About this role
Job summary
The National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care (NDG) advise the health and adult social care system in England to help ensure that people's confidential information is kept safe and used appropriately.
The Office of the National Data Guardian (ONDG) is hosted by NHS England in the PTT sub-directorate and supports the NDG in achieving her vision and mission.
ONDG staff are all NHS England employees. This role is the most senior in the ONDG. An agreement is in place between NHS England and the NDG which outlines that the NDG has operational independence. As such, you will sit within the Privacy, Transparency, and Trust sub-directorate structure but will be operationally accountable to the NDG.
The post holder will act as the Head of the ONDG, leading the team of office staff that supports the NDG, the NDG advisory panel and the UK Caldicott Guardian Council.
Main duties of the job
Ensure the ONDG functions effectively, ensuring; high quality advice and guidance is produced in a timely manner, excellent stakeholder relationships are maintained, strong and efficient governance for the NDG, clear and timely communications to internal and external audiences and smooth running of the organisation (i.e. budgets, hosting arrangements, procurement, team leadership).
Develop and maintain trusted and effective relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders, including senior officials in NHSE and DHSC.
Be the NDG's principal advisor, supporting the NDG to develop her priorities, strategy and vision, lead the team to deliver these, and to communicate these and progress to stakeholders and the public.
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
You can find further details about the job, organisational structure, recruitment profile, expected outcomes and benefits information in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
Secondments
Applicants from within the NHS willbe offered on asecondment basis only, agreementshouldbeobtainedfromtheiremployerpriortosubmittingtheapplication.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Masters level degree or equivalent level of experience leading the delivery of operational services to customers in a number of environments Recognised management qualification or similar Evidence of specialist knowledge over a number of disciplines, e.g. operational delivery management, risk management, benefits management, finance, commercial and procurement, stakeholder management, communications Evidence of continual development and learning
Desirable
Individual membership of professional bodies such as Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Level 7 Strategic Management & Leadership in Operational Delivery or equivalent experience Degree qualification in business management or related discipline Membership of the Association for Project Management (APM) or Project Management Institute (PMI)
Knowledge Essential
Knowledge of whole systems implementation Demonstrable specialist knowledge of business and operational delivery systems and services, e.g. operational delivery management, risk management, benefits management, finance, commercial and procurement, stakeholder management, communications Knowledge of managing delivery via third party service providers
Desirable
A demonstrable working knowledge of the health and care system and the issues faced Experience of operating and delivering services and/or projects Knowledge and experience of procurement
Skills and Experience Essential
Excellent writing and communication skills Strategic thinking ability Project management and planning skills Cultivate outstanding working relationships Influencing and Negotiation skills
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 NHS England
Nationally
LS1 4AP
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)