Job vacancy: Non-Executive Director (NED), Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Milton Keynes

Job summary

Main area: Corporate
Grade: Non Executive
Contract: Fixed term: 36 months (01 January 2026 to 31 December 2028)
Hours: Part time
Job ref: 430-CORP25-224A

Employer: Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Trust Board Support (Dept)
Town: Milton Keynes
Salary: Per annum
Closing: 31/10/2025 23:59

Non-Executive Director (NED)

Non Executive

At Milton Keynes University Hospital, you will be welcomed into a friendly and supportive environment where teamwork and respect are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to live our Trust values and behaviours every day, creating a culture where everyone feels heard and valued.

MKUH staff's Motivation and Involvement scores are among the highest in our peer group, showing that our people feel inspired and included in decision-making (Staff Survey, 2024).

Our benefits

We believe in recognising and rewarding the amazing contribution of our staff and that is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and professional growth, including:

Free on-site parking including EV charging
Complimentary refreshments
Flexible working arrangements
Discounted gym membership
Salary sacrifice car scheme
Generous annual leave, with the option to bank holiday entitlement
Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
On-site nursery (charges apply)
A wide-ranging staff health and wellbeing programme including EAP
VIVUP products to support your mental, physical, and financial Wellbeing

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Upholding the values of the Trust by example, and to ensure that the organisation promotes and upholds the principles of equality and diversity for all its patients, staff and other stakeholders.
• Commit to working to, and encouraging within the Trust, the highest standards of probity, integrity and governance and contribute to ensuring that the Trust’s internal governance arrangements conform to best practice and statutory requirements.
• Provide independent judgement and advice on issues of strategy, vision, performance, resources and standards of conduct and constructively challenge, influence and help the board of directors develop proposals on such strategies.
• In accordance with agreed board procedures, monitor the performance and conduct of management in meeting agreed goals and objectives and statutory responsibilities, including the preparation of annual reports and annual accounts and other statutory duties.

Please refer to the Job Description for further details

Person specification

Essential Criteria

Essential criteria

Experience of delivering successful change within complex and highly regulated systems

Experience

Essential criteria

Board and/or senior leader experience with major transformational change projects in a public or private sector organization
Strong understanding of quality and safety governance frameworks together with the ability to review complex performance data to provide oversight and challenge
Understanding of complex organisations and a track record of leadership
Experience specific to a particular profession, sector, or specialism as detailed in the job advert.
Experience in leading transformational change and service redesign
Awareness of and a strong background in quality improvement systems

Qualifications and knowledge

Essential criteria

A qualified projects professional, business transformation professional or chartered accountant, with a minimum of 10 years of experience in a Board and/or senior level in a public or private sector organisation
A proven experience in projects management, financial leadership, business transformation and change management.
An understanding of Foundation Trusts, the NHS and the external environment in which they operate and accountability arrangements
Degree or equivalent experience in professional career
A public member of the Foundation Trust or qualifies to be a public member of the Foundation Trust
An understanding of and commitment to the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda in public service
The ability to understand complex strategic issues and to analyse and resolve difficult problems
Sound understanding of corporate governance
An understanding of the essential need to build and maintain close relations with stakeholder groups to promote the effective operation of the Trust’s activities, including Council of Governors and Membership

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

Strong interpersonal and communication skills
Well-organised and self-motivated
Collaborative

Skills

Essential criteria

Ability to challenge and debate constructively
Strategic thinking
High level of personal and business integrity
Leadership skills
Political acumen and awareness

Specific requirements

Essential criteria

Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
Available to meet the time commitment, working flexibly as required.

We believe success lies in the diversity of our employees and are committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity and embracing inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.

By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.