Job summary
We are recruiting for a Deputy Head of Medical Device Support Serviceswho shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients. The Deputy Head of Medical Device Support Services provides senior operational and professional leadership across Sterile Services, Endoscopy Decontamination, EBME and Renal Technology. The postholder supports and deputises for the Head of Clinical Engineering & Sterile Services and acts with delegated authority on operational, technical, governance and regulatory matters. The role ensures safe, compliant and high-quality medical device support services across all Trust sites, promoting patient safety, service reliability and effective lifecycle management. The Deputy Head drives continuous improvement, leads complex investigations, supports strategic equipment planning and provides expert advice on national standards, legislation and technical risk. At the heart of everything we do are our core values:Include,Respect, andImprove. We encourage you to embrace these values throughout the recruitment process and in your role with us.
Main duties of the job
Provide senior day-to-day leadership for medical device support operations across all departments and Trust sites. Ensure full compliance with MHRA, CQC, HTMs, JAG, ISO and all relevant national standards. Act as senior technical authority, ensuring medical devices and decontamination systems are safe, reliable and fit for use. Lead governance activity, including PSIRF investigations, Root Cause Analysis and safety-related incident reviews. Manage workforce planning, staff development, recruitment, appraisals and professional competency frameworks. Support financial management through budget oversight, cost control, capital planning and supplier contract management. Drive service improvement, innovation and digital modernisation initiatives. Lead business continuity, resilience planning and operational responses to high-risk technical incidents. Collaborate with clinical, operational and corporate stakeholders; represent the service at internal and external meetings. Contribute to long-term strategic planning, equipment replacement programmes and service transformation.
About us
At East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general and specialist services we provide and our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible and innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.
We run the following hospitals:
- The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
- New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
- Hertford County, Hertford
- Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood
We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation and our staff and patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.
We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. This means that any employee is entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns and we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made and considered formally, and will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role.
Person Specification
Previous Experience
Essential
- Leadership & Team Management: Significant experience in leading, managing, and motivating a multidisciplinary team, including staff recruitment, performance monitoring, and appraisal.
- Project & Change Management: Proven ability to manage multiple projects, prioritise workloads, drive change, and deliver performance improvements on time and within budget
- Policy Development: Demonstrable experience in interpreting national guidance and developing and implementing policies and procedures across a complex healthcare environment.
- Experience working with medical devices, decontamination systems or equipment governance in a healthcare setting.
- Experience managing or contributing to complex investigations, audits and regulatory compliance.
- Experience advising senior stakeholders and presenting complex technical information clearly
- Experience with contract management, procurement processes or external supplier oversight.
Skills
Essential
- Change Management and Staff Development: Ability to collaborate with staff and drive positive change through training and development initiatives.
- Procurement & Evaluation: Skills in evaluating new equipment, developing technical specifications, managing trials, and feeding into the procurement strategy and business case process.
- Quality Management Systems: Experience in developing, implementing, and working within quality management systems, such as ISO 9001.
- Risk & Incident Management: Ability to lead investigations into medical device incidents, perform risk assessments, and implement solutions to mitigate identified risks and improves patient safety.
- Expert knowledge of medical devices: Deep understanding of the operation, function, maintenance, and application of a wide range of complex and patient-critical medical equipment.
- Problem Solving & Analytical Skills: High level of analytical and problem-solving skills to manage complex situations and find novel solutions.
- Attention to Detail: Meticulous attention to detail for accurate work, data analysis, and record-keeping
- Initiative & Autonomy: Ability to work autonomously, use initiative, and make sound judgments within defined parameters.
- Commitment to CPD: A strong commitment to continuing professional development to stay abreast of new technology and best practices.
Qualifications/Training
Essential
- A minimum of a BSc or HND in a relevant subject (e.g., Clinical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Physics, or a clinical discipline like Nursing).
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD): A commitment to ongoing learning and maintaining a CPD portfolio is essential.
Person Specification
Previous Experience
Essential
- Leadership & Team Management: Significant experience in leading, managing, and motivating a multidisciplinary team, including staff recruitment, performance monitoring, and appraisal.
- Project & Change Management: Proven ability to manage multiple projects, prioritise workloads, drive change, and deliver performance improvements on time and within budget
- Policy Development: Demonstrable experience in interpreting national guidance and developing and implementing policies and procedures across a complex healthcare environment.
- Experience working with medical devices, decontamination systems or equipment governance in a healthcare setting.
- Experience managing or contributing to complex investigations, audits and regulatory compliance.
- Experience advising senior stakeholders and presenting complex technical information clearly
- Experience with contract management, procurement processes or external supplier oversight.
Skills
Essential
- Change Management and Staff Development: Ability to collaborate with staff and drive positive change through training and development initiatives.
- Procurement & Evaluation: Skills in evaluating new equipment, developing technical specifications, managing trials, and feeding into the procurement strategy and business case process.
- Quality Management Systems: Experience in developing, implementing, and working within quality management systems, such as ISO 9001.
- Risk & Incident Management: Ability to lead investigations into medical device incidents, perform risk assessments, and implement solutions to mitigate identified risks and improves patient safety.
- Expert knowledge of medical devices: Deep understanding of the operation, function, maintenance, and application of a wide range of complex and patient-critical medical equipment.
- Problem Solving & Analytical Skills: High level of analytical and problem-solving skills to manage complex situations and find novel solutions.
- Attention to Detail: Meticulous attention to detail for accurate work, data analysis, and record-keeping
- Initiative & Autonomy: Ability to work autonomously, use initiative, and make sound judgments within defined parameters.
- Commitment to CPD: A strong commitment to continuing professional development to stay abreast of new technology and best practices.
Qualifications/Training
Essential
- A minimum of a BSc or HND in a relevant subject (e.g., Clinical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Physics, or a clinical discipline like Nursing).
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD): A commitment to ongoing learning and maintaining a CPD portfolio is essential.
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.
