Join us at the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group.
The Group was formed in 2025 to bring the three Acute Trusts in Norfolk and Waveney together into one system with one purpose – better care for patients. It has unified leadership with one Chair, one Chief Executive and one Board, which includes Executive Managing Directors for all three Trusts.
The Group has clearly defined aims to
- Provide great care.
- Nurture a skilled, engaged workforce.
- Enable service modernisation expanding digital use and services.
- Plan the right services and environments and support the development of integrated neighbourhood services.
- Stabilise finances and live within our means.
- Leverage our network and strengthen collaboration with system partners.
- Shape future roles of our hospitals and the pattern of Clinical Services necessary to support them- starting with the needs of our population.
It also has an ambition to build, with its partners in health sciences, education and research, a world class University Hospitals System.
Taken together, our three Acute Trusts – The James Paget University Hospital NHS Trust in Gorleston, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in Norwich (including the Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital and Cromer Hospital), have a combined workforce of circa 18,000 people.
Job overview
The Norfolk & Waveney University Hospitals Group (NWUHG) is seeking an exceptional Group Director of Transformation & Strategy to join our executive team at a pivotal moment in the Group's development. Reporting at Board level, you will lead the strategic direction, transformation agenda and long-term sustainability of the organisation. Working alongside executive, clinical and system leaders, you will ensure that ambition is translated into measurable improvements in patient outcomes, workforce experience, operational performance and financial sustainability. This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of a newly formed university hospitals group with aspirations to become a world-class health, research and education system.
NWUHG is one of the most significant developments in NHS provider collaboration in the region, bringing together three acute hospitals under a single Group structure with one Chair, one Chief Executive and one Board. If you want to be part of an ambitious forward thinking Group putting patient care and service at the forefront for the people of the region for the present and future now is the time to join the Norfolk & Waveney University Hospitals Group
Advert
This role offers the opportunity to influence one of the most ambitious transformation programmes in the NHS. As the Group continues to develop its operating model, leadership structures and future strategic direction, you will play a central role in defining how services are delivered across multiple sites and communities.
The postholder will lead major transformation and improvement programmes, establish strategic partnerships across health, research, academia and industry, and help create innovative models of care that improve outcomes for our patients and populations. The Group are seeking proven, creative and inventive leaders, the scale, complexity and visibility of this role provide an outstanding platform for an experienced executive seeking to make a lasting impact.
In return, we offer a competitive Very Senior Manager (VSM) remuneration package, NHS pension and benefits, and the opportunity to live and work in Norfolk, combining exceptional career opportunities with an outstanding quality of life in one of the UK's most attractive regions.
Working for our organisation
The newly formed Norfolk & Waveney University Hospitals Group (NWUHG) is placing people and culture at the heart of its transformation.
By working as one system, the Group is strengthening workforce development, improving staff experience, and creating consistent, supportive leadership across all three hospitals. This unified approach enables better training, enhanced well-being support, and a stronger culture rooted in compassion, flexibility, and continuous learning.
Focusing on people also supports national priorities—ensuring the workforce is skilled, adaptable, and ready for future models of care—and strengthens NWUHG’s overall performance by improving quality, resilience, and sustainability.
Together, this creates a Groupwide commitment to making NWUHG a great place to work, with clear benefits for staff including:
Flexible working hours
Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
Multi Faith prayer room at NNUH Colney Lane site
Discounted gym memberships
Generous pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH Colney Lane site
Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
On-site Nursery at NNUH Colney Lane
On-site cafes offering staff discounts at NNUH Colney Lane
Support in career development
Flexible staff bank
Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Lead the development and delivery of the Group's long-term strategy, ensuring alignment across clinical, operational, workforce and financial priorities.
Drive large-scale transformation, improvement and service redesign programmes that deliver measurable benefits.
Lead strategic planning, horizon scanning and organisational responses to national policy and emerging opportunities.
Build and maintain influential partnerships with NHS organisations, universities, research institutions, regulators and commercial partners.
Support financial sustainability through productivity, efficiency and transformation initiatives.
Oversee programme governance, business case development, benefits realisation and strategic risk management.
Act as a key member of the Executive Team, contributing to corporate leadership, assurance and decision-making.
Develop organisational capability in transformation, programme management and continuous improvement.
Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, inclusion and compassionate leadership.
Champion integrated working across organisational and system boundaries to improve outcomes for patients and communities
The Job Description and Person Specification outline the full scope of responsibilities and essential criteria for this role. In your supporting statement, please clearly demonstrate how your skills, experience, and leadership capabilities align with the requirements detailed in the Person Specification.
Please note this is an application led process and CVs are not accepted.
Visa and Immigration
Applicants requiring sponsorship—including those currently sponsored and seeking a change of employer—should review the eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker Visa, available at:
https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
Roles involving work with children or adults will require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Applicants will be asked to declare relevant information regarding previous convictions during the application process.
NHS Service Verification
If appointed, we will verify any previous NHS service via the ESR Inter‑Authority Transfer (IAT) process. Submission of your application will be taken as agreement to this.
For VSM (Very Senior Manager) posts, applicants must also declare any redundancy payments received within the 12 months prior to re‑employment within the NHS.
Professional Registration
Where professional registration is an essential requirement of the role, candidates must hold current UK registration at the point of application.
Application Correspondence
To support our commitment to reducing paper usage, all correspondence regarding your application will be issued by email. Please ensure that you check your inbox (including spam/junk folders) regularly.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
We value diversity at all levels of the organisation and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
Applicants with a disability who meet the minimum essential criteria may request consideration under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme by indicating this on their application form.
Flexible Working
While recruitment will be undertaken in line with the advertised post, we recognise the importance of flexible working. Alternative working patterns or contract types (e.g., part‑time arrangements or secondments) may be considered. If you wish to propose a different working pattern, please indicate this within your supporting statement.