Job Title: Deputy Group Chief Governance Officer

Location: Shrewsbury (hybrid 2 days from home)

Job Type: Temporary 

Duration of booking: Expected to last 3 months with possible extension

Proposed start date: ASAP

Pay Rates: Up to £532 per day Umbrella or £450 per hour PAYE inclusive of holiday pay

Hours / Working Days: 37.5 hours per week / Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm 

Sector: Healthcare 

Based: Office / Hospital 

Job Summary

The Deputy Group Chief Governance Officer provides strategic leadership across two statutory NHS organisations operating under a joint Group model. Acting as a key deputy to the Group Chief Governance Officer, the post holder leads an integrated governance framework to support decision-making, accountability, risk management, and regulatory compliance while maintaining the individual statutory responsibilities of each organisation.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic & Corporate Leadership

• Deputise for the Group Chief Governance Officer across both trust organisations and system partnerships.
• Provide expert governance and regulatory advice to the Board, Committees, Executive Directors, and Non-Executive Directors.
• Lead corporate governance frameworks, including standing orders, constitutions, schemes of delegation, and business cycles.
• Coordinate Board effectiveness reviews, Non-Executive Director recruitment, and executive/board development programmes.

Risk Management & Assurance

• Lead the Group's risk management strategy, maintaining Board Assurance Frameworks (BAFs) and Corporate Risk Registers.
• Oversee systems for identifying, escalating, and mitigating operational and strategic risks across the Trust.
• Ensure high-quality assurance reporting to regulators and governing boards.

Information Governance & Data Protection

• Provide strategic direction for Information Governance (IG), UK GDPR compliance, data protection, and cyber security requirements.
• Act as Deputy Senior Information Risk Owner (DSIRO) and handle delegated SIRO duties.
• Oversee Information Asset Management, records management, and response strategies for significant IG incidents.

Freedom to Speak Up (FTSU) & Culture

• Serve as senior leader/sponsor for FTSU and the broader raising concerns agenda across both acute and community settings.
• Promote a culture of psychological safety, transparency, inclusion, and organisational learning.
• Maintain oversight of thematic reporting and national standard compliance for FTSU.

Transformation, Police Investigation & Operational Oversight

• Provide senior leadership to the Independent Review Team in relation to ongoing confidential police investigations involving the Trust (Operation Lincoln).
• Lead governance workstreams related to Group development, organizational integration, and joint collaborative ventures.
• Manage direct governance teams across acute and community care environments, supporting staff development and culture.

Qualifications

• Chartered Governance Institute Qualifying Programme qualification and/or Master’s level qualification.
• Evidence of continuous professional development.

Knowledge, Experience & Behaviours

• Significant senior leadership experience within governance, risk, corporate affairs, assurance, or a related function within the NHS.
• Demonstrable experience of advising Boards, Committees, Chairs, and Executive Directors on governance, risk, and regulatory matters.
• Experience of developing, implementing, and improving governance and assurance frameworks.
• Experience of leading teams and delivering complex programmes of work through others.
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries and building effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of NHS governance, accountability, and regulatory frameworks.
• Knowledge of risk management, Board Assurance Frameworks, and organisational assurance processes.
• Knowledge of information governance, data protection, and information risk management principles.
• Understanding of Freedom to Speak Up principles and the importance of fostering a culture of openness and learning.
• Ability to provide strategic leadership, influence decision-making, and deliver results in a complex and evolving environment.
• Highly developed communication, influencing, and negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex information and provide clear advice and sound recommendations.
• Demonstrates sound judgement, personal credibility, and the highest standards of integrity.
• Resilient, collaborative, and able to lead through ambiguity and change.

Skills & Other Requirements

• Outstanding leadership and people management skills.
• Ability to provide credible strategic advice and constructive challenge to Boards and Executive teams.
• Ability to interpret and communicate highly complex governance, legal, regulatory, and organisational issues.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent report-writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to develop effective relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills.
• Ability to exercise sound judgement and discretion when handling highly sensitive matters.
• Ability to lead across organisational boundaries and through matrix arrangements.
• Ability to travel across all Trust sites.
• Participation in on-call arrangements.