SEHSCT_Innovation Lead Band 8B

Job details

• Branch: Trustwide (SEHSCT)
• Location: UH,Trust Headquarters
• Salary: Band 8b (£64,455 - £74,896 )
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Opening Date: 15/05/26
• Closes: Fri, 29 May 2026 @ 5:30 PM
• Interview Dates: To be confirmed

Notes

If you are submitting a manual application, please post it to: Recruitment Shared Services, Rosewood Villa, Longstone Hospital Site, 73 Loughgall Road, Armagh, BT61 7PR. Applications received after the advertised closing date/time cannot be considered, so please allow enough time for postage. “A waiting list may be created for similar posts that may arise while the waiting list is live, this may include temporary or part-time posts. This will be managed in line with the updated HSC waiting list principles effective from 1 April 2026”. Where a part-time waiting list is required, one part-time waiting list will be created- regardless of any specific hours advertised, this waiting list will cover all future vacancies where part-time posts arise. A part-time post is defined as any post that has less than 37.5 hours per week.” Please remember to save or print a copy of the job description before submitting your application, as it will not be accessible afterwards. Flexible Working We welcome flexible working requests from day one. All HSC organisations offer a range of flexible working options. The options available for this post will depend on the requirements of the role. Find out more about flexible working options on our website.

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE

Innovation Lead

BAND

Band 8B

DIRECTORATE

Planning, Performance and Informatics

LOCATION

QIIC, Trust Headquarters, Ulster Hospital

REPORTS TO

Assistant Director of Quality Improvement and

Innovation

ACCOUNTABLE TO

Assistant Director of Quality Improvement and

Innovation

JOB SUMMARY

South Eastern Trust has embarked on a Quality journey with the launch of the Quality 4 All Strategy, introducing a Quality Management System into the organisation. Quality Improvement and Innovation are central to this strategy, continuing to transform the culture of the Trust to become a learning organisation.

The Innovation Lead will be part of the central Quality team developing and supporting the conditions for improvement, system design and innovation, providing leadership and expertise.

They will contribute to the Innovation plans and reports, develop multi-disciplinary innovation collaboration, including with industry, academic and public partners, and support these to apply for funding to solve priority challenges.

They will support the Trust in providing advice, testing of ideas, proof of concepts and prototypes. They will offer evaluations of ideas, products and services.

The post-holder will be responsible for a broad portfolio of improvement activities and organisational interactions.

Population Health and community partnership is a focus of Quality 4 All. This will require the post-holder to work with senior leadership teams within the Trust and regionally with key partners including HSCQI, Universities, Service Users and Carer organisations.

The post holder will teach and mentor on improvement methodology, service design and innovation and represent the Trust at numerous internal and external learning events

The post holder will work closely with other members of Planning Performance and Informatics team applying a quality management approach, developing structures and culture towards a learning system.

The post holder will be committed to integrating sustainability into quality improvement to create a more ethical and sustainable healthcare system.

KEY DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

Main Responsibilities

To support innovation and design thinking with teams and senior leaders across the Trust

To build expertise in collating, analysing and reviewing complex data sets

To have experience and skill in evaluating impact of change initiatives across organisations

To foster co-production in innovation and improvements across the Trust

To promote and support the publication of improvement initiatives, system design and innovation I in conferences, journals and reports

To collaborate with the Trust research team.

To support innovation, research and improvement funding bids from external organisations

Working closely with the ICT team to support innovation and system redesign

To be a member of the Trust’s internal teaching faculty for the QI Academy.

V5 – Released 29.11.2019____________________________________________________________________________Page of

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Managerial Responsibilities

Be directly responsible for the line management of Improvement Advisors

Manage a devolved budget on behalf of the Assistant Director: and ensure effective and efficient use of resources

Contribute to service planning activities working with other members of the PPI directorate

Support the Assistant Director in Quality Improvement and Innovation in contributing to the Quality for All Strategy, the Trust Delivery Plan and Directorate management plan and the delivery and monitoring of standards and targets

Promote and develop clinical and managerial partnerships and joint working internal and external to the Trust in line with the Trust strategic direction.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The Organisation supports and promotes a culture of collective leadership where those who have responsibility for managing other staff:

Establish and promote a supportive, fair and open culture that encourages and enables all parts of the team to have clearly aligned goals and objectives, to meet the required performance standards and to achieve continuous improvement in the services they deliver.

