Job summary
Agenda for Change Band 9 indicative
Are you a visionary leader who can shape the future of community healthcare across Sussex? We are seeking an exceptional Director of Strategy & Partnerships to lead the development of our long-term strategic direction and drive system-wide collaboration.
In this pivotal role, you will craft a clear, future-focused strategy that improves outcomes, tackles inequalities and supports sustainable, community-centred care. You will work at the heart of the Sussex Health & Care System--building influential partnerships, shaping integrated models of care, and leading the Trust's strategic planning, service development and external development agenda.
You will bring significant senior leadership experience in the NHS or a comparable complex system, a proven track record of transformation at scale, and exceptional skills in strategic thinking, relationship-building and change leadership. Confident with data, performance and complex business cases, you will be an inspiring leader who embodies our values of compassionate care, achieving ambitions, working together, and delivering excellence.
This is a rare opportunity to influence health outcomes for over 1.3 million people and help shape a healthier future for our communities.
Join us and lead strategy with purpose.
To Note - the interview date for those successfully shortlisted will be the 19th May 2026
Main duties of the job
You will lead the development of the Trust's long-term strategy, integrated business planning, commercial development and system partnerships. Working closely with executive colleagues, you will ensure our plans are aligned, evidence-based and deliver improved outcomes, reduced inequalities and sustainable community services.
Key areas include:
- Leading strategic planning (5-10 years) and enabling strategies.
- Building influential relationships across the ICS, local authorities and partners.
- Overseeing business planning, demand & capacity, and strategic capital development.
- Driving commercial strategy, bids and new business opportunities.
- Supporting major transformation programmes and strong governance.
- Leading a high-performing, inclusive Strategy & Partnerships function.
About us
We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.
Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.
Why work for us?o Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeingo Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussexo Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retiremento Excellent training, development, and research opportunitieso Accredited Living Wage Employer, we ensure fair pay for all our staffo Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brightono Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networkso Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust
Our values--Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence--guide everything we do.
We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.
This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will bring:
- Significant senior leadership experience in the NHS or similar complex system.
- A strong track record in strategy, transformation and partnership working.
- Excellent communication, analytical and financial skills.
- Experience of business cases, bids/tenders and commercial development.
- Compassionate, inclusive leadership aligned to SCFT values.
- Masters degree (or equivalent experience) and evidence of ongoing CPD.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will bring:
- Significant senior leadership experience in the NHS or similar complex system.
- A strong track record in strategy, transformation and partnership working.
- Excellent communication, analytical and financial skills.
- Experience of business cases, bids/tenders and commercial development.
- Compassionate, inclusive leadership aligned to SCFT values.
- Masters degree (or equivalent experience) and evidence of ongoing CPD.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
Person Specification
Qualifications and/or professional registration
Essential
- Master's degree (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field, with evidence of ongoing CPD.
- Deep knowledge of NHS strategic and service planning, including demand and capacity, and change/transformation.
- Strong understanding of financial, commercial and legal considerations relating to major programmes and business cases.
- Knowledge of programme and project management techniques and governance.
Desirable
- Recognised programme or portfolio qualification (e.g. MSP, MoP, PRINCE2).
- Postgraduate or professional qualification in a related discipline (e.g. clinical, organisational change, finance).
- Knowledge of digital transformation and sustainability.
Experience
Essential
- Substantial senior leadership experience in the NHS or a comparable complex system.
- Proven track record of developing and delivering strategy and leading major transformation and service redesign at pace and scale.
- Demonstrated success in system partnership working across organisational boundaries.
- Experience of working within performance frameworks, using BI/analytics insight.
- Experience of leading major programmes and producing and/or quality-assuring complex business cases, including capital schemes.
- Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage significant budgets and resources.
- Experience of commercial development, including bids/tenders and securing new income streams while safeguarding quality.
Other requirements
Essential
- Commitment to patient- and community-centred care, equality, diversity and inclusion, and environmental sustainability.
- Willingness to work flexibly and travel across Trust sites and system partners, including participation in a strategic on-call rota.
Person Specification
Qualifications and/or professional registration
Essential
- Master's degree (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field, with evidence of ongoing CPD.
- Deep knowledge of NHS strategic and service planning, including demand and capacity, and change/transformation.
- Strong understanding of financial, commercial and legal considerations relating to major programmes and business cases.
- Knowledge of programme and project management techniques and governance.
Desirable
- Recognised programme or portfolio qualification (e.g. MSP, MoP, PRINCE2).
- Postgraduate or professional qualification in a related discipline (e.g. clinical, organisational change, finance).
- Knowledge of digital transformation and sustainability.
Experience
Essential
- Substantial senior leadership experience in the NHS or a comparable complex system.
- Proven track record of developing and delivering strategy and leading major transformation and service redesign at pace and scale.
- Demonstrated success in system partnership working across organisational boundaries.
- Experience of working within performance frameworks, using BI/analytics insight.
- Experience of leading major programmes and producing and/or quality-assuring complex business cases, including capital schemes.
- Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage significant budgets and resources.
- Experience of commercial development, including bids/tenders and securing new income streams while safeguarding quality.
Other requirements
Essential
- Commitment to patient- and community-centred care, equality, diversity and inclusion, and environmental sustainability.
- Willingness to work flexibly and travel across Trust sites and system partners, including participation in a strategic on-call rota.
Additional information
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).
