EASTERN ENGLAND SECURE DATA ENVIRONMENT OPERATIONAL LEAD
| Posting date: | 05 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £69,520.00 to £86,039.00 per year |
| Additional salary information: | £69520.00 - £86039.00 a year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 22 March 2026 |
| Location: | Shelford Bottom, CB22 3AD |
| Company: | NHS Jobs |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | E0042-26-0001 |
Summary
Role purpose: The Eastern England Secure Data Environment (SDE) is a regional NHS research data service enabling secure access to de-identified health data to support research, innovation, clinical trials and service improvement in line with national NHS England and Health Data Research Service (HDRS) priorities. Following the merger of the East Midlands SDE into the East of England SDE, the Eastern England SDE now operates across an expanded regional footprint, working with NHS Trusts and partners across Eastern England to provide a scalable, federated research data infrastructure. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) is the lead accountable organisation and Data Controller for the SDE. Health Innovation East works in close partnership with CUH to lead programme delivery, service operations, platform development and the SDE service desk, bringing together technical, operational, governance and engagement expertise. The Eastern England SDE Operational Lead is a senior leadership role responsible for the operational ownership, performance, service maturity and growth of the Eastern England SDE as a live research service. As the SDE transitions from a programme-delivered initiative into a sustainable business-as-usual service model, this role provides single-point senior accountability for: End-to-end SDE service performance, user experience and operational workflows across access, onboarding and governance coordination SDE growth, engagement and adoption across researchers and data providers Mobilisation of funded initiatives and new capabilities into sustainable BAU service delivery Working in close partnership with the Director of Health Informatics & SDE Programme Director and alongside the Programme Delivery Lead and Platform Lead, the postholder will: Deputise for the Programme Director on SDE operational matters as required Own the live SDE service model and operational delivery Lead SDE growth, engagement and service uptake Ensure new capabilities are successfully transitioned into BAU Strategic decision-making and formal governance remain with the Programme Director and established programme structures. This role holds delegated responsibility for operational leadership and service performance. The role also has both direct line management and matrix management responsibilities. Key responsibilities: SDE service ownership & performance Hold senior accountability for the overall performance of the live SDE service Own service workflows, turnaround times, quality standards and continuous improvement Monitor service demand, capacity and performance metrics across operational functions Drive service maturity from programme delivery into a sustainable BAU model Ensure operational compliance with information governance, security standards and audit requirements in partnership with CUH Own the operational implementation of the SDE commercial model, including researcher charging structures, service packages, and alignment with governance and service capacity Operational coordination across functions Act as the senior operational integrator across platform delivery, programme delivery, governance and engagement functions Work closely with the Platform Lead on service performance, reliability and user experience Coordinate with the Programme Delivery Lead to transition new capabilities into BAU Ensure clear operational hand-offs between delivery, platform and service functions and resolve cross-functional issues impacting service performance SDE growth, engagement & adoption Lead the SDE growth and engagement function to expand service uptake and partnerships Line manage the Senior Growth & Engagement Manager Own onboarding of NHS data providers and build strategic relationships with researchers, NHS partners, academia and industry to drive service adoption Shape and deliver SDE propositions for research, innovation and clinical trials Ensure growth and engagement activity aligns with agreed commercial and sustainability models Public involvement & trust Line manage the Senior Public Involvement & Inclusion Manager Ensure PPIE is embedded across SDE operations and service design Maintain transparency, trust and ethical practice Ensure public insight informs service development and communications Mobilisation into business as usual (BAU) Lead operational readiness for funded initiatives and new SDE capabilities Embed sustainable operating processes, support models and performance management for all new services Leadership & deputising Provide senior operational leadership across SDE functions Deputise for the SDE Programme Director on operational matters Lead operational input into governance forums and funder reporting Represent SDE operations at senior stakeholder meetings Corporate duties: Support the organisation in creating an environment that values risk management and promotes the highest standards of health and safety for Health Innovation Easts employees, supported by policies and procedures as appropriate Comply with current data protection laws and company data protection policy and procedures Support the organisation in developing a collaborative working environment and a culture of innovation and positive leadership, participating in the appraisal process, as required Promote Equal Opportunities and affirm that staff, colleagues, patients and others who encounter Health Innovation East are afforded equality of treatment and opportunities Observe Health Innovation Easts Equality and Diversity policy in every aspect of your work, avoiding any behaviour which discriminates against colleagues, potential employees, patients or clients on any grounds Work with others appropriately to achieve organisational goals Comply with the Health Innovation East values and behaviours Personal development responsibilities Understanding and awareness of own personal development needs Maintenance of a compliant professional portfolio where required Key relationships Internal all Health Innovation East employees will be expected to form key relationships within the organisation relevant to the role. External in addition, the successful appointee will need to develop and build relationships with external colleagues as relevant to the role. These may include, but are not limited to, relationships with colleagues within partner organisations such as: Industry partners including SMEs and large corporates within the health arena Academic partners in Higher Education Institutes and Tech Transfer Offices Funding/investment organisations Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East of England colleagues NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation Trusts Local Government Integrated Care System and Integrated Care Boards Third Sector Organisations Patient Advisory Groups/Services Health Innovation Easts employees are entitled to 27 days of annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for less than whole time equivalent) and are offered a company pension (employer contribution up to 10% of annual salary), life insurance (on completion of a probationary period) as well as a cycle to work scheme. In addition, all employees have unlimited access to the companys well-being programme which is externally provided and fully confidential. Team members on secondment will remain on their employers terms and conditions.