Head of Built Environment IPC: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

We are seeking an exceptional and experienced Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) leader to join Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as our Head of Built Environment IPC.

This is a rare 24-month fixed-term opportunity to lead one of the most complex and high-profile built environment IPC portfolios in the NHS.

Working closely with the Director and Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control, you will provide strategic leadership and expert oversight across a broad portfolio including healthcare redevelopment programmes, capital projects, water safety, ventilation, decontamination, environmental risk management and estates-related infection prevention assurance.

As a senior member of the IPC leadership team, you will influence decision-making at site, divisional, executive and Board level, ensuring infection prevention principles are embedded within service transformation, healthcare infrastructure and operational planning.

We are looking for a registered healthcare professional with substantial senior-level IPC experience, strong leadership skills and a proven ability to manage complex risks, influence stakeholders and deliver improvement across organisational boundaries.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of built environment IPC within one of the UK’s leading academic health science centres while contributing to innovation, education, research and service excellence.

Informal visits/discussions are strongly recommended.

Main duties of the job

• You will provide strategic leadership for the Trust-wide built environment infection prevention and control portfolio, ensuring effective governance, assurance and risk management across healthcare infrastructure, redevelopment, water safety, ventilation, decontamination and environmental IPC programmes.
• Working closely with senior clinical, operational, estates and facilities colleagues, you will ensure infection prevention requirements are embedded throughout capital developments, refurbishment projects, service reconfigurations and operational activities.
• You will provide authoritative specialist advice, undertake complex risk assessments, oversee assurance arrangements and support the identification, mitigation and escalation of significant infection prevention risks.
• The role includes leading the development of strategy, policy and assurance frameworks; contributing specialist expertise to incident and outbreak management where environmental factors are relevant; and supporting organisational improvement through audit, education, research and innovation.
• You will represent the IPC service at senior internal and external forums and contribute to executive and Board-level reporting and assurance processes.
• You will provide professional leadership to staff within your portfolio, build effective partnerships across organisational boundaries and drive continuous improvement in infection prevention practice.

Person Specification

Education/ Qualifications

Essential

• Registered healthcare professional with a statutory regulator e.g. GMC, NMC, GPhC etc.
• Formal postgraduate qualification in IPC
• Educated to master’s level, working toward this or comparable experience
• Postgraduate Management development/qualification or equivalent demonstrable experience
• Evidence of continued professional development

Desirable

• PhD/Professional Doctorate or study at this level
• Professional publications PRINCE or other Project/Programme management qualification

Experience

Essential

• Substantial practical experience of providing senior IPC advice and assurance in relation to the built environment, including water safety, ventilation, decontamination, estates works and capital or redevelopment schemes.
• Experience of identifying, communicating and escalating significant or emerging risks, including challenging senior stakeholders and securing delivery of corrective actions across organisational boundaries
• Substantial senior experience at a senior clinical level leading and delivering services
• Significant IPC experience
• Extensive experience of implementing quality systems and benchmarking

Desirable

• Complaints management and experience of the litigation process.
• Experience of leading and successfully implementing service improvement/redesign programmes in a multi disciplinary environment/ across a range of services
• Proven track record and have demonstrable formal research expertise, knowledge and skills

Closing Date: 15 November 2026