Specialty Head of School

An outstanding individual is sought to fulfil the role of Head of School in Emergency Medicine working across the South West.

The post will be available on the basis of a secondment arrangement from their host institution to NHS England - 2 PAs per week (8 hours), worked flexibly. The contract is until the 31st October 2026 in the first instance.

All work undertaken should be incorporated into the Consultant Job Plan. The role of Head of School is to work with and support the Postgraduate Dean in leading the delivery of a wide range of functions, aligned to the NHS England mandate.

The Head of School is professionally and managerially accountable to the Postgraduate Dean. The Head of School will focus upon improvement of learner supervision, assessment and experience, engagement of faculty and ensuring effective educational outcomes, both now and in the future.

Main duties of the job

The ideal candidate will be an experienced clinician with a thorough understanding of education and training across the region. They will also have strong leadership and communication skills and be able to work effectively as a member of a multi-professional team.

About us

Our work supports the NHS to deliver high quality services for patients and best value for taxpayers.

Our staff bring expertise across hundreds of specialisms including clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial 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 our people can make a difference and achieve their potential
• 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

Earlier this year, the Government announced that NHS England will gradually merge with the Department of Health and Social Care, leading to full integration. The aim is to create a smaller, more strategic centre that reduces duplication and eliminates 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 recruitment process.

Job responsibilities

You can find further details about the job, organisational structure, recruitment profile, expected outcomes and benefits information in the 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.

Person Specification Qualifications and Training

• Primary clinical healthcare qualification
• Employed as a Consultant with a NHS (or equivalent) provider in the South West
• Attendance at courses aimed to support educational development (example: educator courses, Train the trainer, etc)

Experience and Knowledge

• Considerable experience of working with learners or doctors in training in an educational context
• Demonstrable track record of delivery in service and education

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrable leadership skills and an ability to influence and motivate others
• Strong interpersonal, communication, written and presentation skills

Depending on experienceIn line with Head of School sessional payments