Assistant Director of Services Reports to: Director of Services Hours: 35 hours per week (full-time) Location: 40-44 Eglantine Avenue, Belfast BT9 6DX Campaign Service/Cause: Services Remuneration: £51,078 - £54,242 Overall Purpose of Post At Cancer Focus Northern Ireland, we are committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of people affected by cancer. As Assistant Director of Services, you will play a key leadership role in helping to shape and deliver our wide-ranging support programmes, supporting the Director of Services with both strategic and operational responsibilities across Cancer Focus Northern Irelands service portfolio. This includes oversight and development of Health Improvement, Therapeutic Services, and Community & Well-being programmes, ensuring all services are delivered to the highest professional standards and aligned with organisational goals. The post holder will lead on designated service portfolios and contribute to the planning and development of new Cancer Therapeutic Support Centres, ensuring there is a welcoming, innovative space that meets the needs of people at every stage of their cancer journey. The Assistant Director of Services will also be responsible for the development and delivery of agreed programmes of support and will drive excellence in cancer care through strong professional support, including nursing leadership. A key aspect of the role will be fostering meaningful service user engagement, including the development of a Service User Forum to inform and shape service delivery. Working closely with the Senior Leadership Team and in collaboration with colleagues across finance, services, fundraising, and communications, the Assistant Director will contribute to the development of effective, integrated, and impactful services that support cancer prevention, health improvement, and therapeutic care for those affected by cancer. Key Responsibilities Leadership and Governance Along with the Director of Services, provide visionary leadership to support the strategic direction and delivery of all Cancer Focus NI programmes and services. Act as a visible, inspiring role model, offering strong leadership to all Cancer Focus NI service teams. Provide leadership and guidance to service coordinators and leads to ensure consistent application of professional standards, best practice, and organisational values across all services. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, reflective practice, and shared learning through effective supervision, mentorship, and quality assurance processes. Support the Director in the management of the services staff, ensuring adherence to best professional practice and regulatory compliance, including professional registration and nursing revalidation requirements; ensuring that all services deliver the highest standards of care. Take responsibility for the management of staff within the services team, ensuring compliance with organisational policies and procedures, and professional guidelines in relation to all employment related matters, supervision, performance management, and development. Champion organisational values across the Services department, promoting a culture of excellence, accountability, and innovation, ensuring organisational values are lived out in the services departments. Support staff development through effective mentoring, coaching, training, and ongoing supervision. As a member of the senior leadership team, contribute to shaping overall organisational service strategy. Service Development and Management Support the Senior Management Team (SMT) in defining and delivering the strategic direction of Cancer Focus NI. Identify and create opportunities for service development in response to the assessed needs of service users, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy and emerging trends in cancer support and care. Create opportunities for service development in line with assessed needs of service users embedding service user evaluation tools within operational systems to inform continuous improvement to enhance impact. Lead the continued development and implementation of the organisations client and data management system, ensuring it enables robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Work with Service Leads to define data and reporting requirements to support referral management, appointment scheduling, record keeping, and outcome measurement. Support the development, review, and implementation of relevant policies and procedures to ensure governance, regulatory compliance, and high-quality practice across all services. Contribute to the development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive Services Strategy, ensuring that services remain responsive, effective, and person-centred. Work closely with internal teams to ensure data collection, storage, and retention processes comply fully with GDPR and organisational data protection policies. Support the effective management of existing service contracts and contribute to identifying and securing opportunities for growth and development. Support the Director to ensure all services meet the expectations and reporting requirements of commissioners, funders, and regulatory bodies. Service User Engagement Along with the Director of Services, lead the establishment of a strong and effective Service User Forum, ensuring robust mechanisms are in place for meaningful engagement, consultation, and feedback. Work collaboratively with Service Leads to ensure that the insights and experiences of service users inform the design, delivery, and evaluation of services. Collaborate with Fundraising, Communications and Policy colleagues to ensure that service user voices are appropriately and sensitively represented across the organisation, in line with ethical and safeguarding standards. Maintain regular engagement with Fundraising and Communications to ensure (where appropriate) and with sensitivity to the circumstances of patients / service users, that fundraising opportunities and donor stewardship is managed. Along with the Director of Services, lead on work with all services to ensure case studies / testimonies are continually gathered and shared with Fundraising & Communications for the effective marketing of all Cancer Focus NI services. