About this role
Job summary
The NHS Online programme is working to establish the first national digital-first NHS trust to transform care, cut waiting lists and provide equitable, high-quality elective care. NHS Online will offer patient choice and deliver care unconstrained by geographical boundaries, while offering the ability to better align clinical capacity with patient demand. Patient pathways will be delivered remotely via the NHS App, utilising the existing workforce more effectively through flexible working arrangements. Clinicians working through the new Trust will be able to take full advantage of the latest technologies and innovations to deliver more standardised, and timely patient care.
The Trust operates as a virtual organisation, with digital-first systems and processes underpinning all governance activity.
Main duties of the job
Reporting to the Trust Chair, the Trust Secretary acts as a principal adviser to the Chief Executive and Chair, leading on all issues relating to corporate governance, ensuring that the Trust's affairs are managed to the highest standards of probity and in accordance with statutory and legislative requirements. This will include advising the Board on developments in governance issues. The Trust Secretary proactively manages and is personally responsible for the delivery of high quality, efficient and cost-effective company secretariat services.
About us
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.
If you currently work within the NHS and 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 process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.
Job description Job responsibilities
Within the application, you will be asked to provide a supporting statement of up to 1,500 words. Your statement should clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential skills and experience, as detailed in the advert. You do not need to use the full word count if you can demonstrate the skills and experience required for this role in fewer words.
Both the application and interview will assess your suitability for the role.
If you have any queries about the role or require any reasonable adjustments, please contact the named individual on the job advert.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview and will be asked questions based on the essential criteria for the role.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.
Please note you will receive notifications from Trac at certain parts of the process which will have NHS branding please check your junk email folders to ensure that messages arent missed. If you have any queries about the role or require any reasonable adjustments, please contact the named individual on the job advert.
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.
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
Qualifications Essential
Educated to postgraduate degree level or equivalent experience in a relevant subject Qualified Chartered Secretary or professional equivalent (achieved or actively working towards this qualification) - for example, Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators or Institute of Healthcare Management
Knowledge Essential
Extensive and detailed knowledge of the complex legal and regulatory environment within the NHS Ability to digest, assimilate and process highly complex information from multiple sources and to use this appropriately to highlight governance issues and concerns In-depth professional knowledge and understanding of corporate governance legislation, guidance and best practice and its application in the NHS through, for example, Constitutions, Standing Orders, Schemes of Delegation, etc. and of leading in these areas at a senior level
Experience Essential
Experience of working in an NHS provider environment. Working on issues of a confidential/commercially sensitive nature, exercising sound judgement whilst working at senior level in a company secretarial environment Extensive experience of building and maintaining relationships with a variety of senior stakeholders on behalf of a complex, major organisation, including senior clinicians, senior professional staff and board level directors Demonstrable track record of successfully leading teams and departments, including evidence of effective resource management (value added quality improvement, enhanced income, and budgetary control)
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 Wellington House
133-155 Waterloo Road
London
SE1 8UG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)