Deputy Director of Cyber and IT Operations

Job summary

Stakeholder Event: 14th August 2026

Panel Interview: 21st August 2026

Deputy Director of Cyber & IT Operations (B9)

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trustis seeking a dynamic and visionary Deputy Director of Cyber & IT Operationsto join our senior leadership team at a pivotal time of transformation. This is a rare opportunity to lead digital operations at scale, supporting over 18,000 staff across seven hospitals and serving a population of 1.3 million people.

Reporting to the Chief Digital Information Officer (CDIO), you will play a central role in delivering our ambitious One UHSussex strategy, bringing together digital operations, infrastructure, data, and clinical coding into a cohesive, high-performing service. You will act as a trusted deputy to the CDIO, influencing decisions at Trust, regional and national levels.

This role offers significant breadth and impact. You will lead operational performance and technical strategy across cyber security, infrastructure, networks, service desk, end user support, and data services, ensuring high availability, resilience, and security of critical systems. Your leadership will be instrumental in driving service excellence, improving user experience, and enabling frontline staff to deliver outstanding patient care.

Main duties of the job

You will bring visible, inclusive leadership to multidisciplinary teams, fostering a positive culture and developing high-performing services. With responsibility for substantial budgets and resources, you will ensure value for money while balancing operational demands with strategic transformation programmes, including the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) programme and Sussex Pathology network (SPN). You will also deputise for the CIO.

A key element of the role is advancing cyber security and data quality, ensuring compliance with national standards and safeguarding sensitive patient information. You will lead incident response, risk management, and continuous improvement, while shaping policies and strategies that strengthen the Trust’s digital maturity.

We are looking for an experienced and credible digital leader with a strong track record in complex IT operations, strategic delivery, and stakeholder engagement. You will be resilient, forward-thinking, and able to navigate competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

If you are passionate about digital operations and want to make a tangible impact on patient outcomes, staff experience, and system-wide collaboration, this is your opportunity to lead change at scale within a forward-thinking NHS organisation.

Person Specification

Professional Registration

Essential

• Security certifications, including: CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional); CISM (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)

Experience/ Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to a minimum of Master’s degree level, or equivalent post graduate qualificatio
• Degree level or equivalent qualification specifically in IT/Informatics
• IT Service Management (ITSM) certifications
• Evidence of management development through Continuous Professional Development and/or formal management course
• Previous experience of all aspects of people management, from recruitment to dealing with disciplinary matters

Desirable

• ITIL 3 / 4
• Specialist training in areas such as: o Cyber Security o Risk Management o Certified Incident Manager o PRINCE2 / agile project management qualifications o MSP
• Previous experience of working in digital in the NHS or a healthcare setting.

Skills

Essential

• Significant relevant experience as a leader of IT operations environment with a high degree of complexity over an extended period
• Substantial experience of working to tight KPI’s/targets with the ability to work well under pressure to achieve these.
• Experience of working in a large and complex multi-tiered environment
• Recognised credible leader who can form and manage high I Significant knowledge and understanding of the NHS, including the political, strategic and operational environment in which it operates performance, output driven teams
• Experience of preparing and presenting reports of complex, sensitive or contentious information at senior forums
• Demonstrable track record in delivering complex targets and objectives to tight deadlines
• Resilient and tenacious in a fast paced and challenging environment
• Highly developed specialist knowledge and experience of managing IT Operations acquired over a significant period
• Significant knowledge and experience of applying budgeting, benefits tracking and demand management principles to both capital and revenue allocations
• Significant knowledge and experience of risk management
• Signification knowledge and experience of Capital planning

Desirable

• Significant knowledge and understanding of the NHS, including the political, strategic and operational environment in which it operates

People Management and Development

Essential

• Able to build relationships with ease, gaining trust and maintaining confidentiality at all levels.
• A flexible and a ‘can-do’ approach to work.
• Demonstrates compassionate leadership.
• Able to hold coaching conversations with team members, guiding and supporting as necessary.
• Commitment to CPD of self and others; maintaining relationships with NHS E to stay informed, looking at tools that could be the best for the organisation and keeping up to date with current threats e.g. listening to podcasts etc.
• Ability to add value as part of the digital leadership team across all areas of the organisation.

Specific Requirements

Essential

• Ability to synthesise and prioritise complex and potentially conflicting demands.
• Budgetary management experience
• Proven ability to stay on budget, on time and on plan with successful outcomes
• Participating on the Manager on-call rota
• Essential Car user – must hold full driving licence and have access to own vehicle for work purposes
• Attendance at local, regional and national meetings on behalf of the Trust

Freedom to Act

Essential

• Ability to work autonomously, liaise and coordinate the Management Team on a day-to-day basis and to take appropriate action as necessary
• Identify and adhere to best practice
• Responsible for own professional actions and have sufficient autonomy for the delivery of the role
• Able to interpret national and local guidance and to develop local policies to reflect standards

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Essential

• Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
• Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues

Closing Date: 29 July 2026