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NHS England
About
NHS England leads the NHS in England to deliver high quality care for all. We support NHS organisations to deliver better outcomes for our patients and communities, work to get the best possible value for taxpayers, and drive improvement across the NHS.
Through our seven regional teams, NHS England supports local integrated care systems, made up of public services that provide health and care – NHS organisations, primary care professionals, local councils, social care providers and the community, voluntary and social enterprise sector – to improve the health of the population, improve the quality of care, tackle inequalities and deliver care more efficiently.
Contact
- Address
- Wellington House
- 133-155 Waterloo Road
- London
- SE1 8UG
- Contact Number
- 0300 330 1369
Chief Information Officer
Accepting applications until: 11-Mar-2026 23:59
Vacancy status: Open
Accepting applications until: 11-Mar-2026 23:59
Key details
Location
- Site
- Any NHS England Office
- Town
- National
- Postcode
- LS1 4AP
- Major / Minor Region
- West Yorkshire
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (until 31st March 2027) (Secondment only for current NHS employees)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Salary
- Salary
- £161,601 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (ESM 3)
Specialty
- Main area
- Technology, Digital and Data
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
Shape the digital future of the NHS at a moment of national importance
NHS England is seeking an outstanding Interim Chief Information Officer (CIO) to provide strategic leadership for digital and technology across the NHS in England at a critical point in its transformation journey.
Last year, the Government announced that NHS England will gradually merge with the Department of Health and Social Care, to create a smaller, more strategic centre that reduces duplication and waste. As the two organisations come together, there is an opportunity to reshape how technology, digital, and data services are delivered across the health and social care system.
This is a rare opportunity for a senior leader with deep experience of large‑scale digital, technology and cyber‑critical environments to operate at the heart of one of the UK’s most complex and mission‑critical systems. The role carries national responsibility, significant influence, and the chance to make a tangible difference to patient care, workforce experience and value for the taxpayer.
Advert
Reporting to the Director General for Technology, Digital and Data, the Interim CIO is accountable for the provision, resilience and evolution of digital and technology capabilities that underpin the NHS—both for NHS England itself and for the wider health and care system. You will work in partnership with the Chief Data and Analytics Officer, under the DG, to deliver the Digital, Data and Technology programmes of work.
You will lead national digital platforms and services that are part of the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure, set and enforce system‑wide technology standards, and provide authoritative leadership on architecture, infrastructure, cybersecurity and legacy modernisation. Working in close partnership with the Chief Data and Analytics Officer and senior leaders across regions and Integrated Care Systems, you will balance national consistency with local delivery and innovation.
Working for our organisation
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.
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 people can develop and make a difference
- 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, to create a smaller, more strategic centre that reduces duplication and 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 process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in-person.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key priorities
As Interim CIO, you will:
- Provide strategic leadership for national digital and technology services supporting millions of patients and staff every day.
- Support ministers, Joint Executive Team, and colleagues at all levels to successfully deliver the DHSC-NHSE Transformation programme.
- Ensure the security, resilience and performance of critical infrastructure in a constantly evolving threat landscape.
- Drive progress from legacy technology to modern, cloud‑enabled, product‑based services.
- Set and uphold clear digital, technology and information standards across the NHS in England.
- Lead and inspire senior digital and technology professionals, strengthening capability and pace of delivery.
- Represent NHS England credibly with ministers, cross‑government partners, regulators and major suppliers.
- This is an executive‑level role operating in a complex, high‑profile and politically aware environment, requiring confidence, judgement and the ability to deliver through influence as well as authority.
Who we are looking for
This interim opportunity will suit a proven Chief Information Officer or Chief Digital Officer (or equivalent) with a strong track record operating at board or enterprise level within large, regulated, data‑rich organisations. You will bring:
- Deep expertise across digital strategy, enterprise architecture, infrastructure, cybersecurity and large‑scale service delivery.
- Experience leading complex technology estates spanning modern digital platforms and legacy systems.
- Credibility working with senior stakeholders, including ministers, boards and executive peers.
- Strong commercial and governance capability, with experience overseeing significant budgets and suppliers.
- The resilience, clarity and adaptability required to lead through ambiguity and change.
Experience of the NHS or wider public sector is valuable but not essential; what matters most is the ability to operate effectively at national scale and pace.
