Group Chief Strategy Officer

Job Description

Job Title

Group Chief Strategy Officer

Band

VSM Circa £TBC

Accountable to

Group Chief Executive

Job Summary

As a senior leader the Director will be expected to represent and advocate for North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (The Group) at a range of local, regional, and national forums, and working collaboratively across organisational and professional boundaries to deliver shared ambitions and the objectives of the Group to improve care, outcomes and use of resources.

The Group Chief Strategy Officer has particular responsibilities to:

  • Play a crucial role in helping shape the future organisation. They will contribute to corporate decision making and strategic development of the Group.
  • Development and delivery of the strategic and corporate planning framework for the Group, ensuring systems and processes are in place for effective strategy development, translation of the board strategy at clinical service level, and monitoring the implementation of strategic and business plans.
  • Lead the strategy team and will be a visible leader for strategy development across the organisation. Development and update our strategy to ensure it remains current and up to date.
  • Be directly responsible for the management and delivery of the work of the strategy team, and work with business sponsors of multidisciplinary teams brought together from across the organisation to support the ongoing identification of strategic priorities for the Group.
  • Identify strategic risks and opportunities, based on developments in national policy, social, economic, and technological developments, and other factors affecting the health and social care system. The role provides strategic advice and expert input to the Group’s strategy development.
  • Manage the range of senior relationships across health and social care system to keep pace with national developments, and to influence the policy development of our strategic partners, clinical partners, and other key stakeholders to meet our aims for patients and staff.
  • All Directors are expected to work as part of a cohesive team, contributing to the Group’s Strategic Leadership and direction and, when necessary, take lead responsibility for corporate issues outside their immediate sphere of responsibility.
  • Responsibility for leading the annual business planning process and identification and monitoring of annual strategic objectives, coordinating the work across all executive portfolios ensuring alignment, and dissemination through the organisation.

Key Relationships

  • Executive Team
  • Group Chair
  • Non-Executive Directors and Trusts’ Governors
  • Managerial and Clinical Leadership Teams
  • Staff Representatives/Networks
  • Regulator bodies including NHSE and CQC and strategic partners.

This role will participate in the strategic on call rota.

