Job overview
We are recruiting for a Head of Digital Operations who shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.
East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Head of Digital Operations to lead the delivery, performance, and continuous improvement of core digital services across the organisation. This senior leadership role is pivotal in ensuring the Trust’s digital infrastructure, systems, and support services are resilient, secure, and aligned with clinical and operational priorities
Our Values are Include, Respect and Improve. It is important that you understand and refer to our values during your recruitment process and beyond!
Main duties of the job
The postholder will oversee day-to-day IT operations, including service desk, infrastructure, networks, and end-user computing, driving high standards of service delivery and user satisfaction. Working closely with clinical, operational, and executive teams, the Head of Digital Operations will play a key role in enabling digital transformation, supporting innovation, and ensuring compliance with NHS digital standards and cybersecurity requirements.
Candidates should bring substantial leadership experience in IT or digital operations within a complex environment, ideally healthcare. A strong track record in service management, stakeholder engagement, and leading multidisciplinary teams is essential, along with expertise in ITIL-based service delivery and operational governance.
This is an exciting opportunity to shape and modernise digital services that directly support patient care, staff experience, and organisational performance.
Working for our organisation
At East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general & specialist services we provide & our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible & innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.
We run the following hospitals:
* The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
* New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
* Hertford County, Hertford
* Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood
We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation; our staff & patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.
We understand that finding and starting a new job is an important life decision. If you need reasonable adjustments for a disability, or a life event, such as menopause - so that we can consider your application fairly & to get the best out of you during the selection process, please let us know.
We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. Employees are entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns & we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made & considered formally, & will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role.
Person specification
Qualifications/Training
Essential criteria
* Relevant degree or equivalent experience in IT or related field.
* Specialist management qualification, or equivalent experience
* ITIL Foundation certification, or equivalent experience
* High standard of literacy and numeracy
Desirable criteria
* ITIL Practitioner or Intermediate certification in Service Operation, or equivalent experience
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
* Minimum 5 years IT staff and service management experience in a large or complex organisation
* Operational leadership and managing support staff and motivating individuals and teams
* Working under pressure to tight deadlines
* Producing technical and management reports, including technical process and ICT strategic documents
* Management of IT Service Delivery and Support function.
* In depth experience of NHS and ICT procurement.
* Experience of working in an NHS environment
* Experience of staff appraisals and personal development plans
* Worked closely with senior stakeholders in planning ICT strategy and running ICT delivery projects
Desirable criteria
* Previous, recent experience working in an NHS Trust or hospital environment
* Budget Management in excess of 500k
* Experience managing staff in a period of process and organisational change
Skills
Essential criteria
* Ability to plan, negotiate, delegate, lead, motivate, meet deadlines, interpret and communicate complex information
* Works well with all senior stakeholders and IM&T managers; able to form effective working relationships with peers and be able to mentor both managers and junior staff
* Strong written and verbal skills, able to form effective communications with technical, clinical and administrative audiences
* Work well under pressure and able to respond positively to problems and formulate effective solutions
* Flexible approach to variable hours and providing cover for senior colleagues
* Manages own and team's time well
* Self-starter and well presented
Knowledge
Essential criteria
* Highly developed technical (specialist) knowledge of Digital Application and Infrastructure technologies
* Specialist knowledge of ICT Service Delivery within Primary and Secondary care settings.
* Excellent knowledge of a wide range of PC software
* Excellent knowledge of long-term strategic and business planning
* Excellent knowledge of NHS Connection for Health
* Experience of implementing Support processes within an ITIL Framework
* Excellent knowledge of IT security standards
* Knowledge of a wide range of Microsoft Office products
Desirable criteria
* Knowledge of NHS Trust Clinical Applications : Lorenzo/Nervecentre etc
* Managing Problem and/or Change Management function and CAB
Other Requirements
Essential criteria
* Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion
* Experience and evidence of engagement around equality, diversity and inclusion issues in relation to policy, service development and service delivery in respect of both services to users and the management of staff
* Experience and evidence of engagement around the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda
* Able to actively support the development of a culture that recognises and promotes equality, values diversity, and actively leads by example in deploying these qualities
* Understands the impact on equality, diversity and inclusion issues in all aspects of service delivery and planning
* Role model our Trust values every day