Deputy Director of Quality

Job summaryThis is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced and influential healthcare leader to shape and drive the quality, patient safety and governance agenda within a complex and ambitious NHS organisation.Reporting directly to the Chief Nursing Officer and working as a key member of the Corporate Directorate and Trust Senior Management Team, the Deputy Director of Quality will provide strategic leadership across all aspects of quality governance, quality improvement, patient safety and risk management. The postholder will play a pivotal role in supporting the Board of Directors to deliver outstanding care, providing expert advice and assurance while fostering a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and learning.This high-profile role offers the opportunity to lead transformational change, influence organisational strategy and work collaboratively with senior leaders, clinicians, regulators and system partners to improve outcomes and experiences for patients, families and staff.Main duties of the jobThe Deputy Director of Quality will lead the Trust's quality agenda, ensuring robust governance and assurance systems support the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate care across all services.Working closely with Executive Directors and clinical leaders, the postholder will provide strategic leadership for quality governance, patient safety, risk management, quality improvement, patient experience, complaints, clinical effectiveness, incident management and organisational learning. They will ensure the Trust maintains compliance with regulatory requirements and delivers sustained improvement against local and national priorities.The role will provide expert professional advice and assurance to the Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Medical Officer, Executive Team and Board of Directors, supporting effective decision-making and organisational oversight of quality and safety.The Deputy Director of Quality will build strong partnerships with NHS England, the Care Quality Commission, commissioners, academic organisations and system partners, representing the Trust at local, regional and national levels.Leading a highly skilled portfolio of services and teams, the postholder will champion a culture of excellence, inclusion and continuous improvement, ensuring quality and patient safety remain at the heart of everything the Trust delivers.About usSouth Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust have come together to form University Hospitals Tees. As a result, post holders may be required to work across sites within both organisations.Across University Hospitals Tees, our ambition is to be the best place to work, ensuring we have the right staff in the right roles at the right time to deliver outstanding patient care and experience.We are committed to supporting our staff through an inclusive and supportive working environment, offering health and wellbeing initiatives, staff benefits, and opportunities for personal and professional development.We are committed to fostering an inclusive recruitment process and welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates, including those who first language is not English.We support the 'Making Every Contact Count' approach to behaviour change in the promotion of health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.DetailsDate posted30 July 2026Pay schemeAgenda for changeBandBand 9Salary 112,782 to 129,783 a year per annum ContractPermanentWorking pattern Full-time Reference number328-CP-8193331Job locationsUniversity Tees HospitalMarton RoadMiddlesbroughTS4 3BWUnited KingdomJob descriptionJob responsibilitiesThe Deputy Director of Quality provides strategic leadership for quality, patient safety, risk management and governance across the Trust.Reporting to the Chief Nursing Officer, the postholder will support the Board of Directors and Executive Team by providing expert advice and assurance on quality, safety and regulatory compliance.The role is responsible for leading the Trust's quality governance, patient safety, patient experience, complaints, clinical effectiveness, risk management and organisational learning functions, driving continuous improvement and delivering high standards of care.The Deputy Director of Quality will work closely with internal and external stakeholders, including regulators and system partners, while providing leadership to the Quality Governance and Risk Management teams.The Deputy Director of Quality will contribute to the Strategic On-call rota. Job description Job responsibilitiesThe Deputy Director of Quality provides strategic leadership for quality, patient safety, risk management and governance across the Trust.Reporting to the Chief Nursing Officer, the postholder will support the Board of Directors and Executive Team by providing expert advice and assurance on quality, safety and regulatory compliance.The role is responsible for leading the Trust's quality governance, patient safety, patient experience, complaints, clinical effectiveness, risk management and organisational learning functions, driving continuous improvement and delivering high standards of care.The Deputy Director of Quality will work closely with internal and external stakeholders, including regulators and system partners, while providing leadership to the Quality Governance and Risk Management teams.The Deputy Director of Quality will contribute to the Strategic On-call rota.Person Specification Qualifications EssentialFirst level degreeMasters degreeManagement QualificationDesirableProfessional Clinical Qualification (NMC, HCPC, GMC) Experience and training EssentialSignificant experience at a senior level within an acute TrustEvidence of working across multi-professional groups on delivery of major projectsDelivery of major change management projectsEvidence of continual professional developmentIn depth specialist experience of staff management in quality and patient safety acquired over an extended period and in a variety of challenging and complex rolesDesirableExperience of undertaking investigations into Serious Incidents Specialist Knowledge EssentialSubstantial experience of working with commissioners, CQC, Healthwatch, Scrutiny Committee for Health, NHS England, HTA, NICE, and HM Coroner Person Specification Qualifications EssentialFirst level degreeMasters degreeManagement QualificationDesirableProfessional Clinical Qualification (NMC, HCPC, GMC) Experience and training EssentialSignificant experience at a senior level within an acute TrustEvidence of working across multi-professional groups on delivery of major projectsDelivery of major change management projectsEvidence of continual professional developmentIn depth specialist experience of staff management in quality and patient safety acquired over an extended period and in a variety of challenging and complex rolesDesirableExperience of undertaking investigations into Serious Incidents Specialist Knowledge EssentialSubstantial experience of working with commissioners, CQC, Healthwatch, Scrutiny Committee for Health, NHS England, HTA, NICE, and HM CoronerDisclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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 detailsEmployer nameSouth Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustAddressUniversity Tees HospitalMarton RoadMiddlesbroughTS4 3BWUnited KingdomEmployer's websiteEmployer detailsEmployer nameSouth Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustAddressUniversity Tees HospitalMarton RoadMiddlesbroughTS4 3BWUnited KingdomEmployer's website