Associate Director of Digital Programmes (Strategy and Investment) | North Bristol NHS Trust
| Posting date: | 16 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £91,342 - £105,337 pa pro rata |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 17 April 2026 |
| Location: | Bristol, BS105NB |
| Company: | North Bristol NHS |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7852657/339-IM2657-EGJ |
Summary
In our refreshed Digital Services leadership structure, this role is one of two Band 8d Associate Directors with a clear and intentional distinction. While the Delivery Associate Director leads the execution of major digital programmes, this Strategy & Investment role is the engine room that sets the overall direction of travel, working in close partnership to ensure seamless handover from strategic planning into delivery. As the strategic lead, you will shape the Group’s digital roadmap, drive prioritisation across both Trusts, and ensure the right governance, business cases, financial planning and capacity modelling are in place before programmes move into delivery. This role lines up every duck — planning, investment, risk, benefits, CIPs, portfolio oversight and organisational readiness — so that when delivery begins, it succeeds. Reporting to the Group Deputy Chief Digital Information Officer, you will work collaboratively as part of a mature senior leadership team. With a highly competent and experienced digital programmes function already in place, we are looking for someone who can build on this strength, accelerate strategic alignment and take our digital planning capability to the next level. If you are energised by strategic thinking, system‑wide alignment, intelligent planning and influencing at scale — and thrive on working with senior clinical, operational and executive leaders — this is your opportunity to shape the future digital landscape for NBT and UHBW.
The role provides confident senior leadership of the Group’s digital strategy roadmap and investment planning working closely with Executives senior clinicians operational leaders and system partners to ensure alignment with clinical operational and corporate priorities. You will lead the strategic front end of digital transformation shaping prioritisation planning governance business cases & benefits and ensuring programmes are fully scoped risk‑assessed and assured before moving into delivery. You will oversee the development of digital business cases, capital proposals and strategic funding plans as well as divisional CIP alignment and capital planning ensuring investment decisions are evidence‑based and sequenced effectively. The role requires building strong and influential relationships across senior clinical operational corporate & digital stakeholders acting as a trusted advisor on digital priorities risks benefits & resources & representing digital strategy across boards & system forums. You will ensure programmes are organisationally ready through capacity planning governance stakeholder engagement & risk mitigation & lead communications that build confidence and readiness for digital change. As the leader you will bring deep expertise in methodologies governance and benefits realisation. You will also act as a senior ambassador for digital strategy across both Trusts and the wider system ensuring consistency convergence and effective partnership working.
North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities and we are part of the Bristol NHS Group.
Recognised as the Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff at the Nursing Times Workforce Summit and Awards 2025, our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.
North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.
Job Title:Associate Director of Digital Programmes (Strategy & Investment)
Band:8d
Reports to:Group Deputy Chief Digital Information Officer
Base:NBT / UHBW
Role Purpose
The Associate Director of Digital Programmes (Strategy & Investment) is the senior strategic lead responsible for setting the digital direction for the Group, shaping the digital roadmap, and ensuring that all programmes are fully planned, prioritised, governed and investment‑ready before entering delivery.
This is one of two Band 8d Associate Director roles in the Digital Services leadership structure. While the Delivery Associate Director leads the execution of digital programmes,this Strategy & Investment role ensures every programme is strategically sound, financially viable, sequenced correctly and organisationally ready for successful delivery.
The two roles work in close partnership to ensure seamless transition from planning into execution.
You will be joining ahighly competent, experienced and well‑established team, with strong foundations and a clear plan already in place. The successful candidate will build on this existing strength, accelerate strategic alignment, and uplift our capability in digital planning, prioritisation and investment management.
This is a role for anexperienced, senior digital leader— someone “ready‑to‑go”, confident working with very senior clinical, operational and executive colleagues, and able to provide authoritative direction in a complex and high‑profile environment.
Main Duties & Responsibilities 1. Strategic Leadership & Digital Roadmap• Lead the development, refinement and oversight of the Group’s digital roadmap, ensuring alignment with clinical, operational and corporate strategies.
• Shape strategic priorities across both Trusts, providing clear, evidence‑based recommendations on investment, sequencing and organisational impact.
• Drive convergence, interoperability and shared digital platforms across the Group.
• Ensure digital planning aligns with requirements for cyber security, clinical safety, data and analytics, and information governance.
2. Portfolio Strategy, Planning & Prioritisation
• Lead the strategic “front end” of the digital portfolio, ensuring all programmes are well‑defined, fully scoped and ready for delivery.
• Establish and maintain prioritisation frameworks that balance organisational need, strategic value, affordability and readiness.