Ensure access to skills and personal development through appropriate training and support.

Promote a culture of openness and honesty to enable shared learning.

Encourage, empower others in their team to achieve their goals and reach their full potential through regular supportive conversation, and shared decision making.

Adhere to and promote Organisational policy and procedure in all staffing matters, participating as appropriate in a way which underpins The Organisation’s values.

RAISING CONCERNS - RESPONSIBILITIES

The post holder will promote and support effective team working, fostering a culture of openness and transparency.

The post holder will ensure that they take all concerns raised with them seriously and act in accordance with the Trust’s ‘Your Right to Raise a Concern (Whistleblowing)’ policy and their professional code of conduct, where applicable.

The post holder will, in the event of a concern being raised with them, ensure that it is managed correctly under the Trust’s ‘Your Right to Raise a Concern (Whistleblowing)’ policy and ensure feedback/learning is communicated at individual, team and organisational level.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The post holder will be required to

Ensure the Trust’s policy on equality of opportunity is promoted through his/her own actions and those of any staff for whom he/she has responsibility.

Co-operate fully with the implementation of the Trust's Health and Safety arrangements, reporting any accidents/incidents/equipment defects to his/her manager, and maintaining a clean, uncluttered and safe environment for patients/clients, members of the public and staff.

Adhere at all times to all Trust policies/codes of conduct, including for example

Smoke Free policy

IT Security Policy and Code of Conduct

standards of attendance, appearance and behaviour

Contribute to ensuring the highest standards of environmental cleanliness within your designated area of work.

Co-operate fully with regard to Trust policies and procedures relating to infection prevention and control.

All employees of the Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the Trust including patients/clients, corporate and administrative records whether paper-based or electronic and also including emails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information act 2000 the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant with the [org name] policy and procedures on records management and to seek advice if in doubt.

Take responsibility for his/her own on-going learning and development, in order to maximise his/her potential and continue to meet the demands of the post.

Represent the Trust’s commitment to providing the highest possible standard of service to patients/clients and members of the public, by treating all those with whom he/she comes into contact in the course of work, in a pleasant, courteous and respectful manner.

This Job Description will be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.

It is a standard condition that all Trust staff may be required to serve at any location within the Trust's area, as needs of the service demand.

eHealth

The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust has invested in eHealth to deliver better, faster, safer care to our community and is committed to supporting staff to utilise associated information systems that directly and indirectly inform care. Trust staff are therefore required to commit sufficient time to ensure that they acquire and/or retain the core technology skills required to support their role.

Personal and Public Involvement (PPI)

Staff members are expected to involve patients, clients, carers and the wider community were relevant, in developing, planning and delivering our services in a meaningful and effective way, as part of the Trust’s ongoing commitment to Personal and Public Involvement (PPI).

Please use the link below to access the PPI standards leaflet for further information. http://www.publichealth.hscni.net/sites/default/files/PPI_leaflet.pdf

April 2026

PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION

JOB TITLE AND BAND: Innovation Lead

DEPARTMENT / DIRECTORATE: Quality Team / Planning Performance and

Informatics

SALARY: Band 8B

HOURS: 18.5 per week

Ref No: 55610268 April 2026

Notes to applicants

You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria.

Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form. Please note the

Trust reserves the right to use any desirable criteria outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting.

You must clearly demonstrate on your application form how you meet the desirable criteria.

Proof of qualifications and/or professional registration will be required if an offer of employment is made – if you are unable to provide this, the offer may be withdrawn.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

SECTION 1: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will initially be measured at shortlisting stage although may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form whether or not you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is stated below.

