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NHS England
About
NHS England’s purpose is to create the conditions for an ambitious and high quality NHS. We empower our people and partners to solve problems, provide outstanding care for every patient and improve the nation's health.
Our 7 regional teams work directly with systems and NHS providers across the country. Each region acts as the interface between national strategy and local delivery, overseeing performance, supporting improvement and enabling transformation at scale.
Deputy Foundation School Director
Accepting applications until: 10-Aug-2026 23:59
Vacancy status: Open
Accepting applications until: 10-Aug-2026 23:59
Key details
Location
- Site
- Victoria House
- Address
- Capital Park, Fulbourn
- Town
- Cambridge
- Postcode
- CB21 5XB
- Major / Minor Region
- West Yorkshire
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Secondment: 3 years (until 31st August 2029)
- Hours
- Part time - 2 sessions per week (8 hours per week)
Salary
- Grade
- Head of School (HoS)
Specialty
- Main area
- Foundation
Our Organisation
We share the core values set out in the NHS Constitution, which all colleagues are expected to demonstrate.
We support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you and your colleagues. 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.
Job overview
The role of the Deputy Foundation School Director (FSD), is to work with and support the Foundation School Director and Postgraduate Dean in leading the delivery of a wide range of functions, aligned to the NHS England mandate.
Advert
The role is professionally and managerially accountable to the Foundation School Director. The Deputy FSDs will focus upon improvement of learner supervision, assessment and experience, engagement of faculty and ensuring effective educational outcomes, both now and in the future. The role is evolving and will also focus on whole workforce transformation and developing multi-professional links.
Foundation training in NHSE across the east of England is in transition and undergoing significant expansion as a consequence of students progressing through training in the new medical schools.
The Deputy FSDs will be responsible for Foundation Programme training in East Anglia Foundation School. Working as a team with the other the deputy FSDs and also in conjunction with the FSD, and Deputy Dean for Foundation training, this role will also contribute to the leadership and implementation of the strategic direction, programme management, quality management, faculty development and external relations of foundation training across NSHE EoE.
Working for our organisation
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
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.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and 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 our offices.
We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Education and Training Quality Improvement and Performance
- To emphasise the importance and promote the development of a quality learning environment for all learners.
- To support Postgraduate Deans in meeting all NHSE statutory requirements.
Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality Improvement
- Assist in the development of quality processes which are complementary across the healthcare workforce.
- To support the use of clinical skills training and simulation (where appropriate/applicable), stressing the importance of teamwork and human factors.
School Programme Management
To oversee School programme management and advise Postgraduate Deans on the following matters:
- Specialty-specific matters and trainee/trainer concerns;
- Recruitment to training posts and programmes;
- Postgraduate programme management, including assessments, progression, rotations, support and remediation, OOP management, trainee management, careers support, less than full-time training, interdeanery transfer, academic training and other related work-streams.
- To oversee the School structure and relevant School meetings within the structure.
Educational and Workforce Development
To advise and support the Postgraduate Dean in educational and workforce development elements, including:
- Professional Development of the educational faculty
- To support compliance with requirements particularly with regard to the supervision and support for trainees and learners.
- To identify learning needs and support provision of educational appraisal, educator development and resource for faculty, trainees and learners.
- To create and promote shared learning opportunities to increase effective inter-professional working across the School.
Intelligence Support/ provision
- To ensure local intelligence processes inform quality management processes.
- To engage with information systems (trainee database, post establishments).
Strategic Workforce Development and Commissioning
- To contribute to workforce planning, ensuring clinical engagement with local and national workforce planning processes.
- To develop educational programmes where needed to support achievement of curriculum competencies, engaging with commissioning processes as required.
- To identify and support the implementation of alternative workforce solutions within the School.
- To advise the Postgraduate Dean on commissioning and decommissioning activities.
Finance
- To engage with business planning processes and associated School budgets as needed.
- To ensure compliance with procurement requirements
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.
Applicant requirements
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Primary clinical healthcare qualification
- Membership/Fellowship of a College, Faculty, professional association and/or regulatory body
- Attendance at courses aimed to support educational development (example: educator courses, Train the Trainer, etc.)
Desirable criteria
- Educational qualification such as a postgraduate certificate diploma or Masters in Medical Education.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Considerable experience of working with learners or doctors in training in an educational context
- 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
- Knowledge of the NHS, its structures and processes, including an understanding of healthcare/multi-professional workforce matters
Desirable criteria
- Previous or current appointment as a leader in healthcare education
- Awareness of funding streams for healthcare education
- Understanding of current health, social care and education policy
Skills
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable leadership skills and an ability to influence and motivate others
- A strong sense of vision and ability to innovate
- Politically astute with an ability to sensitively manage complexity and uncertainty
- Ability to problem solve and maintain objectivity
- Strong interpersonal, communication, written and presentation skills
- Ability to quickly establish personal and professional credibility with colleagues and other key stakeholders
- Excellent organisational and time management skills
- Committed to own personal development and an ability to support others to develop and progress
Desirable criteria
- Ability to rapidly establish academic credibility
Behaviours and Values
Essential criteria
- To contribute to the vision of the local NHS and to enhance patient care by providing leadership and direction with respect to the quality of education and training
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Helen Barker
- Job title
- Foundation School Director
- Email address
- [email protected]
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