Job summary
- Main area
- Governance
- Grade
- VSM
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 432-HR965-25
- Employer
- East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Ipswich/Colchester
- Town
- Ipswich/Colchester
- Salary
- £100,000 - £200,000 pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 14/12/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 22/12/2025
Employer heading
Director of Governance
VSM
We are one of the largest NHS organisation in England. Our scale provides exciting opportunities for development, innovation, research, education and training.
Talk to us about our range of flexible working opportunities, apprenticeships and staff benefits
Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is at the heart of all we do; and it forms part of the ESNEFT’s core activities. The Trust operates and relies on everyone treating each other with dignity and respect, to receive equitable and fair treatment in the implementation of Policies, Procedures and in its Practices, to foster positive work relationships, and finally to act with integrity as a professional within ESNEFT as well as a representative of the NHS as a whole. The EDI Agenda reflects the Trust values such as Optimistic, Appreciative and Kind. In line with the NHS Long Term Plan, People Plan, People Promise and a Model Employer intrinsic in the Equality Diversity and Inclusion Agenda, we consistently strive to improve, to take the learning into Action for a better ESNEFT.
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge then we are keen to hear from you.
Job overview
We are looking for an experienced, highly motivated and compassionate Director of Governance; we want you to bring your skills, expertise and innovation to our organisation.
The role provides both challenges and development opportunities for a current or aspiring executive with a proven track record of delivery, who leads by example and encourages solutions.
Reporting to the Chief Executive and holding a non-voting Board position this is a highly influential role which will be responsible for the management of risk and governance across the Trust.
Our Director of Governance will share our Trust vision and values as we continue improvement across out organisation.
If you are passionate about ensuring the delivery of high quality patient care, we are keen to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
The role requires a highly motivated, innovative, individual who can demonstrate logical thinking and problem solving. You will need to demonstrate a successful track record of the management of risk and governance across a large and complex organisation. You will be an expert in supporting the organisation to achieve the highest standards of corporate governance.
This post will make a unique and exceptional difference to our local community, our staff, many of whom live locally and who are highly committed to improving the health of our population and the next generation of healthcare professionals who come here to work and learn.
We offer you a unique and exceptional opportunity to make a difference to our local community; our staff, most of whom live locally and who are highly committed to improving the health of our population; the next generation of healthcare professionals who come here to learn.
Working for our organisation
We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes.
We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.
We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.
Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.
Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.
We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.
Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information on the role and responsibilities please see the attached application information pack.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to Masters level standard or equivalent in relevant subject area
- Formal management or business qualification or equivalent relevant experience
Desirable criteria
- Quality improvement qualification or equivalent previous experience
Experience
Essential criteria
- Recent experience of working in a strategic leadership role
- Experience of developing and influencing strategy, driving delivery and leading complex programmes of work at pace, and in situations of high ambiguity
- Expertise and understanding the issues facing the NHS
- NHS experience at a senior management level
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Expert-level knowledge of the critical factors in delivering improvements in governance standards relevant to an acute hospital.
- Expert knowledge of integrated governance systems and their management.
- In depth understanding of CQC, NICE, NHS England governance
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Nick Hulme - via Lucy Bryanton
- Job title
- Business Manager to CEO
- Email address
- [email protected]
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