Deputy Director of Quality Improvement and Safety
The closing date is 19 November 2025
We are looking for a dynamic and experienced Deputy Director to lead and manage our consultancy operations working collaboratively with two Deputy Director colleagues.
This pivotal role supports the Director in overseeing strategic advisory projects, ensuring high-quality delivery, and driving business growth.
The Deputy Director will play a key role in client engagement, team leadership, and operational excellence across a diverse portfolio of consultancy assignments with a specific focus on quality improvement and safety.
You will expand your skill‑set, experience a range of different opportunities supporting organisations and make a big difference to staff, patients and their families.
Main duties of the job
This is a high-impact senior leadership role at Aqua, and as lead for quality improvement and safety designed to shape the future of improvement and safety across health and care systems including:
* Driving measurable, lasting change across people, quality, and safety outcomes for Aqua customers.
* Leading and empowering the internal team to deliver an ambitious portfolio of work while continuously elevating internal capabilities, knowledge, and performance, responsive to evolving national priorities and customer needs.
* Blending high-level management with deep technical expertise and a passion for delivering exceptional development and improvement services and thriving within the unique context of a commercially driven NHS organisation.
* Drive commercial growth by leveraging the excellence of your team's work to unlock new income streams and deepen relationships with existing customers.
* Being a trusted face within Aqua, balancing strategic leadership with hands‑on delivery to our customers—ensuring that every interaction reflects our commitment to excellence and quality improvement.
About us
Aqua (Advancing Quality Alliance) is an NHS quality improvement organisation working with the NHS, care providers and local authorities to identify, refine and embed sustainable strategies for high-quality care and regulatory excellence.
Established in 2010, we operate as a membership and consultancy organisation providing quality improvement expertise, specialist learning and development across the UK.
We develop tailored, efficient solutions across three areas, informed by data and co‑designed with service users to deliver maximum impact.
* Improvement, Productivity, Innovation and Learning
* Governance, Regulatory Support and Well‑Led
* Leadership and Organisational Development
At Aqua we seek to ensure we reflect the world in which we live in through understanding and supporting equality and diversity in all that we do. Our values of excellence, respect, integrity and collaboration are at the heart of our work in support of our staff and members.
Job responsibilities
To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading.
You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Masters level education or equivalent experience in an area relevant to health service management, change management, quality improvement
* Formal training in quality improvement methodologies (e.g. QSIR, Lean, Model for Improvement, Six Sigma)
Knowledge
* Detailed knowledge of health and social care systems, especially around patient safety, continuous/quality improvement, and transformation
* Familiarity with national frameworks such as PSIRF, NHS Patient Safety Strategy and NHS Impact
* Technical knowledge in the portfolio topic areas with expertise in at least one improvement theme
Experience
* Evidence of strategic and operational leadership with experience of applying specialist area of improvement and programme management skills in complex multi‑organisational settings at regional scale
* Experience of working with very senior stakeholders e.g. delivery of board development interventions
* Demonstrable track record of programme development, implementation and delivery to objectives, on time and at cost
* Substantial experience in development and implementation of long‑term strategic plans for a health / care organisation or system
* Experience of income generation/ developing products/ services for marketing
* Experience of other sectors including commercial organisations
Skills
* Recognised at a regional or national level as having significant improvement skills and experience.
* Well‑developed improvement coaching and consultancy skills and group facilitation skills including at Board level
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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