We are Central East ICB, the new organisationentrusted with serving more than 3.5 million people across Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and Hertfordshire.
We are responsible for making sure that the NHS can continue to support our community – now, and in the future. Everything we do will be guided by our core purpose: to do what best serves the population of this area.
We promise to focus on what makes the biggest difference to people’s lives – acting earlier to help prevent illness and detect disease and making it easier for our community to get the health care they need, closer to home, whenever that’s possible.
If you need support with the application process, please contact our People Team at cpicb.cetransitionhr@nhs.net.
Read about our priorities in our strategy document, Our Way .
Job overview
The Head of Corporate Governance will provide strategic leadership for the ICB’s governance framework, ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements and embedding the Nolan principles throughout the organisation. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Corporate Services, this role will lead the effective operation of the ICB Board and its Sub-Committees, ensuring high-quality governance, transparency, and accountability in decision-making. The postholder will oversee within the wider governance team the development of governance policies, management of conflicts of interest, delivery on fit and proper person requirements, ensuring good risk assurance and audit processes for the organisation. Acting as the principal advisor on governance matters, they will support senior leaders and committee chairs, ensuring robust systems for legal compliance. The role also includes responsibility for governance training and continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen organisational resilience and best practice.
Main duties of the job
The responsibilities include:
Strategic Leadership: Lead on shaping and implementing the ICB’s priorities, ensuring alignment with the NHS Long Term Plan, local strategies, and place-based plans. Contribute to the development of operational and business plans that translate strategic aims into measurable actions and outcomes. Business Plans and Strategies may impact across the organisation or integrated care system. The post holder will be responsible for the interpretation and adoption of a range of relevant policies and procedures for the service and directorate.
Operational Oversight: Lead and manage the operational delivery of programmes and services within your portfolio, ensuring that activity, quality, and performance targets are achieved. Provide clear leadership to service teams, managing resources effectively to deliver safe, high-quality, and efficient services that are delivered in the most effective manner. Consider highly complex information and adjust plans where necessary to ensure delivery and performance.
System Integration: Work collaboratively across organisational and professional boundaries to strengthen partnerships with providers, local authorities, and voluntary sector partners. Support the development of integrated approaches that improve patient experience and population health outcomes.
Working for our organisation
We are committed to promoting equal opportunities to achieve equity of access, experience and outcomes and to recognising and valuing people’s differences. We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity; we see this as a strength and part of our founding mission, values and behaviours. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers patient outcomes.
We are committed to creating the best place to work, where your contribution is valued, your wellbeing is supported and all our colleagues can reach their full potential. We welcome and encourage applications from all areas of the community, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of their protected characteristic. We work to ensure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible to everyone, including making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition and support with the recruitment process for people with lived experience.
We are happy to discuss flexible working options for all roles.
We operate a Carer friendly working environment that is supportive and inclusive. We actively encourage Carers to self-identify themselves.
We are a Disability Confident Employer and commit to shortlisting suitable applicants who meet the essential criteria for an interview. Please inform us of any adjustments you may require.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information on this role, please see the job description and person specification attached:
Person specification
Qualifications
* Educated to Masters level or extensive equivalent experience in a relevant field (e.g. health, care, public services, management, or related discipline).
* Evidence of continuous professional development, with a track record of keeping skills and knowledge current
Knowledge and Experience
* Significant experience at Senior Management within the NHS, public sector, or a comparable complex system
* Leadership experience in a complex, multi-agency environment, ideally within health and care commissioning
* Demonstrable success in delivering organisational change, transformation, and integration at scale.
* Strong track record in delivery of strategic planning, commissioning, and/or system-wide service redesign to improve outcomes and value for money
* Experience of leading in a politically sensitive environment and balancing competing demands with diplomacy and sound judgement
Skills
* Skilled in managing complexity and ambiguity, making sound decisions under pressure, and maintaining focus on long-term goals while managing immediate challenges.
* Highly developed analytical skills and the ability to interpret highly complex data to inform strategy, decision-making, and performance improvement. Proven ability to operate with political astuteness, demonstrating awareness of the wider political and strategic environment.
* Clear and effective communication and influencing skills, with the ability to convey complex issues clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences
* Strong relationship-building and partnership-working capabilities, able to develop trust and credibility quickly across organisational boundaries
Please Note:
* This vacancy may close before the advertised closing date if a sufficient number of suitable applications are received. We recommend submitting your application early to avoid disappointment.
* Successfully shortlisted applicants will be contacted by email with an invitation to interview.
* Please note that we do not pay interview expenses, all costs are incurred by the candidate.
Notes on completion of applications:
* All reference requests will be made to your employer/previous employers' HR Department, covering the previous 3 years of activity.
* We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.
* All eligible staff will need to have gained clearance through a standard/enhanced DBS check prior to working.
* All posts are subject to a probationary period.
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