NHS England

Principal Technical Specialist

The closing date is 26 November 2025

Job summary

Collaboration Services

We deliver secure, user-focused digital platforms that enable collaboration and communication across health and social care. This includes a national communications platform with 1.7 million active users, ensuring the NHS workforce maximises technology to boost productivity. We simplify and enhance our external digital presence through a reliable, secure CMS-driven website experience, and provide NHS Futures - a secure collaboration environment for national and international partners to share resources, manage programmes, and build communities beyond IT restrictions.

Main duties of the job

Manages the relationship between NHS.net Connect Teams and internal/external Stakeholders.

Actively contributes to the strategy and vision for the future of the NHSmail and O365 for the NHS using specialist knowledge.

Managing the support for the NHS.net Connect service and O365 suite sitting on technical design authority and governing new technology in regard to central tenant enablement

Maintaining individual and team development to support new and upcoming technologies with full understanding of key developments in relevant professional spheres.

Manages and maintains own professional knowledge and development in their technical specialism and embraces development opportunities to support new technologies, frameworks and services including the move to AI and the Microsoft Roadmap

About us

Our work supports the NHS to deliver high quality services for patients and best value for taxpayers.

Our staff bring expertise across hundreds of specialisms -- including clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.

We lead the NHS in England by:

Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities
Making the NHS a great place to work, where our people can make a difference and achieve their potential
Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care
Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation
Delivering value for money

Earlier this year, the Government announced that NHS England will gradually merge with the Department of Health and Social Care, leading to full integration. The aim is to create a smaller, more strategic centre that reduces duplication and eliminates waste.

If successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the recruitment process.

Date posted

12 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year (exclusive of HCAS)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

990-TD-IT-18258-E

Job locations

Any NHSE offices

National

LS1 4AP

Job description

Job responsibilities

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Please note that this is a fixed term contract as this is a short term vacancy.

Secondments

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please note that this is a fixed term contract as this is a short term vacancy.

Secondments

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

Person Specification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Demonstrable understanding and knowledge of Microsoft O365 Core technologies
Substantial knowledge and experience of the technical governance and utilisation of email and M365 products
Significant understanding of security features and best practice including device security

Skills

Essential

Communicate confidently with customers and stakeholders alike and be able to present technical information to an array of audiences
Proven ability to act as a consultant, bringing specialist experience of M365 to the provision of well-informed technology advice, taking steps to ensure that it is properly understood and appropriately articulated, to enhance the effectiveness of decision making and direction setting, and other significant activities
Structured approach to troubleshooting and fault-finding including root cause analysis

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to master's degree level or equivalent work experience
ITIL Foundation Qualification or equivalent work experience

Interpersonal Skills

Essential

Ability to empower individuals to perform their roles and drive the team to be excellent and deliver right first time

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Essential

Challenges behaviour that does not align with a collaborative and inclusive environment

Person Specification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

Demonstrable understanding and knowledge of Microsoft O365 Core technologies
Substantial knowledge and experience of the technical governance and utilisation of email and M365 products
Significant understanding of security features and best practice including device security

Skills

Essential

Communicate confidently with customers and stakeholders alike and be able to present technical information to an array of audiences
Proven ability to act as a consultant, bringing specialist experience of M365 to the provision of well-informed technology advice, taking steps to ensure that it is properly understood and appropriately articulated, to enhance the effectiveness of decision making and direction setting, and other significant activities
Structured approach to troubleshooting and fault-finding including root cause analysis

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to master's degree level or equivalent work experience
ITIL Foundation Qualification or equivalent work experience

Interpersonal Skills

Essential

Ability to empower individuals to perform their roles and drive the team to be excellent and deliver right first time

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Essential

Challenges behaviour that does not align with a collaborative and inclusive environment

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.

Employer details

Employer name

NHS England

Address

Any NHSE offices

National

LS1 4AP

Employer's website

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

NHS England

Address

Any NHSE offices

National

LS1 4AP

Employer's website

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)