Head of compliance and business

Job Overview

We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity to join our team at UHS Estates Ltd (UEL). Lead Compliance. Drive Improvement. Shape Healthcare Infrastructure. We are seeking a Head of EFCD Compliance & Business to provide senior leadership across compliance, governance, business services, property management, service improvement, and digital transformation within a complex healthcare environment.

Employee Benefits

• Generous NHS pension scheme
• NHS terms of service and annual leave
• Access to an employee benefits platform offering discounts on groceries, high street shopping, family outings, holidays and more

Location and Quality of Life

Southampton offers an excellent quality of life, located on the south coast with an international airport and direct train links to London. The area boasts the stunning New Forest National Park, beautiful beaches along the Jurassic Coast, and living costs around 20% lower than London. With 14 Ofsted‑rated “Outstanding” schools, it’s a great place to live and work.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• Lead organisational compliance strategy and assurance within UEL
• Drive risk management, governance and statutory compliance programmes
• Oversee property, business support and service improvement functions
• Lead high‑performing multidisciplinary teams
• Influence Board‑level decision‑making through data, insight and strategic reporting
• Deliver transformational change, including digital and CAFM system development
• Ensure safe, effective and compliant services that support outstanding patient care

Strategic Leadership and Vision

We are seeking an ambitious and forward‑thinking leader who can provide strategic direction across compliance, business support, property management and service improvement functions. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to think beyond operational delivery, translating organisational priorities into clear plans and measurable outcomes. They will be confident operating at a senior level, influencing stakeholders, leading through change and driving continuous improvement across a complex service environment.

Compliance, Governance and Risk Management

The ideal candidate will possess significant experience in compliance, governance and risk management within a complex organisation. They will have a strong understanding of statutory and regulatory requirements and be able to provide assurance that risks are effectively identified, managed and reported. With excellent analytical and decision‑making skills, they will be capable of leading investigations, interpreting complex information and ensuring robust governance arrangements that support safe, compliant and high‑quality services.

People Leadership and Team Development

This role requires an inspirational leader with a proven track record of managing and developing multidisciplinary teams. The successful candidate will be skilled in creating a positive and high‑performing culture, empowering others to achieve their full potential while maintaining accountability and performance. They will demonstrate strong communication, coaching and relationship‑building skills, enabling them to lead through change and foster effective collaboration across teams and stakeholders.

Service Improvement, Innovation and Delivery

We are looking for someone who has a passion for service improvement and a proven ability to deliver sustainable change. The successful candidate will be able to use data, performance information and digital solutions to identify opportunities for improvement, enhance efficiency and strengthen organisational performance. They will bring experience of leading improvement initiatives, implementing new systems and processes and delivering tangible benefits that support both operational excellence and strategic objectives.

Person Specification

Qualifications / Training Required

• Educated to masters level in a relevant subject or able to demonstrate an equivalent level of professional knowledge, skills and experience
• Specialist knowledge gained through extensive relevant experience in Hospital / Estates environment
• Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development
• NEBOSH Diploma, Post Graduate Diploma or equivalent
• Provide evidence of CPD
• Fire management training

Desirable criteria

• Qualification in root cause analysis
• Project Management qualification
• Membership of a professional organisation

Previous or relevant experience necessary

Essential criteria

• Experience of working at a Senior level in a large organisation
• Significant post qualified experience of H&S / Risk Management gained in a large complex multidisciplinary organisation with previous experience at senior level
• Significant line management experience of professional level staff across several disciplines
• Have the ability to manage delegated budgets, expenditure and cost control on delegated projects
• Ability to assess the efficiency of training programmes
• Experience of effective change managementExperience of developing strategies, systems and processes that impact across an organisation
• Significant experience carrying out broad range of professional duties to include policy development, training field investigations, monitoring and audit
• Practical experience of facilitating change in practice and service delivery
• Proven ability to manage and prioritise own workload effectively against a background of change and uncertainty
• Experience gained of working independently at a professional level
• Expert understanding of the principles of risk assessments
• Ability to interpret complex data for construction drawings in terms of them meetings legal compliance

Desirable criteria

• Working within the NHS

Aptitudes And Skills Required

Essential criteria

• Development and implementation of major policies aimed at improving quality and reducing risk
• Proven ability in policy analysis
• Designing Compliance Management Systems and procedures

Values and behaviours

Essential criteria

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together