Job summary
Are you a driven professional ready to shape the future of health and care services? Join our Research, Data & Digital Directorate as Deputy Governance & General Manager.In this key leadership role, you'll champion operational excellence, driving improvements and efficiencies across the directorate. You'll lead the development of governance frameworks, manage risk, and ensure a safe, compliant environment. Collaborating with senior leaders, you'll enhance strategic planning, project delivery, and assurance processes. Acting as a subject matter expert, you'll oversee audit readiness, business process governance, and procurement. Your insight will support high-quality decision-making and continuous service improvement. If you thrive in dynamic settings and are passionate about good governance, we invite you to bring your expertise and make a meaningful impact with us.
Main duties of the job
The Deputy Governance & General Manager will lead governance, risk, and compliance across the Directorate, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities. You will develop and implement policies and governance processes that promote efficiency, assurance, and compliance. Balancing Agile approaches with robust oversight, you'll act as the operational lead for business process governance, support planning cycles, and drive continuous service improvement. You will provide leadership across cross-functional teams, oversee all Directorate procurement activity, and ensure sound financial stewardship. A key part of the role involves building collaborative relationships and managing committee governance for boards, enabling effective decision-making and strategic delivery.
For further information on Public Health Wales please visithttps://phw.nhs.wales/
About us
We are Public Health Wales - the national public health agency in Wales. Our purpose is 'Working together for a healthier Wales'. We exist to help everyone in Wales live longer, healthier, happier lives. Together with our partners, we work to increase healthy life expectancy, improve health and well-being, and reduce inequalities for everyone in Wales, now and for future generations.
Our teams work to prevent disease, protect health, and provide leadership, specialist services and public health expertise. We are the leading source of public health information, research and innovation in Wales. In a world facing complex health challenges, our work has never been so important.
We are guided by our Values, 'Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference'. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace that values equality and diversity. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of the communities we serve and are supportive of flexible working arrangements, including part time roles and job sharing.
To find out more about working for us and the benefits we offer please visit https://phw.nhs.wales/careers/
For guidance on the application process, please visithttps://phw.nhs.wales/working-for-us/applicant-information-and-guidance/
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Deputy Governance & General Manager is a pivotal leadership role within the Research, Data, and Digital Directorate. This position is central to embedding robust governance, risk management, and operational excellence across the Directorates functions. The postholder will bring strategic insight, practical leadership, and a collaborative mindset to ensure governance not only meets compliance standards but also fosters innovation, agility, and service quality.
Working closely with senior leaders, the Deputy will lead the development and implementation of governance frameworks, compliance mechanisms, and business processes that align with organisational priorities. This includes acting as a key advisor to the Directorates leadership team, ensuring that decision-making is well-informed, risk-aware, and supported by transparent governance structures and robust evidence.
The role demands a proactive approach to managing governance cycles, risk registers, safeguarding protocols, and information governance. The postholder will be responsible for designing and delivering policies and procedures that support continuous improvement and audit readiness. This includes coordinating responses to internal and external audits, monitoring compliance with recommendations, and maintaining documentation control systems that support effective audit trails.
In addition to governance responsibilities, the Deputy will lead business process governance across the Directorate, driving consistency, standardisation, and alignment with strategic goals. The role involves coordinating input into integrated medium-term planning (IMTP), resource mapping, and prioritisation of delivery. A key focus will be on identifying and implementing opportunities to streamline processes, reduce risk, and enhance service impact, with a strong emphasis on embedding user-centred design into service change initiatives.
The Deputy will also play a critical role in programme and project delivery, leading small to medium-scale projects with a focus on governance integration, operational change, and delivery assurance. This includes monitoring project milestones, managing risks and issues, and providing actionable insights to stakeholders. The postholder will support transformation programmes and agile implementation, ensuring governance frameworks adapt to dynamic delivery contexts.
Financial governance is another core aspect of the role. The Deputy will lead all Directorate procurement activities, ensuring alignment with organisational policies and regulations. This includes coordinating financial governance processes such as business case development, procurement specifications, and tracking of financial data. The postholder will ensure compliance with Standing Financial Instructions and procurement regulations, and provide financial insights and forecasts to support strategic and operational decision-making.
Committee governance is a key responsibility, with the Deputy managing governance cycles for key Directorate boards and committees. This includes ensuring efficient administration, high-quality reporting, and effective collaboration across teams. Building and maintaining strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders will be essential to the success of this role.
Overall, the Deputy Governance & General Manager will be a driving force behind the Directorates commitment to excellence, continuous improvement, and effective service delivery. The role offers a unique opportunity to influence strategic direction, enhance operational performance, and contribute to the transformation of health and care services through effective governance and leadership.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.
The Job Description and Personal Specification provide full details.
Interview Date: 8 October 2025 in Cardiff
Interview Style: Presentation, assessment and in person interview
For further details contact:
Hilary Parsons
Governance & General Manager
hilary.parsons@wales.nhs.uk
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Deputy Governance & General Manager is a pivotal leadership role within the Research, Data, and Digital Directorate. This position is central to embedding robust governance, risk management, and operational excellence across the Directorates functions. The postholder will bring strategic insight, practical leadership, and a collaborative mindset to ensure governance not only meets compliance standards but also fosters innovation, agility, and service quality.
Working closely with senior leaders, the Deputy will lead the development and implementation of governance frameworks, compliance mechanisms, and business processes that align with organisational priorities. This includes acting as a key advisor to the Directorates leadership team, ensuring that decision-making is well-informed, risk-aware, and supported by transparent governance structures and robust evidence.