Additional Information
Regular travel to our London and Leeds offices will be required.
Please note that the reason for the fixed term of this contract is due to the DHSC-NHSE Transformation Programme.
Important: Please be aware there are residency requirements you need to meet:
This role requires the successful candidate to undergo DV level clearance.
To meet National Security Vetting requirements for DV Clearance, you must have resided in the UK for a minimum 10 continuous years, immediately preceding from the point of application.
Candidates who were posted abroad for service with HM Government, Armed Forces or within a UK government role - will still be considered.
Please make sure you meet these requirements before applying for this role. You don’t need to have Developed Vetting already, however, failure to achieve the requirements for Developed Vetting after offer, will result in the job offer being withdrawn.
For further advice please check https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/nationa…
For further information on National Security Vetting please check National security
vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK, information on the Security Vetting and Clearances Intranet page or contact [email protected].
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.
Our commitments to you
We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better patient outcomes. We strive to ensure our people feel trusted, valued and empowered. We’re passionate about nurturing and developing people. When you join us, we want you to grow and excel, and we offer many opportunities for you to do that. We welcome your talent and enthusiasm irrespective of age, disability, neuro-divergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances. We have policies and procedures to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustments for people who have a disability and/or who are neuro-divergent.
We welcome applications from disabled candidates. If you meet all the essential criteria, you will be guaranteed an interview.
Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role. Whilst we appreciate that you may have had support with your application (e.g., using AI technology or guidance from a trusted individual), it’s important that the information contained within your application reflects your own knowledge, skill, and experience and we trust that you apply on that basis.
If applying for this role on a secondment basis, please make sure you have obtained prior agreement from your current line manager to apply for this position.
Please note that we currently do not accept applications via recruitment agencies.
Please note that we cannot offer visa sponsorship for any of our vacancies.
To comply with the HM Government Functional Standard GovS 007, and specifically the Personnel Security Standards 2024, individuals employed or contracted by NHS England may be required to undergo a Baseline Personnel Security Standards check, dependent on the role.
The NHS Business Services Authority is responsible for the processing of your application; a privacy notice can be accessed directly on the application page when you select to apply.
If you have applied via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. If you are appointed to a post, information will also be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through NHS Jobs, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any emails sent to us via NHS Jobs. If you have a query relating to your application, please contact the recruitment team on [email protected] or 0300 330 1369.
NHS England
Applicant requirements
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to Masters level or equivalent experience with evidence of continuing professional development
- Postgraduate management or professional qualification at Doctorate level or equivalent experience
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Exceptional proven track record as a Chief Information Officer/Chief Digital Officer/Chief Digital Information Officer (or similar senior leadership position in Digital/IT); within a complex, data driven, regulated operating environment and organisation with accountability for an multi-million IT budget.
- Significant experience in and knowledge of all facets of digital, technology and information management, including strategy, architecture, software development, application management, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity and data. This should include a wide range of systems, from modern citizen-facing cloud-hosted digital services to heavyweight legacy systems, and of working within a very heterogenous technical landscape
- Proven leader with strategic vision, influencing skills, strong decision making, negotiation and conflict resolution skills
Desirable criteria
- Proven leader in the NHS, able to work collaboratively with effective relationship building skills at executive level. Able to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and suppliers for digital and technology services, as well as other business leaders and cross government department and other ALB (CQC; DHSC) leaders
Skills
Essential criteria
- Strong leadership and engagement skills to create high performing, self-motivating, customer-focused teams in the context of changing requirements and ambiguity
- Engagement and credibility with ministers, senior executives in academia, supplier organisations and in industry, and with the ICO
Desirable criteria
- Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders across the Health and Social Care system
Documents
- Job description (PDF, 584.5KB)
- Occupational Functional Requirements Form (PDF, 69.8KB)
- NHSE - Verification of ID and RTW Guide (PDF, 306.6KB)
- Guide to Completing Your Application (DOCX, 42.7KB)
- Note for Existing NHS Employees applying for Fixed Term vacancies (DOCX, 26.2KB)
- Redundancy Clawback (PDF, 16.7KB)
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Faye Sims
- Job title
- Chief of Staff
- Email address
- [email protected]
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