Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen in NHS England North West for a Regional Chief Digital, Data and Innovation Officer. This is a pivotal leadership role within the region’s new operating model and central to delivering the ambitions of the 10‑Year Health Plan.

This post will provide strategic direction across the region’s digital, data and innovation portfolio, leading a skilled community to accelerate the shift from analogue to digital and ensuring these capabilities shape regional priorities and decision‑making.

The successful candidate will oversee teams responsible for developing and delivering a coherent regional strategy, translating national programmes into a clear roadmap and investment plan, and strengthening digital and data expertise across provider and commissioner boards.

Working across three large integrated care systems, the directorate will collaborate with regional colleagues and national teams to drive the large‑scale transformation required to support system recovery, stabilisation and long‑term service modernisation.

We are seeking a credible, influential leader who can build strong partnerships across the NHS, social care, local and national government, academia, industry and the VCFSE sector. The role offers the opportunity to advance digitisation across the region and unlock the societal and financial value of health and care data.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder, as a member of the regional executive team, will provide professional support to the Regional Director to deliver the objectives of NHS England. They may also lead or support initiatives set out by NHS England’s national leadership, as relevant to their portfolio

 The Chief Digital and Data Officer will help meet the Region’s core objectives through:

 ·         Strategic leadership of the regional health system to support delivery of reform, overseeing planning, investment and reconfiguration of services, supporting innovation and ensuring effective regional leadership strategy and talent pipelines. 

·      Performance management and oversight of commissioners and providers, holistic oversight of performance in line with national frameworks, including understanding board and leadership capability, identifying ‘early warning’ systems and managing risk.

·      Regional approach to improvement support and intervention to ensure high quality and sustainable care, developing capability, addressing underperformance and overseeing regulatory interventions as required.

·      Understanding the political landscape.

·      Building strong, collaborative relationships at national, regional and local levels.

Working for our organisation

NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.

Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms — enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.

In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department. 

If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.

Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.

We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.