New tech deomonstration

Key Responsibilities

Corporate Responsibilities
  • Contribute actively to strategic discussions, board assurance processes via its committees, corporate reports, Group performance and Board intelligence, and to develop excellent working relationships with all Board members.
  • Be a role model for effective leadership within the Group, driving a positive “can-do, patient first” culture.
  • Work with senior colleagues to proactively promote the Group within the wider community, building sustainable relationships with key partners.
  • Provide vision, strategic direction, and technical leadership to enable the delivery of the business aims of the Group.
  • Build collaborative leaders that inspire and motivate our workforce within a values- based culture.
  • Drive the strategic development of the Group’s services in accordance with local health needs, business development, education and research priorities.
  • Ensure activity and service objectives are effectively met in compliance with the Group’s Standing Orders, scheme of delegated authority and legislation and play an active role in the overall management of the Group.
  • Along with other Directors, ensure each Group's policies and procedures are adhered to and where necessary direct changes to support the operation of the Group.
  • Play a lead role in delivering the various Group wide improvement plans.
  • Adhere to the standards laid down in the NHS Code of Conduct for managers and, at all times, to act in a manner that reflects and promotes the values of the Group.
  • Represent the Group at regional, national, and international level as appropriate.
  • Participate in the personal development review process.
  • Participate in the strategic on-call rota.
  • Support the statutory duties of the Group Chief Executive.
Strategic and Operational Responsibilities
  • Responsible for horizon-scanning developments in health and social care, ensuring implications which may have an impact on the Group’s responsibilities are identified and managed, and ensuring that our approach anticipates and keeps pace with these developments and remains fit for purpose.
  • Lead the Group Strategic, Operating Plan and Corporate Objective setting process, consistent with strategy and transformation timetable.
  • To position the Group as a national leader, exploiting opportunities to raise the profile of the Group and identify and capture potential business opportunities and national funding and support.
  • Developing national networks with relevant internal and external bodies, to ensure that the Group is at the forefront of national policy and embedded changes to policy to ensure that the Group’s strategic plan is reflective of forecasts to changes in national direction.
  • To ensure focus on national best practice and beacon sites, bringing external best practice into the organisation to support transformation and sustainability. Evidence areas where biggest gap from best practice and ensure these are effectively managed for improvement.
  • Providing thought leadership, ensuring effective problem analysis, and encouraging innovative solutions to ensure high quality strategic projects, and to identify issues for further examination.
  • Identifying and analysing national policy issues, establishing the Group’s associated position, and advising the Executive team or Board, appraising the practical (operational) and political consequences of particular courses of action.
  • Maintaining and updating the strategic vision and roadmap for the Group, ensuring there are robust plans in place to deliver the ambitions within it.
  • Demonstrating strong leadership of the strategy team, providing clear scope and structure for the individuals within the team, creating a culture where individuals are empowered and committed to delivery of high-quality work, and supported in their development.
  • Celebrate diversity and inclusion, promoting our aspiration that the communities we serve are reflected at all levels within the organisation.
  • Using new and innovative ways of working, ensure that our strategy represents the very best practice, and is fair, open and transparent in order to support improved outcomes.
  • Proactively identify and mitigate risks, taking personal ownership for communicating and implementing actions, and escalating where appropriate.
  • Responsible for identifying and taking advantage of commercial opportunities and leading on the development of business opportunities.
  • Critically analysing outcomes to facilitate and influence decisions that lead to improved outcomes for patients.
  • Take responsibility for developing policy and service improvements within the strategy process and securing funding to support service developments.
  • Working closely with executive colleagues to ensure a join up of all developments so they fit with the Group’s strategic aims, including financial, workforce, quality and performance agendas.
  • Ensure delivery through oversight and collaboration with clinical leaders, care groups and corporate services in the development of robust clinical services strategies for the Group, ensuring ongoing review and refresh of the Group Strategy and sub-strategies to ensure they are relevant to the long-term challenges faced by the organisation, reflecting the vision for the Group.
  • Ensure that the Group strategy is in alignment with national policy and clinical best practice, with the needs of patients and the population served by the Group and the local priorities of the Integrated Care System, Local Authorities and other local stakeholders.
  • Lead on the oversight and delivery of the Group Strategy and strategic aims through the Group Strategy implementation plan. Working with and supporting Executive Directors on their lead roles for each strategic aim and enabling strategies.
  • Responsible for the overall integrity and coherence of the strategic programmes aligned to the Group operating plan and strategic priorities, ensuring a robust governance infrastructure is in place for tracking and reporting delivery.
  • Provide formal reporting to the Group Board and appropriate Board Committees on all aspects of operational, quality and financial performance of the Group operating plan (in year) and planning process and Group Strategy implementation.
  • Deliver requirements driven by national policy.
  • Lead the Group-wide business case process for all investments / developments (revenue and capital) and provides expertise in the support and development of these, ensuring alignment to the Group strategy and priorities.
  • Support senior colleagues in the development and implementation of supporting strategies such as education, improvement, commercial, technology and R&D, and provide expert advice to the development of commercial strategies.
  • Support the Executive Directors in the management of external relationships to support the delivery of the Group’s strategic aims, including but not limited to clinical networks, provider Groups within and outside the ICS, local authorities, local and national politicians, regulators, specialist commissioners, cancer alliances and NHS England.
Leadership
