Suitability Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your statement of suitability must be no more than 1250 This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role. You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible) We will only take through applications that meet all essential criteria. Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of: GMC full and specialist register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists or be eligible within 6 months If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/infectious diseases medicine or medical microbiology, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health medicine/infectious diseases medicine/or medical microbiology practice Only candidates who are registered will go forward for consideration. Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates. Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage. Stage 2: Assessment stage: If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a staff engagement exercise (SEE). This assessment will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panels decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview. The staff engagement exercise (SEE) will be held remotely. The date is TBC. Stage 3: Interview stage (competency based):You will be invited to a face to face interview in London. In exceptional circumstances a remote interview may be offered. Interview date TBC. This vacancy is being assessed using competency based framework. During the interview we will assess against the below: KnowledgeExperienceSkills and Abilities Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Hybrid working - any Core HQThis role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport links and benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). Security ClearanceSuccessful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check. Salary InformationIf you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms. AfC Band 8d£94,356 - £108,814 (plus 20% basic salary to a maximum £8,746) Inner London£94,356 - £108,814 (plus 15% basic salary to a maximum of £6,137) Outer London£94,356 - £108,814 NationalMedical Consultant£113,565 - £150,569 (plus £2,162 London Weighting, Inner and Outer London)£113,565 - £150,569 National The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 8d. Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)If included in the GMC Specialist Register/ in a specialty other than public health medicine, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice Public Health Specialty Registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC. Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or eligibility within six months of interview).Non medical applicants who are not yet fully registered with the UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within six months of gaining specialist registration at the date of interview. All other non medical applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the UKPHR Specialist Register (for example, confirmation that a UKPHR specialist portfolio has been submitted). UK Health Security Agency promoted diversity in the workplace and is an Equal Opportunities employer

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