Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to undertake the role of Lead Quality Specialist (may be equivalent to Head of Quality in other NHS organisations) in NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). We are looking for an experienced senior leader who is enthusiastic and passionately strives for improvement and excellence. NHSBT has a vision of a world where every patient receives the donation they need. It will achieve this by maintaining high quality and caring standards of products and services, whilst utilising its expertise. The post holder will be responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring an effective, safety focussed and compliant quality management system (QMS). The successful candidate will be assigned to a Directorate or function (e.g., Technical Assurance, Blood Supply, Clinical Services, Plasma, Quality Management Systems etc), whilst providing support for other areas of the organisation as appropriate. The post holder will be a key member of the Quality & Governance senior management team (Q&G-SMT), contributing to the achievement of its strategic objectives, whilst also ensuring our core business as usual activities are maintained and improved. The successful candidate will be required to horizon scan, provide guidance and support based on best practices, develop a culture of collaboration, innovation, informed questioning and challenging, trend analysis triangulation, risk awareness, proportionate response and proactively engage with quality improvement.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be required to:
1. Providing visible senior leadership and oversight of the quality and safety agenda in collaboration with other stakeholders, e.g., Risk, Business Continuity, Clinical Governance, ensuring attainment of real improvements for patient and donor safety.
2. Leading portfolio(s) or key programmes of work arranged within a Directorate or across the organisation, supporting quality management, improvement, and safety system approaches as designated.
3. Providing line management of staff, teams, or functions within portfolio or across a matrix.
4. Provide safety compliance and regulatory expertise to operational areas for business-as-usual activities, and where we are developing new services and products.
5. Taking ownership and accountability for the status of the QMS aligned with the supported Directorate and ensure it is maintained and developed.
6. Develop, implement, monitor, and improve the necessary quality expertise and systems required primarily by the supported Directorate(s) to deliver an efficient and effective, nationally consistent, and accredited QMS and GMP system. The post holder will ensure a validated QMS is always maintained to provide safe and efficacious products and services for patients and donors.
7.Support the Assistant Director of Quality and Regulatory Compliance in the development and delivery of a Quality Strategy which support NHSBT and its delivery and safety focus.
About us
It takes all types of people to deliver the kind of service that saves and improves lives. At NHS Blood and Transplant, youll join a team of more than 6,000 people who are making a genuine difference to communities, families, friends, relatives and more across the UK. We play a unique and special role in the NHS by helping people do something extraordinary- donate blood, blood products, organs, tissues, or stem cells to save someone in need. Our three core values are what set us apart. They guide and inspire everything we do. By being caring, expertly meeting the needs of our patients and our people, and accepting nothing less than the best quality, we can do extraordinary work and help our people to do something extraordinary in their career, too. Three small words, one big difference - Caring, Expert and Quality. Together we'll save and improve more lives than ever. You will join us on our journey to create an inclusive workplace and aim to reflect the diverse communities we work with, and we positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.
Details
Date posted
09 February 2026
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 8c
Salary
£76,965 to £88,682 a year
Contract
Fixed term
Duration
12 months
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
008237
Job locations
NHSBT - Filton Centre
500, North Bristol Park,
Northway, Filton
Bristol
BS34 7QH
NHSBT - Barnsley Centre
Unit D, Capitol Way
Dodworth, Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S75 3FG
NHSBT - Tooting Centre
75 Cranmer Terrace
London
SW17 0RB
NHSBT- Birmingham Centre
Vincent Drive
Edgbaston, Birmingham
B15 2SG
NHSBT - Colindale Centre
Charcot Road
Colindale
London
NW9 5BG
NHSBT - Manchester Centre
Plymouth Grove
Manchester
M13 9LL
Job description
Job responsibilities
To learn more, please see our recruitment profile, which provides a summary of the job description and person specification. This can be accessed via the link below, or by clicking 'Apply' if you are viewing this advert on another site.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To learn more, please see our recruitment profile, which provides a summary of the job description and person specification. This can be accessed via the link below, or by clicking 'Apply' if you are viewing this advert on another site.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Masters in a bio-medical or pharmaceutical subject with examination via professional body OR extensive relevant experience to masters level.
* Demonstrates commitment to own continued professional development (CPD).
Experience
Essential
* Significant experience of leading a quality, governance and/or improvement team.
* Substantial project management, performance management, strategic planning, and risk identification and management experience.
* Experience of leading and implementing significant change projects / programmes.
* Proven record of developing and maintaining an effective QMS and information resources to drive innovation within a service.
* Experience of working with minimal supervision, working alone and within a team / amongst teams.
* Substantial experience as a senior quality professional in a regulated (Good Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practice, NHSBT or equivalent) environment.
* Working knowledge of relevant legislation and components of quality, safety, risk, governance and assurance functions, for example the EU Blood Safety Directives and other mandated accreditation schemes.
* Experience of coaching colleagues to take responsibility for their own development and work through self and group accountability, varied assignments, and on-going feedback, using bank of experience to provide examples to those they coach.
* Working knowledge of Freedom of Information, EU General Data Protection Regulation (UK Data Protection Act), Good Automated Manufacturing Practice and related legislation including recognised international quality standards.
* Specialist knowledge of the physiology and pharmacology of blood and tissues and their use in transfusion and transplantation.
* Experience of working with information technology using Microsoft Office packages (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint).
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Masters in a bio-medical or pharmaceutical subject with examination via professional body OR extensive relevant experience to masters level.
* Demonstrates commitment to own continued professional development (CPD).
Experience
Essential
* Significant experience of leading a quality, governance and/or improvement team.
* Substantial project management, performance management, strategic planning, and risk identification and management experience.
* Experience of leading and implementing significant change projects / programmes.
* Proven record of developing and maintaining an effective QMS and information resources to drive innovation within a service.
* Experience of working with minimal supervision, working alone and within a team / amongst teams.
* Substantial experience as a senior quality professional in a regulated (Good Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Practice, NHSBT or equivalent) environment.
* Working knowledge of relevant legislation and components of quality, safety, risk, governance and assurance functions, for example the EU Blood Safety Directives and other mandated accreditation schemes.
* Experience of coaching colleagues to take responsibility for their own development and work through self and group accountability, varied assignments, and on-going feedback, using bank of experience to provide examples to those they coach.
* Working knowledge of Freedom of Information, EU General Data Protection Regulation (UK Data Protection Act), Good Automated Manufacturing Practice and related legislation including recognised international quality standards.
* Specialist knowledge of the physiology and pharmacology of blood and tissues and their use in transfusion and transplantation.
* Experience of working with information technology using Microsoft Office packages (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint).
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details
Employer name
NHS Blood and Transplant
Address
NHSBT - Filton Centre
500, North Bristol Park,
Northway, Filton
Bristol
BS34 7QH
Employer's website
(Opens in a new tab)
Employer details
Employer name
NHS Blood and Transplant
Address
NHSBT - Filton Centre
500, North Bristol Park,
Northway, Filton
Bristol
BS34 7QH
Employer's website
(Opens in a new tab)