Executive Director of Delivery: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation TrustExecutive Director of DeliveryLocation: Trustwide (with regular travel and in-person visibility required)Salary: Attractive VSM

The new role of Executive Director of Delivery, a non-voting member of the board, will be the principal strategic adviser to the Chief Executive and Board. Reporting to the Chief Executive you will lead the delivery of our organisational strategy, transformation agenda and system partnerships, ensuring that strategic priorities are translated into clear plans, measurable outcomes and sustainable improvement.

Working closely with Executive colleagues, operational leaders and external partners, you will provide leadership, assurance and constructive challenge across strategy delivery, transformation, digital, data and stakeholder engagement. This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in helping shape the future direction of a large and complex NHS organisation at a significant point in its development.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking a credible senior leader with significant experience at, or close to, Board level in a large, complex organisation. You will have a strong track record of translating strategy into measurable outcomes, leading large-scale transformation, and building effective partnerships across organisational boundaries. A strong understanding of NHS governance, regulation and the financial context in which NHS organisations operate will be important, alongside the ability to build high levels of trust and influence with senior stakeholders. Above all, you will be a compassionate, inclusive and values-driven leader who brings pace, clarity and focus while enabling colleagues to deliver the best outcomes for patients, carers and communities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to master’s level, or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience gained through senior strategic leadership and management, supported by evidence of an externally accredited postgraduate or professional qualification relevant to the delivery portfolio.
• Degree or equivalent professional qualification.
• Evidence of significant continuing professional development.

Experience

Essential

• Significant senior leadership and management experience within a large, complex organisation, operating at or close to Executive Director and Board level.
• Significant and substantial experience of advising Chief Executives, Boards or equivalent senior governance forums on strategy, transformation and organisational delivery.
• Proven experience of translating strategy into coordinated delivery plans and measurable outcomes
• Demonstrable experience of leading large-scale organisation-wide transformation and complex programme or portfolio delivery.
• Experience of leading system and partnership transformation across organisational boundaries.
• Experience of integrated planning, cross-portfolio coordination and resolving complex organisational dependencies
• Experience of providing clear, evidence-based assurance on strategic delivery, performance, risk, controls and improvement.
• Experience of leading and developing senior leaders and multidisciplinary functions.
• Desirable experience of major digital-enabled change, benefits realisation and data or analytics-led improvement.
• Desirable experience of overseeing strategic communications and stakeholder engagement across complex partnerships, including during major change, emergencies and periods of heightened sensitivity or scrutiny.

Knowledge

Essential

• Extensive knowledge of strategy development and execution, integrated planning and organisational transformation within a large, complex organisation.
• Strong understanding of NHS strategy, governance, performance, regulatory and financial frameworks.
• Extensive knowledge of programme and portfolio management, benefits realisation, organisational improvement and delivery methodologies.
• Strong understanding of system leadership, partnership working and transformation across integrated health and care systems.
• Sufficient understanding of digital transformation, data, analytics and information governance to provide credible executive oversight and hold senior specialist leaders to account
• Understanding of corporate communications, stakeholder engagement, public and stakeholder confidence, and communications in complex or sensitive circumstances.
• Understanding of financial management, workforce planning, business planning, risk management and corporate governance.

Skills

Essential

• Highly developed executive leadership and management, communication, negotiation and influencing skills.
• Ability to communicate complex, sensitive and contentious information clearly and credibly.
• Strong strategic and analytical capability, with the ability to interpret highly complex organisational, performance, financial, workforce, digital and quality information.
• Ability to act as a credible strategic adviser to the Chief Executive and senior decision-makers.
• Ability to translate strategy into clear priorities, coordinated plans, accountabilities and measurable outcomes.
• Ability to create grip across complex priorities without displacing the accountability of other executive and functional leaders.
• Ability to lead and manage through complexity, ambiguity and change with compassion, resilience and pace.
• Ability to build strong and influential relationships across executive portfolios, organisations and systems.
• Ability to provide constructive challenge, exercise sound judgement and make effective decisions under pressure.
• Strong written and verbal presentation skills, including Board-level reporting.

Closing Date: 9 November 2026