• Oversee strategic options appraisal, business case development and programme justification.
• Ensure benefits are identified early, measurable, realistic, and tied directly to organisational objectives.
3. Governance, Assurance & Risk Management
• Design and operate robust governance for the digital portfolio, ensuring every programme meets required standards before moving to delivery.
• Lead Portfolio Management Office (PMO) processes, including reporting structures, controls, documentation and programme assurance.
• Oversee Group‑wide digital risk management and programme risk assessment.
• Provide clear, high‑quality assurance reporting to the Group Digital Programme Board, Digital Committee, and Executive forums.
4. Financial & Investment Leadership
• Lead the creation and assurance of all digital business cases, ensuring they are strategically aligned, financially robust and benefits‑driven.
• Provide senior oversight of divisional Cost Improvement Programmes (CIPs) related to digital transformation.
• Shape and coordinate the digital capital programme, ensuring future investments are justified, sequenced and affordable.
• Maintain oversight of digital revenue and capital budgets relevant to strategic planning.
5. Organisational Readiness & Change Enablement
• Ensure all programmes have the necessary governance, capacity modelling, workforce planning, benefits frameworks, risks, dependencies and engagement strategies in place prior to delivery.
• Lead organisational readiness assessments and prepare the Trusts for change at scale.
• Work closely with the Delivery Associate Director to ensure smooth handover from planning into execution.
• Develop strategic communication and engagement plans to build understanding and support across both Trusts.
6. Senior Stakeholder Leadership & Collaboration• Operate as a senior, trusted advisor to executives, senior clinicians, operational leaders and corporate directors.
• Work collaboratively with senior stakeholders across NBT, UHBW and the wider ICS/ICB to align digital priorities and manage interdependencies.
• Influence Board‑level and system‑level decision‑making on digital investment, strategic risk and portfolio direction.
• Represent the Digital Services Directorate in strategic forums, committees and external partnerships.
7. Leadership of the Strategy & Investment Function
• Lead, mentor and develop the Digital Programme Strategy & Investment team, including programme planning, portfolio management, business case and PMO specialists.
• Promote a high‑performance culture that values accountability, delivery, professional development and wellbeing.
• Ensure the team continues to build on strong existing foundations and maintain its reputation for professional excellence.
8. Partnership with the Delivery Associate Director
• Work closely and proactively with the Delivery Associate Director to ensure shared understanding of programme scope, sequencing, risks and dependencies.
• Provide clarity, rigour and readiness so that delivery teams receive programmes that are fully prepared and strategically sound.
• Support joint decision‑making and consistent communication across the digital transformation lifecycle
9. Corporate Leadership Responsibilities
• Contribute to the wider Digital Senior Leadership Team and corporate agenda across both Trusts.
• Deputise for the Group Deputy CDIO when required, providing senior leadership across the directorate.
• Uphold NHS behavioral standards, equality and diversity commitments, sustainability responsibilities and the Group’s values.
• Ensure confidentiality, safety, governance and regulatory compliance within all areas of work.
This advert closes on Monday 6 Apr 2026
The role provides confident senior leadership of the Group’s digital strategy roadmap and investment planning working closely with Executives senior clinicians operational leaders and system partners to ensure alignment with clinical operational and corporate priorities. You will lead the strategic front end of digital transformation shaping prioritisation planning governance business cases & benefits and ensuring programmes are fully scoped risk‑assessed and assured before moving into delivery. You will oversee the development of digital business cases, capital proposals and strategic funding plans as well as divisional CIP alignment and capital planning ensuring investment decisions are evidence‑based and sequenced effectively. The role requires building strong and influential relationships across senior clinical operational corporate & digital stakeholders acting as a trusted advisor on digital priorities risks benefits & resources & representing digital strategy across boards & system forums. You will ensure programmes are organisationally ready through capacity planning governance stakeholder engagement & risk mitigation & lead communications that build confidence and readiness for digital change. As the leader you will bring deep expertise in methodologies governance and benefits realisation. You will also act as a senior ambassador for digital strategy across both Trusts and the wider system ensuring consistency convergence and effective partnership working.
North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities and we are part of the Bristol NHS Group.
Recognised as the Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff at the Nursing Times Workforce Summit and Awards 2025, our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.
North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.
Job Title:Associate Director of Digital Programmes (Strategy & Investment)
Band:8d
Reports to:Group Deputy Chief Digital Information Officer
Base:NBT / UHBW
Role Purpose
The Associate Director of Digital Programmes (Strategy & Investment) is the senior strategic lead responsible for setting the digital direction for the Group, shaping the digital roadmap, and ensuring that all programmes are fully planned, prioritised, governed and investment‑ready before entering delivery.