The role demands a proactive approach to managing governance cycles, risk registers, safeguarding protocols, and information governance. The postholder will be responsible for designing and delivering policies and procedures that support continuous improvement and audit readiness. This includes coordinating responses to internal and external audits, monitoring compliance with recommendations, and maintaining documentation control systems that support effective audit trails.
In addition to governance responsibilities, the Deputy will lead business process governance across the Directorate, driving consistency, standardisation, and alignment with strategic goals. The role involves coordinating input into integrated medium-term planning (IMTP), resource mapping, and prioritisation of delivery. A key focus will be on identifying and implementing opportunities to streamline processes, reduce risk, and enhance service impact, with a strong emphasis on embedding user-centred design into service change initiatives.
The Deputy will also play a critical role in programme and project delivery, leading small to medium-scale projects with a focus on governance integration, operational change, and delivery assurance. This includes monitoring project milestones, managing risks and issues, and providing actionable insights to stakeholders. The postholder will support transformation programmes and agile implementation, ensuring governance frameworks adapt to dynamic delivery contexts.
Financial governance is another core aspect of the role. The Deputy will lead all Directorate procurement activities, ensuring alignment with organisational policies and regulations. This includes coordinating financial governance processes such as business case development, procurement specifications, and tracking of financial data. The postholder will ensure compliance with Standing Financial Instructions and procurement regulations, and provide financial insights and forecasts to support strategic and operational decision-making.
Committee governance is a key responsibility, with the Deputy managing governance cycles for key Directorate boards and committees. This includes ensuring efficient administration, high-quality reporting, and effective collaboration across teams. Building and maintaining strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders will be essential to the success of this role.
Overall, the Deputy Governance & General Manager will be a driving force behind the Directorates commitment to excellence, continuous improvement, and effective service delivery. The role offers a unique opportunity to influence strategic direction, enhance operational performance, and contribute to the transformation of health and care services through effective governance and leadership.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.
The Job Description and Personal Specification provide full details.
Interview Date: 8 October 2025 in Cardiff
Interview Style: Presentation, assessment and in person interview
For further details contact:
Hilary Parsons
Governance & General Manager
hilary.parsons@wales.nhs.uk
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- Level 7 qualification / Masters or equivalent
- Agile, Kanban or SAfe Project Manager Certified Practitioner
- Specialist knowledge of a broad range of management functions e.g. HR, Finance, Estates, H&S and Risk
- Strong understanding of NHS or public sector governance, finance, and compliance frameworks
- Serious Incident management certificate or proven experience
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a senior governance or operations role within a complex organisation
- Extensive experience of managing budgets, and full procurement processes at all thresholds levels
- Proven experience managing projects using Agile/Kanban or SAfe methodologies, in a formal project environment
- Experience of managing and organising multiple projects simultaneously
- Experience on writing and collating organisation audit responses/public enquiry responses
- Experience of generating plans, that are multi layered in various formats, including easy-read
- Experience of implementing, managing and auditing documentation control systems including the use of SharePoint
- Full understanding of the GDPR, Information Asset management, including completing of DPIA's and other impact assessments or data sharing agreements
- Risk Management including Strategic, Corporate, Directorate and Programme risks
- Experience of people management
- Experience of incident/complaint handling including serious incidents
Skills and Attributes
Essential
- Exceptional attention to detail aligned to auditing and finance practices
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills including presentation skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate and work effectively with a wide range of people from different backgrounds at all levels of seniority
- Confident in the understanding of the business administration life cycle and able to implement processes for successful monitoring and delivery of workstreams
- Proficient in the use of standard Microsoft software, such as Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint
- Ability to work under pressure whilst meeting deadlines and adapt to changes in demand and workload
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Able to work autonomously
- Able to work flexibly in a dynamic, fast paced, complex and demanding environment
Desirable
Other
Essential
- oAbility to travel between sites in a timely manner to meet the needs of the service
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- Level 7 qualification / Masters or equivalent
- Agile, Kanban or SAfe Project Manager Certified Practitioner
- Specialist knowledge of a broad range of management functions e.g. HR, Finance, Estates, H&S and Risk
- Strong understanding of NHS or public sector governance, finance, and compliance frameworks
- Serious Incident management certificate or proven experience
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a senior governance or operations role within a complex organisation
- Extensive experience of managing budgets, and full procurement processes at all thresholds levels
- Proven experience managing projects using Agile/Kanban or SAfe methodologies, in a formal project environment
- Experience of managing and organising multiple projects simultaneously
- Experience on writing and collating organisation audit responses/public enquiry responses
- Experience of generating plans, that are multi layered in various formats, including easy-read
- Experience of implementing, managing and auditing documentation control systems including the use of SharePoint
- Full understanding of the GDPR, Information Asset management, including completing of DPIA's and other impact assessments or data sharing agreements
- Risk Management including Strategic, Corporate, Directorate and Programme risks
- Experience of people management
- Experience of incident/complaint handling including serious incidents
Skills and Attributes
Essential
- Exceptional attention to detail aligned to auditing and finance practices
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills including presentation skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate and work effectively with a wide range of people from different backgrounds at all levels of seniority
- Confident in the understanding of the business administration life cycle and able to implement processes for successful monitoring and delivery of workstreams
- Proficient in the use of standard Microsoft software, such as Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint
- Ability to work under pressure whilst meeting deadlines and adapt to changes in demand and workload
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Able to work autonomously
- Able to work flexibly in a dynamic, fast paced, complex and demanding environment
Desirable
Other
Essential
- oAbility to travel between sites in a timely manner to meet the needs of the service
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
