Job summary
The Portfolio Lead is a senior role responsible for the strategic leadership, governance, and delivery of Public Health Wales' Digital and Data Portfolio. Reporting to the Director for Research, Data and Digital, the role ensures that digital transformation and data programmes are aligned with strategic priorities and deliver measurable improvements to public health services.
You will oversee a portfolio of complex, high-value programmes, providing expert leadership in planning, assurance, performance management, and stakeholder engagement. The role requires strong collaboration with clinical, operational, and national partners, ensuring that initiatives are co-designed, embedded effectively, and deliver long-term benefits.
This is a hands-on leadership position, requiring deep knowledge of digital innovation, governance frameworks, and service transformation. You will manage interdependencies, resources, and budgets while driving forward a culture of continuous improvement and digital maturity.
Main duties of the job
The Portfolio Lead is responsible for overseeing the successful delivery of Public Health Wales' Digital and Data Portfolio. The role provides strategic direction and day-to-day leadership across a wide range of digital transformation and data programmes, ensuring they are aligned with national and organisational priorities and deliver real, measurable benefits to services and citizens.
Working with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, the Portfolio Lead ensures that programmes are well-governed, effectively resourced, and deliver value. They manage complex programme interdependencies, lead business planning and assurance processes, and support continuous improvement across the portfolio.
A key part of the role is enabling innovation and transformation - ensuring digital solutions are co-designed, user-focused, and embedded in ways that support long-term service sustainability. The Portfolio Lead also plays a vital role in developing programme teams, building capability, and ensuring strong engagement with national digital bodies, NHS partners, and service users.
For further information on Public Health Wales please visithttps://phw.nhs.wales/
About us
We are Public Health Wales - the national public health organisation for Wales. Our purpose is 'working together for a healthier Wales'. We exist to help all people in Wales live longer, healthier lives. With our partners, we aim to increase healthy life expectancy, improve health and well-being, and reduce inequalities for everyone in Wales, now and for future generations.
Together, our teams work to prevent disease, protect health, and provide leadership, specialist services and public health expertise. We are the main source of public health information, research and innovation in Wales. Never more has public health been so important as we come through the Coronavirus pandemic, face the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis and tackle and prevent the harmful effects of climate change.
Our organisation is guided by our Values, 'Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference'. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that values equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of the communities we serve and from those wishing to work part time or on a job share basis.
To find out more about working for us and the benefits we offer please visithttps://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
Operating at the interface between innovation, service delivery, and policy, the Portfolio Lead ensures that programmes are aligned with national and organisational priorities, meet assurance requirements, and deliver value. The role demands both strategic oversight and hands-on leadership.
Strategic Leadership and Portfolio Planning
Lead the design, development, and implementation of the Digital and Data Portfolio in alignment with Public Health Wales digital strategy.
Define long-term portfolio roadmaps, ensuring effective prioritisation of resources and alignment with corporate and national goals.
Support development and approval of business cases, investment plans, and financial forecasts.
Governance, Assurance and Risk Management
Lead portfolio-level governance structures and assurance processes, including risk, issue, and dependency management.
Ensure compliance with national digital standards, regulatory frameworks, and internal policy.
Implement and maintain robust reporting mechanisms for senior governance groups, national bodies, and funding partners.
Manage capital and revenue budgets, ensure value for money, and develop funding proposals where required.
Delivery Oversight and Performance
Monitor programme delivery across the portfolio, ensuring outcomes are achieved, benefits are realised, and programmes transition into business-as-usual.
Identify performance issues and lead timely interventions to maintain delivery confidence.
Support agile delivery models and embed continuous improvement practices.
Service Transformation and Innovation
Champion digital transformation across clinical and non-clinical services, ensuring programmes are co-designed and user-centred.
Embed service improvement, change management, and cultural transformation across delivery teams.
Promote the adoption of innovative technologies to improve outcomes and service experience.
Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration
Act as a key liaison with senior leaders, delivery teams, NHS partners, Welsh Government, and suppliers.
Lead stakeholder engagement strategies that ensure ownership, alignment, and successful adoption of change.
Represent the organisation at national and regional forums related to digital and data transformation.
Digital Systems and Infrastructure
Ensure appropriate systems, tools, and platforms are in place to support portfolio delivery, including cloud infrastructure, project management tools, and reporting systems.
Collaborate with digital services and information governance teams to ensure safe and effective use of technology.
The Job Description and Personal Specification provide full details.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Operating at the interface between innovation, service delivery, and policy, the Portfolio Lead ensures that programmes are aligned with national and organisational priorities, meet assurance requirements, and deliver value. The role demands both strategic oversight and hands-on leadership.
Strategic Leadership and Portfolio Planning
Lead the design, development, and implementation of the Digital and Data Portfolio in alignment with Public Health Wales digital strategy.
