Job summary
- Main area
- Associate Dean
- Grade
- Head of School
- Contract
- 12 months (secondment until 31 October 2026)
- Hours
- Part time - 1 session per week (4 hours)
- Job ref
- 990-WT&E-16762-E
- Employer
- NHS England
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Victoria House
- Town
- Fulbourn, Cambridge
- Salary
- Salary paid in line with HoS sessional payments
- Closing
- 04/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Associate Postgraduate Dean
Head of School
Our Organisation
The NHS is building a culture that is positive, compassionate and inclusive – and we all have our part to play.
As employers we are committed to protecting and promoting the physical and mental health and wellbeing of all our colleagues. This underpins our values as set out in the NHS Constitution and supports us to be an Employer of Choice, while helping our colleagues to deliver high quality services for our patients and communities.
As a flexible employer, we want to support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you. Talk to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time, hybrid working or another flexible pattern. In addition, although the role advertised may have a ‘home’ office base indicated, we remain committed to supporting flexibility around workplace locations. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
We are an accredited Living Wage Employer which means that every colleague working for our organisation and third-party contractors will earn a real Living Wage. We are one of over 15,000 organisations, who voluntarily chose to pay the real Living Wage.
Job overview
The role of Associate Dean (AD) in England has evolved over a number of years, as a result of changes in healthcare education and training, the implementation of revalidation, the emergence of new workforce solutions and the continuing development of Health Education England (HEE) and subsequently the Workforce, Training and Education (WT&E) Directorate of NHS England (NHSE).
Main duties of the job
The roles of the ADs in NHSE East of England (EoE) have been developed to help support the NHSE EoE Postgraduate Dean (PGD) in embracing corporate, statutory and non-statutory functions, aligning with previous HEE mandates and NHSE’s priorities. The role is focused firmly upon improving patient and learner safety and experience and ensuring effective educational outcomes.
To support the PGD, the ADs will work across the spectrum of healthcare and, where relevant, social care, within the context of a team, so that the provision of education reflects changing service models. This will deliver an integrated workforce comprising individuals from a spectrum of professional and other backgrounds.
The ADs are professionally and managerially accountable to the NHSE EoE PGD.
This particular role is designed to deliver PGVLE to a range of educational groups across the east of England. It has been created as a short-term post to improve the capacity of the base team to undertake the transition between the platforms.
Working for our organisation
The NHS England board have set out the top-level purpose for the new organisation to lead the NHS in England to deliver high-quality services for all, which will inform the detailed design work and we will achieve this purpose by:
- Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities.
- Making the NHS a great place to work, where our people can make a difference and achieve their potential.
- Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care
- Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation
- Delivering value for money.
If you would like to know more or require further information, please visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in-person.
If you are successful at interview, we will run an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) in the Electronic Staff Record system (ESR). This transfer gathers valuable information from a previous or current NHS employer to support the onboarding process, including; statutory and mandatory competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You will have the opportunity throughout the recruitment process to inform us if you do not consent.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Quality and Safety
· To work closely with the PGD to emphasise the importance of and promote the development of high-quality learning environments for all learners.
· To support a culture of continuous quality improvement
· To support the PGD in meeting NHSE EoE statutory requirements.
· To support the development of quality processes which are complementary across the healthcare workforce.
· To support the use of the PGVLE stressing the importance of teamwork and human factors
Programme Management
· Deliver core development modules for Resident doctors, educators, multi professional groups and administrators across east of England, particularly as it relates to the TEL agenda
· Liaise with admin team to plan and organise training and technological support
· Work with trainees to develop modules and faculty
· Liaise with & support other APDs in faculty development
Educational and Workforce Development
· To ensure effective careers advice is available and offer careers advice to trainees and learners where appropriate.
· To provide advice on the local implementation of the national post distribution and expansion workstreams
Strategic Workforce Development and Commissioning
- To contribute to workforce planning, ensuring clinical engagement with local and national workforce planning processes.
· To support multi-professional working and workforce transformation.
- To identify and support the implementation of alternative workforce solutions within the EoE.
· To advise the PGD on commissioning and decommissioning activities.
Finance
· To engage with business planning processes and associated budgets as needed.
· To ensure compliance with procurement requirements.
Other Areas of Work
To assist in:
· Supporting activities within specific geographical areas within the EoE
· Developing and supporting links on an EoE-wide basis
· Other work-streams as defined by the PGD (or his/her Deputy).
Secondments
Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.
For full information please see attached job description
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Membership/Fellowship of a College, Faculty, professional association and/or regulatory body
- Attendance at courses aimed to support educational development
- Primary clinical healthcare qualification
Desirable criteria
- Educational qualification such as postgraduate certificate diploma or masters in medical education
Experience
Essential criteria
- Considerable experience of working with learners or doctors in training in an educational context
- Experience of clinical and educational leadership and innovation, including managing a multi-professional team
- Understanding of developments involving the relevant Colleges/Faculties, professional bodies related NHS organisations and regulatory bodies
Desirable criteria
- Previous or current appointment as a leader in healthcare education
- Awareness of funding streams for healthcare education
- Understanding of current health, social care and education policy
Skills
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable leadership skills and an ability to influence and motivate others
- Ability to quickly establish personal and professional credibility with colleagues and other key Stakeholders
- Committed to own personal development and an ability to support others to develop and progress
Desirable criteria
- Ability to rapidly establish academic credibility
Behaviours and Values
Essential criteria
- To contribute to the vision of the local NHS and to enhance patient care by providing leadership and direction with respect to the quality of education and training
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Rowan Burnstein
- Job title
- Deputy Postgraduate Dean
- Email address
- [email protected]
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