Flexible Location : NES is a remote-friendly employer with staff based throughout Scotland. We support office-based and hybrid working arrangements. We welcome conversations about alternative working patterns—please get in touch during the application process to discuss. Work Pattern: Fixed Term, Full Time, 37 hours per week As from 1/4/26, the Agenda for Change full-time working week will be reducing from 37 to 36 hours per week. Part time hours will be reduced pro-rata. However, there will be a corresponding increase in the hourly rate so that pay will not be affected. Fixed-term or Secondment until 31 August 2027 For NHS applicants, an NHS secondment will be offered in the first instance. For non-NHS applicants, a fixed-term or secondment would be considered. You must have eligibility and entitlement to work in the UK which is required to be maintained throughout your period of employment. Who We Are NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is the national health board with statutory responsibilities to effect sustainable change through workforce development, education and training across the health and social care system in Scotland, while working at UK level with partner organisations. The Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions (NMAHP) Directorate works to support the education, training and continuing professional development of nurses, midwives, allied health professionals, health and social care chaplains and healthcare support workers. The Directorate is also responsible for providing education, training and workforce development across wider professional groups and disciplines, often in partnership with other agencies, to support key policy driver. The Opportunity This is an exciting opportunity to join the Public Health Programme within NHS Education for Scotland as a Principal Educator, leading the national development of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) workforce education for Scotland. Reporting to the Head of Programme, this post is a joint role between NES and the Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland service of NHS Scotland Assure, NHS National Services Scotland. ARHAI Scotland is a clinical service providing national expertise for IPC, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and healthcare associated infection (HAI). The role provides a unique opportunity to work in close partnership with ARHAI Scotland to lead the translation of national policy, guidance, surveillance outputs and emerging evidence into high-quality, effective workforce education for health and social care. Do you want to make a meaningful contribution to improving infection prevention and control practice across health and social care in Scotland? Do you enjoy working at a national level, supporting the implementation of policy and guidance through workforce education? Do you thrive in complex, collaborative environments involving senior stakeholders across NHS Scotland, Scottish Government and the wider health and social care system? Do you have significant experience and a passion for leading and developing high-quality, evidence informed inclusive and digitally enabled education? Do you enjoy leading wide-reaching educational programmes that strengthen workforce capability, confidence and improvement in practice? Working within the Public Health Programme, you will play a key leadership role in shaping and delivering national IPC workforce education that supports safe, effective and evidence-based practice across health and social care. Does this sound like you? What We Love to See Principal Educators offer a broad range of skills and experience, if you can offer some or all of these, we’d love you to apply: Professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) (or equivalent) A Master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in a relevant health, public health, education or related discipline A recognised education qualification (e.g. Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma in Education, Academic Practice or equivalent) Substantial experience in designing, delivering and leading workforce education, underpinned by significant relevant clinical experience and professional credibility in practice Experience of leading an educational workstream, shaping and delivering workforce education in complex health, social care or educational environments, at national or system level Comprehensive knowledge of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), and understanding of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI), including how workforce education supports the implementation of national policy, guidance and safer practice Experience of working in partnership with senior stakeholders such as Scottish Government, NHS National Services Scotland, NHS Boards and professional groups Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to handle complex and sensitive discussions Well-developed digital confidence and experience in technology-enhanced learning and digital education design Demonstrate honesty, integrity, care and compassion when dealing with others, utilising tact and persuasion skills when necessary Ability to work on own initiative, to organise and prioritise own workloads, to meet strict deadlines Benefits Which Matter As a valued employee of NHS Scotland, you can enjoy an extensive range of benefits including: Life-work balance - with opportunities for flexible working and hybrid working Generous NHS pension scheme Annual incremental salary progression (up to the maximum of the salary band) plus annual NHS salary scale review Annual Leave - 27 Days increasing in line with service plus 8 days public holiday NHS discounts and more Diversity and Inclusion Developing a successful national service for Scotland means considering the diverse needs, perspectives, and backgrounds of everyone in Scotland. We are focused on hiring the very best talent and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Our aim to ensure that everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has a positive recruitment experience—regardless of the outcome. We welcome applications from all under-represented groups, including racially minoritised people and disabled people. It is not essential to be in a Principal Educator role right now—you may be returning from a career break (e.g., maternity, paternity, caring) or coming from another field. Your experiences can bring a fresh perspective to our work. If you are considering applying and would like to discuss the opportunity, any adjustments or alternative work patterns, please contact Angela King, Head of Programme, Public Health, angela.king2@nhs.scot. Next Steps NHS candidates will be considered firstly on a secondment basis, and so are strongly encouraged to discuss this with their current NHS employer at the earliest opportunity, ideally prior to application. All applicants who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. In person OR online interviews (including a presentation) will take place on Tuesday 3rd and Thursday 5th March 2026. The presentation topic will be sent to candidates selected for interview. For further information please refer to the Job Information Pack below. Unless otherwise stated the deadline for applications is 23:59 hours on the closing date. Please note, CVs will not be accepted. Please be advised that if you are successful in being offered the role following the recruitment process, you will be expected to attend the office prior to your start date to complete face-to-face pre-employment checks. If you require any adjustments to support this, please let us know. To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here. For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licenced Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here. It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form. If you have any queries regarding the NHS Scotland National Recruitment Portal or the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to contact our recruitment partners, the East Region Recruitment Service, at: EoS.ERRS@nhs.scot