Factor

Criteria

Method of Assessment

Experience/

Qualifications/

Registration

1. Have a HSC or innovation related University degree OR

Professional qualification and a minimum of 3 years experience in an innovation role

OR

Shortlisting by

Application Form

Specialist Training in Innovation and experience of leading strategic change in organisations

2. Ability to research and implement new technologies to aid system redesign and modernization of services

3. Proven experience in securing funding from a range of sources, for example, public sector grants, innovation funds and private investment.

4. Demonstrate ability to lead and deliver complex innovation projects.

Other

Hold a current full driving licence which is valid for use in the UK and have access to a car on appointment. This criteria will be waived in the case of applicants whose disability prohibits driving but who have access to a form of transport approved by the Trust which will permit them to carry out the duties of the post

Shortlisting by

Application Form

SECTION 2: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will be measured during the interview/ selection stage:

Skills / Abilities

Experience of collating, analysing and presenting high quality information analysis using a range of Improvement and analytical tools.

Have worked with a diverse range of stakeholders, both internal and external to the organisation to achieve successful outcomes

Strong Project management skills, including planning, governance and performance monitoring

Data analytic skills

Experience of dissemination and publication of innovation or improvement work.

Interview / Test

Ability to work on own initiative and without supervision and work to tight deadlines

Good team player

Excellent information management skills

Excellent verbal and written presentation skills

Leadership skills involving Problem solving, negotiation, facilitation, networking etc

Knowledge

Ability to demonstrate practical use of information technology systems such as

Microsoft Office including Word, Excel,

Powerpoint, Power BI and reporting systems.

Be able to demonstrate a clear knowledge of innovation theory and the practical

application in a health and social care setting

Management of change knowledge and leading organisational change.

System design theory knowledge

Interview / Test

DESIRABLE CRITERIA

SECTION 3: these will ONLY be used where it is necessary to introduce additional job related criteria to ensure files are manageable. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted

Factor

Criteria

Method of Assessment

Experience

Experience of contributing to organisation/ team’s sustainability strategy and practice.

Shortlisting by

Application Form

Experience of population health impact evaluation

Have the ability to develop others through a range of teaching approaches from formal teaching to less formal methods such as coaching, mentoring and consulting

Working with Senior Staff across the region.

Evidence of Continuous Professional Development in the area of QI, Innovation and System Design.

Qualifications

Shortlisting by

Application Form

Volunteering experience may be considered appropriate in particular for roles within the context of direct patient/client care.

If invited for interview please be aware that your interview may include an aspect of Value Based Interviewing. The Trust Behaviours set out in the job description reflect our Trusts values and our expectations of all employees. You may find this helpful when preparing for your interview.

To access a copy of the Access NI Code of Practice, please Click here

The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust has guidance on the Recruitment of

People with Criminal Convictions. To access a copy of this guidance, please Click

Here

Protecting and using your information

To access a copy of the Trust’s Data Protection Policy Statement, Click Here

As part of the Recruitment & Selection process it may be necessary for The Organisation to carry out an Enhanced Disclosure Check through Access NI before any appointment to this post can be confirmed.

THE ORGANISATION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER

Successful applicants

may be required to attend for a Health Assessment

can expect to be placed at the minimum point of the pay scale, although a higher starting salary, within the range of the pay band may be available if the person appointed has experience relevant & equivalent to the post. Request for recognition of previous service with non-direct NHS/HSC organisations towards starting salary and incremental credit must be made via the Retained Recruitment team within 3 months from commencement of employment. Requests made after 3 months will not be considered. If the successful candidate is an existing HSC employee moving to a higher band, AfC Pay on Promotion will apply.

are able to request Flexible Working from the 1st day of their employment. A number of flexible working provisions are offered by all HSC Organisations including Full-time working, Fixed working patterns, Part-time working, Flexi-time, Compressed/elongated hours, Average hours working patterns, Term-time working, Job-share or Homeworking for some or all of the working pattern, depending on the role being undertaken. Successful applicants are encouraged to discuss with their manager what Flexible Working provisions may be available in the role they are taking up, prior to commencing employment, to help them achieve a positive Work/Life Balance

All staff are expected to display the HSC Values at all times