Join Bristol NHS Group to help shape and deliver digital transformation at scale within one of the UK’s largest healthcare providers, serving over 1 million people and employing around 28,000 staff. Digital Services includes 550+ professionals across programmes, technology, clinical systems, informatics, and data & analytics.
This senior leadership role as Head of Digital Programmes and deputy to the Associate Director of Digital Programmes, provides oversight of a major portfolio of digital initiatives. It combines strategic planning, portfolio management, investment governance and organisational leadership to ensure digital programmes align with priorities and deliver measurable benefits.
As the Group moves towards a single organisation, digital transformation is key to improving care, staff experience and efficiency. The role offers significant influence over transformation priorities, investment decisions and delivery of a multi‑year digital strategy.
The Head of Digital Programmes leads strategy, prioritisation and investment planning, ensuring decisions are underpinned by robust business cases, clear benefits realisation and transparent processes. Working across multiple stakeholders, the role requires strong leadership to align digital investment with organisational goals in a complex, fast‑paced environment
The post holder will:
Deputise to the Associate Director of Programmes
Lead the development and quality assurance of digital business cases, ensuring alignment to strategic priorities and value for money
Oversee the Digital Programme prioritisation process, ensuring it is transparent, consistent and evidence-based
Maintain and develop the Digital Services Roadmap, reflecting organisational priorities, dependencies and capacity
Establish and oversee the Benefits Register, ensuring benefits are clearly defined, tracked and realised
Monitor delivery of Cost Improvement Plans (CIPs) linked to digital investment
Provide strategic advice and assurance to senior leadership and governance forums
Lead and develop a high-performing Strategy & Investment team, supporting delivery of core services
This role plays a key part in ensuring that digital programmes are cohesive, prioritised effectively and deliver measurable outcomes aligned to the Group’s ambitions.
The Bristol NHS Foundation Trust will bring together North Bristol NHS Trust and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust to enable closer collaboration and improved outcomes for patients across the region. Through a shared vision and joint clinical and digital strategies, the organisation is working towards more integrated, efficient and patient‑centred services.
Digital transformation is a critical enabler of this ambition, supporting large-scale service change, clinical pathway redesign and improved operational performance across the Group. You will work at the forefront of strategic decision-making and investment planning, ensuring that digital programmes deliver meaningful, measurable benefits for patients, staff and the wider health system.
This is an opportunity to play a leading role in shaping how digital transformation is delivered across a major NHS Trust.
For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.
