Deputy Director of Cyber and IT Operations
3 days ago
Worthing
Deputy Director of Cyber & IT Operations (B9) at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. The closing date is 29 July 2026. University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a dynamic and visionary Deputy Director of Cyber & IT Operations to join the senior leadership team at a pivotal time of transformation. This role leads digital operations at scale, supporting over 18,000 staff across seven hospitals and serving a population of 1.3 million people. Reporting to the Chief Digital Information Officer (CDIO), you will contribute to delivering the One UHSussex strategy, integrating digital operations, infrastructure, data and clinical coding into a cohesive, high‑performing service. You will act as a trusted deputy to the CDIO, influencing decisions at Trust, regional and national levels. This role offers breadth and impact. You will lead operational performance and technical strategy across cyber security, infrastructure, networks, service desk, end user support, and data services, ensuring high availability, resilience and security of critical systems. Your leadership will drive service excellence, improve user experience, and enable frontline staff to deliver excellent patient care. • You will provide visible, inclusive leadership to multidisciplinary teams, fostering a positive culture and developing high‑performing services., • With responsibility for substantial budgets and resources, you will ensure value for money while balancing operational demands with strategic transformation programmes, including the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) programme and the Sussex Pathology Network (SPN)., • You will deputise for the CIO as required., • Advance cyber security and data quality, ensuring compliance with national standards and safeguarding sensitive patient information., • Lead incident response, risk management and continuous improvement, while shaping policies and strategies that strengthen the Trust's digital maturity., • Support delivery of the digital and data strategy in partnership with the CIO and other senior stakeholders. We are looking for an experienced and credible digital leader with a strong track record in complex IT operations, strategic delivery and stakeholder engagement. You will be resilient, forward‑thinking and capable of navigating competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment. If you are passionate about digital operations and want to make a tangible impact on patient outcomes, staff experience and system‑wide collaboration, this is your opportunity to lead change at scale within a forward‑thinking NHS organisation. Working for our organisation At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. We value individuality and provide a supportive, innovative community with staff networks. We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust. Candidate Pack The Deputy Director of Cyber & IT Operations supports the CIO in leading the provision of efficient, effective and high‑quality digital and data services that meet statutory, regulatory and NHS requirements, aligned with the organisation’s activities. Duties include: • Depose operationally for the CIO, • Work with the CIO to deliver the digital and data strategy, • Establish and deliver exceptional levels of customer (digital service user) experience and service responsiveness, focusing on purpose and maximizing user productivity, • Improve performance, availability, reliability and security of service‑underpinning technologies (Hosting & Data Centres, Compute, Storage, Networking, End User Computing), • Develop master data management and data quality to enhance the patient record and optimise income generation through activity recording, • Create visible leadership for digital and information teams, deputising for the CIO as required and ensuring teams deliver on strategic, operational and regulatory objectives, • Develop and deliver the technical strategy for the Trust in collaboration with subject matter experts including systems and security architecture, integration, cyber‑security posture, management, reporting, accountability and compliance for all aspects of Cyber & IT Security, including compliance with the annual Data Security Toolkit and related risk management, • Security certifications, including: CISSP; CISM, • Masters degree or equivalent post‑graduate qualification; IT/Informatics specialisation, • IT Service Management (ITSM) certifications, • Evidence of management development through CPD and/or formal management courses, • Experience in people management from recruitment to disciplinary matters, • ITIL 3/4, • Specialist training in Cyber Security, Risk Management, Certified Incident Manager, PRINCE2 / Agile project management qualifications, MSP, • Previous experience in digital within the NHS or a healthcare setting, • Significant leadership experience in IT operations within complex environments, • Experience delivering to KPIs/targets under pressure, • Experience in large, multi‑tier environments, • Credible leadership with strong NHS awareness (political, strategic and operational context), • Experience presenting complex information to senior forums, • Proven track record delivering complex targets on time, • Resilient and tenacious in a fast‑paced environment, • Extensive knowledge of managing IT operations and budgeting, including capital and revenue allocations, • Experience with risk management and capital planning, • Understanding of NHS environment and related requirements, • Ability to build relationships, maintain confidentiality and foster trust, • Flexible, proactive and adaptable mindset, • Coaching capability to support team development, • Commitment to CPD and staying informed about current threats, • Contribute to digital leadership across the organisation, • Ability to prioritise complex demands and maintain focus on essential activities, • Budgetary management experience and track record of delivering on budget, time and plan, • Participation on the Manager on‑call rota, • Essential car user with full driving licence and access to a vehicle, • Attendance at local, regional and national meetings on behalf of the Trust, • Autonomous working, coordinating with the Management Team and taking appropriate action, • Identify and adopt best practice, • Maintain professional autonomy for delivery of the role, • Interpret national and local guidance and develop local policies accordingly, • Evidence of championing diversity in prior roles, • Evidence of ongoing development to improve understanding of equalities issues This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and requires a Disclosure to be submitted to the DBS to check for any prior convictions. University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279) #J-18808-Ljbffr