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Work closely with the Director of Services to ensure the delivery of high-quality, professional, and clinically sound services. Support the Director of Services in implementing robust systems for monitoring, evaluation, and quality improvement across all service areas. Provide strategic leadership and guidance to service teams in the development of effective tools and frameworks to capture both quantitative and qualitative outcomes, supporting data-driven service planning and alignment with the organisational strategy and service user experience. Support teams in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of service data to identify trends, measure impact, and inform ongoing service and quality improvement initiatives. Quality Assurance and Development Support the Director of Services in developing a comprehensive Quality Improvement Plan with clear, measurable strategic objectives over a 35 year period. Work alongside Service Managers to co-design and co-produce new services and projects, using recognised service improvement methodologies. External Relationships Support the Director of Services in fostering collaborative working relationships with Trusts, statutory providers, and other voluntary and community sector organisations. Effectively engage with nursing and allied health professionals (AHPs) throughout various Trusts in Northern Ireland. Proactively build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and sector peers to enhance service visibility and impact. Represent Cancer Focus NI at relevant external meetings and forums, as required. Represent Cancer Focus NI to external audiences and media when required. General Work as part of a multidisciplinary team to support service users, and volunteers. Act as an ambassador for Cancer Focus Northern Ireland, promoting the organisations mission and values at all times. Promote and support existing Cancer Focus NI services where appropriate. Comply with all Cancer Focus NI policies and procedures. Carry out any other duties as may be reasonably required by Cancer Focus NI. This Job Description is not exhaustive. It merely acts as a guide and may be amended to meet the changing requirements of the charity at any time after discussion with the post holder. This post may require occasional evening or weekend work and will require an element of flexible working. Person Specification The below specification shows the essential skills, abilities, knowledge and/or qualifications required to be able to carry out the duties of this post. Therefore, please address in a covering letter, each criterion listed in the specification, drawing upon all of your experience, whether at work of on a voluntary basis. Essential Criteria Experience Minimum 5 years experience in managing services in a healthcare environment Demonstrable experience of leading and motivating a multidisciplinary team Able to demonstrate experience of service evaluation and monitoring systems and procedures Experience of statistical analysis / data management & governance Demonstrable experience of service development and improvement Experience of developing and providing training sessions and programmes. Qualifications Registered nurse qualification On the live NMC register, Part 1: Level 1. Skills Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to inspire trust and enthusiasm and speak authoritatively on health issues Strong leadership skills Excellent written communication skills IT proficient including in the use of spreadsheets and databases Good planning and analytical skills Ability to manage a large workload with competing priorities Ability to show initiative. Personal Qualities Enthusiasm, drive and commitment to continuous improvement. Other Applicants will have access to an appropriate form of transport to carry out the duties of the post, with travel across Northern Ireland. Desirable Criteria Experience Experience of working within the charity and voluntary sector ideally for a health care / health education charity Experience in Health Improvement and Cancer Prevention services Experience of providing care to patients with cancer Experience in promoting health and wellbeing support Experience of facilitating groups. Qualifications Degree in nursing Relevant Training Qualification Relevant Management Qualification. Additional Information Terms and Conditions of Employment Successful applicants must provide proof of their right to work in the UK. (This will be evidenced in the first instance by being in possession of a British or Irish passport or a valid UK Work Permit). The activities of this role meet the Access NI definition of regulated activity relating to working with adults and children as outlined in the Access NI Code of Practice. Cancer Focus NI will obtain an Access NI Enhanced Adult Barred List check, and/or Enhanced Childrens Barred List check for the successful candidate. Applicants who have a criminal record will be treated fairly and not discriminated automatically because of a conviction or other information revealed. Applicants with criminal records will be reviewed in line with Cancer Focus Northern Irelands policy on the recruitment of Ex-offenders. If there is any reason you cannot work in Regulated Activity, you must disclose this to us. Cancer Focus Northern Ireland has a written policy on the Secure Handling, Use, Storage and Retention of Disclosure information. Satisfactory reference checks. 12 months probationary period. Evidence of relevant academic and professional qualifications. Evidence of appropriate vehicle documentation (i.e. driving licence and insurance cover) must be provided where the role necessitates travel on company business in own vehicle. Benefits Flexible working policy 25 days Annual Leave, plus 12 statutory days (pro rata for those working less than 35 hrs per week) 2 additional days of annual leave after 5 years service and a further 3 days after 10 years service Enhanced Maternity / Adoption Pay Enhanced Occupational Sick Pay Scheme Contributory Pension Scheme Cycle to Work Scheme Mileage Allowance at the prevailing HMRC rate Life Assurance Healthcare Plan Disability Cancer Focus NI is an Equal Opportunities Employer and all applications are dealt with in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act. A person is disabled if they have, or have had, a physical or mental impairment which has, or has had, a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day to day activities. If you consider yourself to have a disability relevant to the position for which you are applying, please contact us so that we can process your application fairly, make any specific arrangements for your interview, and make any necessary reasonable adjustments or adaptations, or provide any aids to assist you in completing the duties of the post if appointed. Equal Opportunities Cancer Focus NI is an Equal Opportunities Employer and all applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit. Application Process The closing date/time for submission of CV and cover letter is 5.00pm, 29th September 2025. Interview dates: 8th & 9th October 2025. If you would like to apply for this role, please submit an up-to-date copy of your CV and cover letter before this date/time to: or, mailed to: Human Resources, Cancer Focus NI, 40/44 Eglantine Avenue, Belfast, BT9 6DX We cannot accept applications received after the closing date/time. Guidance Notes on Applying for our role Please ensure your CV is up-to-date and accurate. Cancer Focus NI will not make assumptions from the title of your post(s) or the nature of any employing organisation(s) as to your skills and experience gained. If you do not provide sufficient detail, including the appropriate dates needed to meet any eligibility criteria, your application may be rejected. ONLY the details provided by you in your CV and cover letter will be used for determining your eligibility for the post/shortlisting purposes. Skills: Healthcare Management Strategic Leadership Service Evaluation & Monitoring Registered Nurse Multidisciplinary Team Statistical Analysis Data Management & governance Benefits: Flexible Working Policy Life Assurance Contributory Pension Scheme 25 days annual leave, plus 12 statutory days Healthcare Plan CycleScheme Mileage Allowance