This is one of two Band 8d Associate Director roles in the Digital Services leadership structure. While the Delivery Associate Director leads the execution of digital programmes,this Strategy & Investment role ensures every programme is strategically sound, financially viable, sequenced correctly and organisationally ready for successful delivery.
The two roles work in close partnership to ensure seamless transition from planning into execution.
You will be joining ahighly competent, experienced and well‑established team, with strong foundations and a clear plan already in place. The successful candidate will build on this existing strength, accelerate strategic alignment, and uplift our capability in digital planning, prioritisation and investment management.
This is a role for anexperienced, senior digital leader— someone “ready‑to‑go”, confident working with very senior clinical, operational and executive colleagues, and able to provide authoritative direction in a complex and high‑profile environment.
Main Duties & Responsibilities 1. Strategic Leadership & Digital Roadmap• Lead the development, refinement and oversight of the Group’s digital roadmap, ensuring alignment with clinical, operational and corporate strategies.
• Shape strategic priorities across both Trusts, providing clear, evidence‑based recommendations on investment, sequencing and organisational impact.
• Drive convergence, interoperability and shared digital platforms across the Group.
• Ensure digital planning aligns with requirements for cyber security, clinical safety, data and analytics, and information governance.
2. Portfolio Strategy, Planning & Prioritisation
• Lead the strategic “front end” of the digital portfolio, ensuring all programmes are well‑defined, fully scoped and ready for delivery.
• Establish and maintain prioritisation frameworks that balance organisational need, strategic value, affordability and readiness.
• Oversee strategic options appraisal, business case development and programme justification.
• Ensure benefits are identified early, measurable, realistic, and tied directly to organisational objectives.
3. Governance, Assurance & Risk Management
• Design and operate robust governance for the digital portfolio, ensuring every programme meets required standards before moving to delivery.
• Lead Portfolio Management Office (PMO) processes, including reporting structures, controls, documentation and programme assurance.
• Oversee Group‑wide digital risk management and programme risk assessment.
• Provide clear, high‑quality assurance reporting to the Group Digital Programme Board, Digital Committee, and Executive forums.
4. Financial & Investment Leadership
• Lead the creation and assurance of all digital business cases, ensuring they are strategically aligned, financially robust and benefits‑driven.
• Provide senior oversight of divisional Cost Improvement Programmes (CIPs) related to digital transformation.
• Shape and coordinate the digital capital programme, ensuring future investments are justified, sequenced and affordable.
• Maintain oversight of digital revenue and capital budgets relevant to strategic planning.
5. Organisational Readiness & Change Enablement
• Ensure all programmes have the necessary governance, capacity modelling, workforce planning, benefits frameworks, risks, dependencies and engagement strategies in place prior to delivery.
• Lead organisational readiness assessments and prepare the Trusts for change at scale.
• Work closely with the Delivery Associate Director to ensure smooth handover from planning into execution.
• Develop strategic communication and engagement plans to build understanding and support across both Trusts.
6. Senior Stakeholder Leadership & Collaboration• Operate as a senior, trusted advisor to executives, senior clinicians, operational leaders and corporate directors.
• Work collaboratively with senior stakeholders across NBT, UHBW and the wider ICS/ICB to align digital priorities and manage interdependencies.
• Influence Board‑level and system‑level decision‑making on digital investment, strategic risk and portfolio direction.
• Represent the Digital Services Directorate in strategic forums, committees and external partnerships.
7. Leadership of the Strategy & Investment Function
• Lead, mentor and develop the Digital Programme Strategy & Investment team, including programme planning, portfolio management, business case and PMO specialists.
• Promote a high‑performance culture that values accountability, delivery, professional development and wellbeing.
• Ensure the team continues to build on strong existing foundations and maintain its reputation for professional excellence.
8. Partnership with the Delivery Associate Director
• Work closely and proactively with the Delivery Associate Director to ensure shared understanding of programme scope, sequencing, risks and dependencies.
• Provide clarity, rigour and readiness so that delivery teams receive programmes that are fully prepared and strategically sound.
• Support joint decision‑making and consistent communication across the digital transformation lifecycle
9. Corporate Leadership Responsibilities
• Contribute to the wider Digital Senior Leadership Team and corporate agenda across both Trusts.
• Deputise for the Group Deputy CDIO when required, providing senior leadership across the directorate.
• Uphold NHS behavioral standards, equality and diversity commitments, sustainability responsibilities and the Group’s values.
• Ensure confidentiality, safety, governance and regulatory compliance within all areas of work.
This advert closes on Monday 6 Apr 2026