Job summary
We are looking for a dynamic individual to join a newly established insight and impact team within NHS Horizons. This is an exciting opportunity for a leaders from academia, the commercial, voluntary, public sectors and/or wider NHS, to take our insight and impact work to the next level.
Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and military families bring to our business and would encourage people from the armed forces community to apply for our vacancies.
Main duties of the job
The Head of Insight and Impact will have experience of adapting evaluation methods and approaches to different contexts, leading on evaluation and learning design and implementation for key programmes. Working with the Associate Director, the postholder will build on our highly innovative approach to rapid insight, supporting the people and organisations we work with and through to reflect deeper, prioritise and inform strategy development.
This is a critical senior role to ensure we are making the best use of evidence to achieve our intended impact, helping to make change and improvement across health and care services.
The successful postholder will have the opportunity to work on a diverse range of high priority projects and programmes impacting on key priorities for the NHS.
Joining at an exciting time in the development of the NHS Horizons team, the postholder will have an important role to play in shaping the insight and impact function.
About us
NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (MLCSU) is one of the biggest and best-performing commissioning support units in the country, with among the highest levels of staff and customer satisfaction. We work together as a team of over 1,600 expert staff based across the Midlands and North West to make a difference - for our customers, patients and communities.
Offering a full range of professional services to hospital trusts, local authorities, integrated care systems (ICSs) and other public bodies\ across the country, our NHS values underpin everything we do.
In return, we provide a supportive environment in which to learn and develop, with the opportunity to further your skills and career within an exciting and evolving environment.
Joining our inclusive and innovative team comes with a range of benefits including flexible & agile working arrangements, pension scheme and generous annual leave allowance.
With our training schemes and support networks, you will be empowered to play a leading role in the future of healthcare, whatever your specialism or interest. And as a member of NHS staff you will receive plenty of discounts too.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This role is a unique opportunity to lead and shape the development of a new and novel approach to rapid insight generation whilst also creating the conditions for NHS Horizons to better capture the difference it makes.
The focus for the post holder will be to provide leadership and support to enable the successful delivery of insight and impact projects and programmes across the NHS Horizons team, including with our key sponsors and partners. This will include:
- Providing professional evaluation expertise as this relates to a range of different projects and programmes. For example, this includes developing new partnerships with academia, commissioning evaluation and generating the evidence needed to demonstrate the public value we create.
- Continuing to evolve our novel approach to generating rapid insight. This includes leading the development of the approach alongside the Associate Director, whilst growing NHS Horizons international reputation in this rapidly growing area.
- Play a central role in facilitating team conversations around what we are learning, and establishing systems and processes that allow us to capture the difference we are making on a more systematic basis.
- Provide thought leadership, growing our reputation for generating rapid insights that are impactful and support change.
- Providing leadership and development of a small team
- Create the conditions across the broader NHS Horizons team to support learning from our collective intelligence.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This role is a unique opportunity to lead and shape the development of a new and novel approach to rapid insight generation whilst also creating the conditions for NHS Horizons to better capture the difference it makes.
The focus for the post holder will be to provide leadership and support to enable the successful delivery of insight and impact projects and programmes across the NHS Horizons team, including with our key sponsors and partners. This will include:
- Providing professional evaluation expertise as this relates to a range of different projects and programmes. For example, this includes developing new partnerships with academia, commissioning evaluation and generating the evidence needed to demonstrate the public value we create.
- Continuing to evolve our novel approach to generating rapid insight. This includes leading the development of the approach alongside the Associate Director, whilst growing NHS Horizons international reputation in this rapidly growing area.
- Play a central role in facilitating team conversations around what we are learning, and establishing systems and processes that allow us to capture the difference we are making on a more systematic basis.
- Provide thought leadership, growing our reputation for generating rapid insights that are impactful and support change.
- Providing leadership and development of a small team
- Create the conditions across the broader NHS Horizons team to support learning from our collective intelligence.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a research and evaluative setting.
- Knowledge of qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.
- Expertise in adapting evaluation methods and approach to different contexts and stages of programme development, and size/scale of projects.
- Experience of leading learning processes or implementing evidence-based changes to strategy or intervention delivery.
- Experience of working in fast paced environments with set deadlines.
- Management experience
Desirable
- Good understanding of one or more of the following areas: -health and social care environment -large-scale change -public sector innovation -learning health systems.
- Experience of conducting and/or commissioning evaluation(s)
- Previous experience of successfully generating fee earning commissions
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree with Masters level experience or qualification in quality improvement, organisational change, public policy, strategy, organisational development, transformation or related discipline Training / qualification in policy, strategy, research or evaluation
Desirable
- Proven leadership experience and/or formal management qualification
Skills, Knowledge & Competencies
Essential
- Ability to synthesise and share complex findings in a way which is clear, succinct and influential.
- Ability to work with senior clients to design and deliver complex programmes of work and design inherent evaluative approaches.
- Understanding of the principles and methodologies of evaluation.
Desirable
- A skilled facilitator, with the confidence and expertise to manage the flow of meetings.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Comfortable working in a rapidly changing team environment and to communicate at all levels.
- Collaborative team player and leader.
- Confident to lead and present to large, high profile physical and virtual events.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a research and evaluative setting.
- Knowledge of qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.
- Expertise in adapting evaluation methods and approach to different contexts and stages of programme development, and size/scale of projects.
- Experience of leading learning processes or implementing evidence-based changes to strategy or intervention delivery.
- Experience of working in fast paced environments with set deadlines.
- Management experience
Desirable
- Good understanding of one or more of the following areas: -health and social care environment -large-scale change -public sector innovation -learning health systems.
- Experience of conducting and/or commissioning evaluation(s)
- Previous experience of successfully generating fee earning commissions
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree with Masters level experience or qualification in quality improvement, organisational change, public policy, strategy, organisational development, transformation or related discipline Training / qualification in policy, strategy, research or evaluation
Desirable
- Proven leadership experience and/or formal management qualification
Skills, Knowledge & Competencies
Essential
- Ability to synthesise and share complex findings in a way which is clear, succinct and influential.
- Ability to work with senior clients to design and deliver complex programmes of work and design inherent evaluative approaches.
- Understanding of the principles and methodologies of evaluation.
Desirable
- A skilled facilitator, with the confidence and expertise to manage the flow of meetings.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Comfortable working in a rapidly changing team environment and to communicate at all levels.
- Collaborative team player and leader.
- Confident to lead and present to large, high profile physical and virtual events.
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).
