Working as a partnership, both Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust have a shared vision for excellence in care for our patients and communities; with a set of strategic aims underpinning how we will achieve this. 

The single corporate service is delivered across both organisations.  You may be based at either IWT or PHU and individuals may be required to undertake business travel between sites. For leaders managing staff across multi-site locations, you will need to be visible and provide in person leadership. The arrangements and frequency will be agreed locally.

This vacancy is open exclusively to internal applicants currently employed by Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

NHS Band 8a Salary: £57,528 - £64,750 per annum                       

Hours Per Week: Full time 37.5

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract for 6 months 

We are seeking an experienced, forward-thinking and collaborative leader to join our Learning, Education and Development team as Head of Education Quality & Governance

Are you a passionate and experienced healthcare professional with a commitment to ensuring education quality and governance. We are seeking an inspirational and forward-thinking Head of Education Quality & Governance to join our Learning, Education and Development team.

The Head of Education Quality & Governance has a senior leadership role within the existing Learning, Education and Development (LEaD) Department, with professional responsibility for education quality, governance and assurance across the education portfolio delivered or coordinated by the department for Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust. The post holder will provide expert, visible and inclusive leadership to ensure that education and training is effective, evidence based, learner-centred and aligned with departmental priorities, organisational workforce requirements, regulatory standards and national education requirements. 

The successful candidate will establish and maintain a comprehensive education quality management framework covering undergraduate, pre-registration, postgraduate, apprenticeship, continuing professional development, clinical skills, simulation and statutory and mandatory learning. They will lead assurance, audit, evaluation, risk management and improvement activity, translating intelligence from learners, educators, incidents, complaints, workforce data and external reviews into measurable improvement. 

As a registered healthcare professional, the post holder will provide expert professional advice on education quality and learner safety, maintaining credibility with clinical leaders, education providers, regulators and commissioners. The role will work across professional boundaries and will not replace the statutory accountability of professional leads, practice assessors, supervisors or employing managers.

We are looking for a credible and inclusive leader with significant clinical, educational and quality governance experience, excellent relationship-building skills and a proven ability to lead change. You will be passionate about developing people, influencing practice and creating a culture where learning, improvement and compassionate leadership thrive. 

This role offers the opportunity to make a tangible impact on workforce development across the organisation while working with dedicated colleagues who are committed to delivering outstanding education and supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Job Summery

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for education quality, governance and assurance within the Learning, Education and Development Department, supporting clinical and corporate services. 

• Develop, implement and evaluate the LEaD Department’s education quality strategy, framework, standards and annual improvement plan, aligned with organisational priorities and requirements. 

• Provide robust assurance to the Director and Deputy Director of Education, site Education Governance Meetings and relevant workforce, quality and people committees. 

• Build effective partnerships with clinical care groups, universities, further education providers, NHS England, professional regulators and regional education networks. 

• Lead and oversee continuing professional development (CPD), NHS England returns, and compliance with Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) education requirements. Provide line management for the ALERT Business Team, PHT VEC team and IWT site-based Education Business and Quality Team. Administrative support will be provided by the Education Business and Quality Team. 

• Ensure learning from patient safety events, complaints, claims, audits, external reviews and examples of excellence is reflected in education priorities and programme design. 

• Lead a systematic approach to quality improvement across the education portfolio, applying recognised improvement methodologies, using data and stakeholder feedback to test change, evaluate impact and ensure successful improvements are sustained and spread. 

Interviews are set for Monday 30th November 

You may be based at either IWT or PHU and individuals may be required to undertake business travel between sites. For leaders managing staff across multi-site locations, you will need to be visible and provide in person leadership. The arrangements and frequency will be agreed locally.

Please refer to the Job description for further details:

Essential 

• Applicants must hold current professional registration with the NMC or HCPC and possess relevant post-registration qualifications.
• A Master's degree (or evidence of working towards one),
• A recognised teaching qualification (PGCE, PGCME or equivalent),
• Candidates will also be able to demonstrate completion of leadership development programmes and significant experience in practice education, workforce development and leading teams within a complex healthcare environment.  

Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification in education, leadership, management or workforce development.
• Fellowship or membership of a relevant education, leadership or professional body.
• Quality improvement, coaching, leadership or project/programme management qualification.  

Experience

Essential

• Substantial senior-level experience in practice education, clinical education, education governance, quality improvement or workforce development within a complex healthcare environment.
• Successful leadership of multidisciplinary or multi-professional education teams, including performance management, staff development and service improvement.
• Experience of developing and implementing education strategy, translating organisational and workforce priorities into measurable delivery plans.
• Experience of assuring the quality of learning environments, placements, supervision and assessment, including managing concerns and improvement actions.
• Experience of effective partnership working with Higher Education Institutions, Further Education providers, clinical services, professional bodies and external stakeholders.
• Experience of using data, audit, evaluation and learner feedback to monitor performance, manage risk and provide assurance.
• Experience of managing delegated resources or budgets and delivering value for money.

Desirable

• Experience in a large acute NHS Trust.  

• Experience of external regulatory or NHS England education quality review.  

• Experience across more than one professional education pathway.  

• Experience of managing delegated budgets and procurement. 

• Experience of education research, innovation or digital learning.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and DisAbility, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most.

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs. 

For more information, please see our People and OD Strategy 2026

Smoke Free Policy: 

All of our hospitals operate a strict no smoking policy. Smoking cigarettes or tobacco products is not allowed on any of the grounds or in any of the buildings run by us. This applies to patients, staff, carers and visitors to Trust premises.

Our goal is to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone we care for and, by making sure that our NHS services are smoke-free, we benefit the health of people who use our services as well as the health of the people who work for us.