Director of Regulatory Affairs

Job overview

Interview Date: 11th August 2026

University Hospitals Sussex is the subject of an important Independent Maternity Review (IMR), commissioned by the Department of Health on behalf of the Secretary of State. This is due to commence in October 2026 and is expected to last at least 3 years. The review will examine approximately 1,000 cases of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, maternal deaths, neonatal harm due to severe brain injury and severe maternal harm dating back to at least 2018 to understand what happened, reach conclusions on the care provided, provide answers for families and identify learning for the organisation and wider NHS. The review is, by its’ very nature, extremely sensitive and politically charged. The impact is expected to be significant for the families at the heart of the review, current and past staff and the wider organisation.

Main duties of the job

The Director of Regulatory Affairs works closely with the Chief Executive and Chief Nursing Officer to ensure the Trust able to meet the requirements of the review process itself and its wider impacts. The role acts as the dedicated senior leadership support to the review, ensuring the Trust provides a professional service to the IMR team, families, staff and other critical stakeholders. They will establish and manage a dedicated specialist IMR team and network of corporate support ; embed day to day management systems ; implement an effective and sensitive system of communications and stakeholder engagement ; liaise with critical corporate teams ; commission and test the effectiveness of enhanced staff support and establish the governance and reporting requirements associated with the review – internally to Executive and Board, to NHSE, DHSC, ICB and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees. The role will also be a principal point of contact for regulatory and investigative processes which may follow on from the findings of the IMR team – particularly referral to regulatory bodies, legal claims and Sussex Police.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Trust is the subject of an active police investigation – Operation Bramber – focused on General Surgery. The post holder will also be the senior leader with responsibility for liaison with Sussex Police, providing information to the investigation team, tracking progress, risks and issues ; communicating with the Divisional Leadership Team, Executive and Board and ensuring the Trust is positioned to respond to the impacts of the investigation.

Leadership & Management

• Provide credible, politically astute expert advice and support to senior Trust leaders, particularly the Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Executive on planning for, implementing and iterating the Trust’s response to the IMR and Operation Bramber.
• Exercise judgement to identify the ramifications of the Trust’s
• Anticipate and work to mitigate the impacts of the IMR and investigations on public trust and confidence in the organisation.
• Act as the Trust’s most senior manager responsible for meeting the day to day requirements of the IMR, Operation Bramber and any police investigation which may follow as a result of the IMR.  Be a visible and credible leader, modelling and reinforcing the Trust values and behaviours at all times. Set the appropriate tone given the gravity and sensitivity of the subject matter.
• Scope and implement a new dedicated infrastructure to support the IMR and Operation Bramber – a dedicated contact centre and process to receive all requests for information, log responsibilities and evidence the response ; enhanced clinical, wellbeing and analytical support to the clinical services at the heart of the review and a network of corporate support.
• Manage the dedicated IMR support team, establishing clear roles and responsibilities, setting standards and objectives and providing constructive feedback. Promote a culture where staff feel psychologically safe reporting errors and concerns, that they are empowered to learn from mistakes and iteratively improve.
• Ensure the Trust abides by regulatory and legal standards in servicing the IMR and Police processes, including GDPR and Caldicott principles for handling sensitive, personal information ; employee relations policies ; FOI timelines and and standing financial instructions.
• Lead planning for the IMR as part of the trust business planning and budget setting process – specifying the infrastructure and non pay needs of the review and investigations to ensure the service stays resilient. Liaise with the Legal, HR, Digital, Communications, Business Intelligence and Corporate and Quality Governance teams to scope and agree specialist input to the review and any parallel police investigations.
• Oversee and be accountable for the IMR and Bramber budgets and achieving value for money from the Trust’s resources.
• Work with the Executive, Chair and Non Executive chairs of Board sub-committees to establish the internal governance arrangements for the IMR and police investigations, providing assurance and escalating risks and issues to the appropriate level.
• With the CNO, lead reporting on the progress of the IMR and Police Operations to the DHSC-NHSE, the ICB, Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees and MPs.

Information Management

• Manage production of the induction materials required to orientate the IMR team to the Trust and ensure data quality checks have been undertaken.
• Establish the processes by which case records meeting the criteria are pulled, screened, encrypted and uploaded to provide timely information to case review team. Identify and mitigate any risks to meeting the requirements of the IMR including agreed turnaround times.
• Ensure appropriate information sharing agreements are in place with other organisations.
• Risk assess the quality and availability of clinical records and corporate documents, develop mitigations and highlight critical risks to the CNO and CEO.
• Agree the processes for gathering and maintaining a live log of corporate documents needed to service the review and police investigations.
• Ensure the Legal and HR teams are positioned to respond to claims from families within the scope of the IMR, referrals to professional bodies and to the Police.

Communications and Support for Families

• Embed a trauma-informed approach to working with families affected by the IMR and Bramber and reduce the psychological impact of the process wherever possible.
• Work with the review Chair, CEO and CNO to agree an opt-in mechanism to allow direct communication between families and the Trust and enable restorative steps to be taken.
• Work with the Head of Communication to develop the Communications strategy and grid for the programme. Identify potential communications risks and work to mitigate areas of concern.
• Ensure Trust communications about the IMR, Police investigations and any routine communications on relevant issues are timely, sensitive, accessible and accurate
• Work with the Women and Childrens’ services, advocacy groups and the MNVP to develop electronic, telephone and hard copy information for families who wish to be involved in the review or discuss anxieties about their care.
• Collaborate with the IMR team to enable seldom heard voices to participate in the review eg families from BAME groups, women with mental health and substance misuse needs, travellers
• Work with the Executive leadership team of Women and Childrens’ Services to establish a regular series of engagement meetings and be a visible presence at those meetings, leading discussions where necessary. Manage tensions and behaviours at odds with Trust values.

Staff Wellbeing

• Identify gaps in the current wellbeing offer for staff in the services at the heart of the IMR and Operation Bramber.
• Commission additional support and check the effectiveness of the support with teams concerned
• Act as a visible source of advice and support to staff and leaders in the affected services, responding with empathy and sensitivity.
• Signpost staff into relevant Trust processes to resolve issues being escalated.
• Act as a safe space for senior staff to reflect on their own concerns and fears.
• Triangulate staff feedback with issues emerging through other routes eg Freedom to Speak Up

Assurance, Governance and Risk

• Set and monitor key performance indicators for the IMR and Operation Bramber.
• Identify and own IMR and Operation Bramber related risks on the Corporate Risk Register
• Generate clear, well crafted assurance reports for the Board, regulators, commissioners and other stakeholders.
• Commission independent sources of assurance where appropriate e.g. through Auditors, Royal Colleges or framework consultancies.
• Work with the CEO, CNO and Leadership to agree the evidence thresholds to be used to determine actions have been completed and embedded.

Learning and Development

• Attend mandatory training updates as required
• Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process
• Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales
• Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with their line manager
• Participate in the Trust’s appraisal process to discuss how the role will help deliver the best possible care to our patients and help to deliver any changes in service
• Promote services and the Trust by taking part in regional and national conferences and forums
• This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.