Job summary This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of our Trust as the Director of Strategy and Partnerships. We are looking for a bold and visionary leader to develop and drive a brand-new strategy in the forthcoming year, ensuring we stay ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving healthcare landscape. This is a key leadership role covering strategic planning, transformation, communications, and partnership building, giving you the platform to influence not only our Trust's direction but also the wider system. You will play a pivotal role in aligning our ambitions with the priorities of the three ICBs, forging strong collaborations, and ensuring our services deliver the best possible outcomes for service users, carers, our workforce, and the broader community. Additionally, you will oversee trust-wide portfolios, programmes, and projects, ensuring they align with our strategic goals. Reporting directly to our newly appointed Chief Executive, Salman Desai, you will be a key leader at Trust, collaborative, and system levels - ensuring that we strengthen relationships, drive innovation, and play a central role in shaping decisions that impact healthcare delivery. Main duties of the job You will be an energetic and innovative strategic leader, with experience at or close to Board level, who has the drive to develop the organisational strategy and partnership arrangements, and the practical delivery skills to translate vision into reality, working collaboratively with our staff, partners and patients. You should have a track record of improving patient services by developing strategic partnerships and leading through others to deliver the strategic ambitions of the organisation. Above all else, we are seeking an individual whose personal values mirror our own and whose priorities are firmly focussed on developing and delivering outstanding services that are accessible to all. About us Rated 'Good' by the CQC and Ofsted, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust provides 24 hour, 365 days a year Urgent and Emergency Care to those in need of immediate medical treatment, and where necessary, transport to the most appropriate receiving hospital/centre. As the geographically largest Ambulance Service in the UK, our 8,000 staff and volunteers in over 300 different roles serve a population of more than 7.5 million people across Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, and part of Derbyshire. Each year we receive approximately 1.4 million 999 calls, respond to just under 1 million emergency incidents, and make more than 1.4 million patient transport journeys for those who require non-emergency transport to and from healthcare appointments. We also deliver the NHS 111 service across the region for people who need medical help or advice, handling around 1.7 million calls every year. Date posted 17 February 2025 Pay scheme Very senior manager (VSM) Salary Depending on experience Attractive Salary Contract Permanent Working pattern Full-time Reference number 242-4591-LR Job locations NWAS Headquarters, Ladybridge Hall Bolton BL1 5DD Job description Job responsibilities To learn more about us and this exceptional role, please visit our dedicated microsite. For a confidential discussion, and details of how to apply, please contact our search partners Mohamed Ebrahim, Emily Smith, or Emma Pickup at Gatenby Sanderson on 07471037135 or mohamed.ebrahimgatenbysanderson.com. Closing date for applications: 9am 17th March 2025 Final assessments and interviews: 23rd 24th April 2025 https://nwas-leaders.co.uk/ Job description Job responsibilities To learn more about us and this exceptional role, please visit our dedicated microsite. For a confidential discussion, and details of how to apply, please contact our search partners Mohamed Ebrahim, Emily Smith, or Emma Pickup at Gatenby Sanderson on 07471037135 or mohamed.ebrahimgatenbysanderson.com. Closing date for applications: 9am 17th March 2025 Final assessments and interviews: 23rd 24th April 2025 https://nwas-leaders.co.uk/ Person Specification Qualifications and Education Essential Educated to Masters level or with current equivalent experience Additional appropriate specialist qualification or management qualification Minimum of 5 years' experience in a relevant senior management role Substantial evidence of specialist knowledge and ongoing education relevant to varied aspects of role Skills and Abilities Essential Highly developed negotiation/interpersonal skills Excellent communication and relationship skills Excellent analytical and judgement skills, including ability to consider and manage the strategic, political and operational factors within highly complex situations Excellent planning and organisational skills and 'whole system' analysis Project management skills Ability to manage complex and contentious situations and to resolve/move forward in situations where there are no obvious solutions Ability to work and act autonomously within senior decision-making forums internally and as Trust representative in external forums Resilience and ability to cope within a highly challenging environment Ability to maintain confidentiality and deal with situations in a sensitive manner Able to communicate across wide demographic boundaries in an appropriate manner Strong management, motivational and leadership skills Ability to think strategically and grasp complex policy and political issues, good understanding on the healthcare policy context. Ability to grasp, analyse and interpret complex ideas and translate them into language that is easily accessible to all audiences. Understanding of public affairs, stakeholder engagement techniques and best practice, branding and marketing communications Knowledge and Experience Essential Extensive and significant experience and demonstrable success of working at a very senior level in a communications and stakeholder engagement role in a large complex organisation Project management within a complex, multiagency service system, including proactive management of change Managing across different organisational cultures and working across professional groups Working effectively within the local political and health sector environment Leadership of substantial service change Understanding of national requirements and developments within the health and social care and their implications for ambulance services Experience of managing a team Experience of budget management, including large scale project budget management Personal Attributes Essential Flexible and highly motivated Project a professional image Compliant with the requirements of Fit and Proper Persons Regulations, including Board level competency framework Person Specification Qualifications and Education Essential Educated to Masters level or with current equivalent experience Additional appropriate specialist qualification or management qualification Minimum of 5 years' experience in a relevant senior management role Substantial evidence of specialist knowledge and ongoing education relevant to varied aspects of role Skills and Abilities Essential Highly developed negotiation/interpersonal skills Excellent communication and relationship skills Excellent analytical and judgement skills, including ability to consider and manage the strategic, political and operational factors within highly complex situations Excellent planning and organisational skills and 'whole system' analysis Project management skills Ability to manage complex and contentious situations and to resolve/move forward in situations where there are no obvious solutions Ability to work and act autonomously within senior decision-making forums internally and as Trust representative in external forums Resilience and ability to cope within a highly challenging environment Ability to maintain confidentiality and deal with situations in a sensitive manner Able to communicate across wide demographic boundaries in an appropriate manner Strong management, motivational and leadership skills Ability to think strategically and grasp complex policy and political issues, good understanding on the healthcare policy context. Ability to grasp, analyse and interpret complex ideas and translate them into language that is easily accessible to all audiences. Understanding of public affairs, stakeholder engagement techniques and best practice, branding and marketing communications Knowledge and Experience Essential Extensive and significant experience and demonstrable success of working at a very senior level in a communications and stakeholder engagement role in a large complex organisation Project management within a complex, multiagency service system, including proactive management of change Managing across different organisational cultures and working across professional groups Working effectively within the local political and health sector environment Leadership of substantial service change Understanding of national requirements and developments within the health and social care and their implications for ambulance services Experience of managing a team Experience of budget management, including large scale project budget management Personal Attributes Essential Flexible and highly motivated Project a professional image Compliant with the requirements of Fit and Proper Persons Regulations, including Board level competency framework 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 North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust Address NWAS Headquarters, Ladybridge Hall Bolton BL1 5DD Employer's website https://www.nwas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)