Job summary
- Main area
- Administrative
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8d
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 644-CE094
- Employer
- Central East Integrated Care Board
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Central East ICB
- Town
- Ely, Cambridge
- Salary
- £94,356 - £108,814 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 14/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Associate Director for Strategy Development
NHS AfC: Band 8d
We are Central East ICB, the new organisation entrusted 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 [email protected].
Read about our priorities in our strategy document, Our Way.
Job overview
The Associate Director Strategy Development (8D) is a standalone senior role producing recommendations for the future strategy, plans and commissioning priorities of the ICB. The role will look into the future, horizon scan and consider how the ICB may need to configure and commission services in significantly different and innovative ways to meet the changing needs of the population. This role can be thought of a working with colleagues across the ICB to create the pre-pipeline for both Major projects and the ICB’s ten-year planning cycle. This role will work closely with the Health Economics and Evaluation Team across Pods 1-4, testing and synthesising outputs from this work for possible inclusion in future ICB strategy and plans.
Main duties of the job
· Lead the development of the 5-year commissioning plan and implementation framework including the identification of long-term commissioning intentions.
· Develop responses to implement national strategy and assurance processes
· Ensure Strategy alignment across the organisation including the alignment of neighbourhood plans into long term strategy
· Leading organisational strategy including embedding and engaging with stakeholders
· Horizon scan to identify and scope evidence-based periodisation of interventions including testing the use of technology and new models of care.
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
Essential criteria
- Educated to Master’s degree level or equivalent level of experience in a relevant field (e.g. health, care, public services, professional expertise, or related discipline).
- Evidence of continuous professional development, with a track record of keeping skills and knowledge current covering a number of disciplines such as Finance or Management.
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant experience at Senior Management (sub board) 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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Matthew Smith
- Job title
- Deputy Director of Strategy & Planning
- Email address
- [email protected]
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