  • As a senior leader within the Group, the Director will also help develop and deliver plans which meet the needs of the local health economy as well as those of the Group.
  • To provide visible and compassionate leadership for all staff and be a champion and role model of our values. To lead and champion an empowered leadership style which maximises team performance to enable great patient care and develop the skills and capabilities of the operations teams to deliver our people strategy and ensure there is a talent pool to meet the needs of the strategic plans.
  • Play a full and active role in the debates and discussions of the Board of Directors.
  • To train and develop members of staff.
Quality Standards and Governance
  • The post holder will need to maintain a good knowledge of emerging policies from government departments. This will assist in the thinking and definition of the strategy discussions for the strategy and stakeholders.
  • Research and identify relevant best practice (i.e., where similar systems are in place), this could be UK wide, globally, public or private sector both within and outside the health economy in order to develop appropriate options to implement policies. Post holder will need to consider how best practice could be applied to the existing health economy, taking into account the impact on existing relationships between entities and their functions across the health economy.
  • Develop recommended approach to implement the relevant policies (based on best practice research conducted), most likely a business case (incl. implementation plan, cost benefit analysis) following a thorough review of the possible options including testing the options with key stakeholders (internally and externally) and an impact assessment which outlines any key dependencies for successful implementation.
  • Ensure that there is an overall framework in place to evaluate efficiencies and cost improvements made as a result of the transformational change programmes and ensuring the appropriate completed documentation is available for scrutiny.
  • To deliver within allocated resources and in line with the Groups standing financial instructions and standing orders.
  • To identify and deliver transformation plans that deliver the Group’s strategic objectives and the required efficiency levels on an annual basis.
  • Overall accountability for the provision of the procurement of identified products, equipment, services and facilities for Directorates in line with statutory and organisational guidance to execute required programmes/change – from defining requirements, through to sign off of final deliverables/products ensuring they meet the defined levels of quality and value for money.
Communications and Relationships
  • Provide senior representation and leadership on behalf of the Group into system and ICS strategy and planning committees and groups to ensure delivery of Group aims.
  • Build strategic relationships at place, system and region level, and develop strategies and innovative approaches that will help our organisation and wider systems to transform to create a more sustainable future for the services we provide.
  • Lead the Group’s business development activities, undertaking appropriate market research, and seeking out and evaluating opportunities for the expansion of existing services, and the development of new service or organisational initiatives.
  • Further develop relationships with our partners within and outside our integrated care system, identifying and co-developing service solutions to meet the evolving healthcare needs of our communities.
  • Be a visible, credible ambassador for the Group, leading stakeholder engagement activities and ensuring the Group continues to be an authoritative voice in the shaping of healthcare locally and nationally.
  • Manage the Group’s strategic relationships with NHS, commercial sector, academic and research partners.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications [Assessment: Certificates and Interview]
  • Masters degree or equivalent experience in Business Administration, Programme / Project Management or similar
  • Postgraduate study in leadership and management or equivalent experience
  • Evidence of continued professional development
  • Healthcare Leadership qualification
  • Qualifications in service improvement tools and techniques e.g. Lean, Six Sigma
Knowledge and Experience [Assessment: Interview & Assessment Process]
  • Experience working at a Director level within a large and complex organisation.
  • Significant experience and successful outcomes in business planning, strategy development and deployment, programme and project management
  • Extensive specialist experience, expertise and knowledge acquired through advanced professional training and put into effect over a significant period of time
  • Experience of developing strategies to meet organisational needs
  • Experience of delivering highly complex performance and other reports and messages to a diverse range of people
  • Experience of managing budgets and other financial requirements
  • Experience of maintaining strong and positive partnership working
  • Experience of managing and prioritising resources and options appraisals
  • Experience in an NHS or other politically high profile organisation
  • Experience of delivery of culture change and implementing continuous improvement
  • Experience of working within NHS systems and culture
  • Experience of strategic planning and design of complex strategy development programmes
  • Experience of working across Integrated Care System boundaries
  • Experience of working with regional / national clinical networks
  • Experience of developing commercial opportunities
  • Experience of development of digital technology to improve pathways, outcomes and productivity
Skills & Attributes [Assessment: Interview & Assessment Process]
  • Highly developed interpersonal, influencing and negotiating skills
  • Strong communication skills for the delivery of contentious subject matter (often to large groups), handling resistance and conflicting views
  • Emotional resilience and ability to work to demanding timetables
  • Ability to formulate, monitor and adjust long term strategic plans
  • Ability to manage conflicting priorities with a highly varied and unpredictable workload, through excellent planning and organisation Knowledge of Information Management and Technology systems
  • Knowledge of leading edge digital and technical developments.
  • Understanding of continuous improvement methodologies
  • Ability to lead service improvement, critically evaluating and encouraging improvement and innovation
  • Ability to lead and motivate a team
  • Ability to gain credibility and establish positive relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
  • Strong people management skills
  • High quality analytical skills and the ability to draw information from a range of complex data sources to present in a clear and concise manner
  • Confident and positive approach to work
  • Knowledge of the NHS and current change management agenda
Other [Assessment: Interview & Assessment Process]
  • Ability to travel across Group sites and to external events / meetings
  • Ability to participate in on-call rota
  • Ability to meet the requirements of the Fit and Proper Persons Test