Define long-term portfolio roadmaps, ensuring effective prioritisation of resources and alignment with corporate and national goals.
Support development and approval of business cases, investment plans, and financial forecasts.
Governance, Assurance and Risk Management
Lead portfolio-level governance structures and assurance processes, including risk, issue, and dependency management.
Ensure compliance with national digital standards, regulatory frameworks, and internal policy.
Implement and maintain robust reporting mechanisms for senior governance groups, national bodies, and funding partners.
Manage capital and revenue budgets, ensure value for money, and develop funding proposals where required.
Delivery Oversight and Performance
Monitor programme delivery across the portfolio, ensuring outcomes are achieved, benefits are realised, and programmes transition into business-as-usual.
Identify performance issues and lead timely interventions to maintain delivery confidence.
Support agile delivery models and embed continuous improvement practices.
Service Transformation and Innovation
Champion digital transformation across clinical and non-clinical services, ensuring programmes are co-designed and user-centred.
Embed service improvement, change management, and cultural transformation across delivery teams.
Promote the adoption of innovative technologies to improve outcomes and service experience.
Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration
Act as a key liaison with senior leaders, delivery teams, NHS partners, Welsh Government, and suppliers.
Lead stakeholder engagement strategies that ensure ownership, alignment, and successful adoption of change.
Represent the organisation at national and regional forums related to digital and data transformation.
Digital Systems and Infrastructure
Ensure appropriate systems, tools, and platforms are in place to support portfolio delivery, including cloud infrastructure, project management tools, and reporting systems.
Collaborate with digital services and information governance teams to ensure safe and effective use of technology.
The Job Description and Personal Specification provide full details.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- oMasters degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., digital health, informatics, business, project management) or equivalent senior-level experience o
- Professional certification (e.g., MSP, PRINCE2, Agile, APM, ITIL)
Desirable
- oPostgraduate qualification in digital strategy or change leadership
Experience
Essential
- oProven experience and expertise leading large-scale digital and/or data programme portfolios within a complex organisation
- oStrong track record of delivering transformation across clinical and non-clinical services
- oExtensive experience of governance, risk management, and benefits realisation at a senior level
- oExperience working in or with the NHS or public sector digital strategy or large complex organisations
- oExperience of working with cloud platforms, digital infrastructure, and related systems
- oIn depth understanding of NHS Wales digital and data strategies
- oExperience with health information governance, data security, and digital standards
- oDemonstrable experience of programme lifecycle, stakeholder management, and portfolio assurance methodologies
- oProven experience of end to end people management processes in and outside immediate scope.
Desirable
- oUnderstanding of health analytics and or data platforms
- oWorking knowledge of NHS cyber and digital maturity frameworks
Skills & Attributes
Essential
- oProven leadership, influencing, and change management skills
- oAbility to communicate complex technical and strategic concepts clearly and confidently at executive level
- oBudget management and business case development
- oStrong problem solving, negotiation, and decision making skills
- oAbility to work effectively across boundaries and systems (e.g. national bodies, NHS health boards/NHS Trusts etc)
- oSkills in benefits tracking tools or portfolio management software
Desirable
- oWelsh Language Skills are desirable in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh
Other
Essential
- oAbility to travel between sites in a timely manner to meet the needs of the service
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential
- oMasters degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., digital health, informatics, business, project management) or equivalent senior-level experience o
- Professional certification (e.g., MSP, PRINCE2, Agile, APM, ITIL)
Desirable
- oPostgraduate qualification in digital strategy or change leadership
Experience
Essential
- oProven experience and expertise leading large-scale digital and/or data programme portfolios within a complex organisation
- oStrong track record of delivering transformation across clinical and non-clinical services
- oExtensive experience of governance, risk management, and benefits realisation at a senior level
- oExperience working in or with the NHS or public sector digital strategy or large complex organisations
- oExperience of working with cloud platforms, digital infrastructure, and related systems
- oIn depth understanding of NHS Wales digital and data strategies
- oExperience with health information governance, data security, and digital standards
- oDemonstrable experience of programme lifecycle, stakeholder management, and portfolio assurance methodologies
- oProven experience of end to end people management processes in and outside immediate scope.
Desirable
- oUnderstanding of health analytics and or data platforms
- oWorking knowledge of NHS cyber and digital maturity frameworks
Skills & Attributes
Essential
- oProven leadership, influencing, and change management skills
- oAbility to communicate complex technical and strategic concepts clearly and confidently at executive level
- oBudget management and business case development
- oStrong problem solving, negotiation, and decision making skills
- oAbility to work effectively across boundaries and systems (e.g. national bodies, NHS health boards/NHS Trusts etc)
- oSkills in benefits tracking tools or portfolio management software
Desirable
- oWelsh Language Skills are desirable in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh
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).
