Senior Specialist Lead – NHSS Youth Academy
NHS Ayrshire & Arran, Location, West Virginia, United States
Overview
Flexible Location:
NES is a remote-friendly employer with staff based throughout Scotland. We support office-based and hybrid working arrangements. We welcome conversations about alternative working patterns—please get in touch during the application process to discuss. Work Pattern:
Fixed Term, Full Time, 37 hours per week. As from 1/4/26, the Agenda for Change full-time working week will be reducing from 37 to 36 hours per week. Part time hours will be reduced pro-rata. However, there will be a corresponding increase in the hourly rate so that pay will not be affected.
Fixed-term or Secondment until 31 March 2027 Eligibility:
You must have eligibility and entitlement to work in the UK which is required to be maintained throughout your period of employment.
Who We Are
NHS Education for Scotland (NES)
is the national health board with statutory responsibilities to effect sustainable change through workforce development, education and training across the health and social care system in Scotland, while working at UK level with partner organisations. The role of the NHS Scotland Academy, Learning and Innovation Directorate is wide-ranging and exciting. The Directorate was recently formed to support the development of learning and innovation within the organization, which will have system-wide impact on the development of the health and social care workforce. Uniquely, the Director works across the executive teams of two national health boards: NES and NHS Golden Jubilee to lead the development, implementation, and ongoing management of NHS Scotland Academy.
The Opportunity
We are looking for a Senior Specialist Lead to join our team and help complete the Enhancing Medical Attraction (EMA) project. This exciting collaborative project supports widening access to Medicine for Scottish applicants, through a focus on career learning. You will use your expertise in collaborative working, and your knowledge of the education and skills system to help deliver the project’s objectives. Working with a small team, you will achieve success through working with senior staff in NHS Medical teams, universities, local authorities, schools, colleges, widening access partners, Developing Young Workforce Groups and others. You’ll have a high degree of visibility with internal and external staff, representing NES and the EMA project with a wide range of different partners, at all levels.
Responsibilities
Working with a Senior Specialist Lead role, you will: Collaborate with NHS Medical teams, universities, local authorities, schools, colleges, widening access partners, Developing Young Workforce Groups and others to deliver project objectives. Represent NES and the EMA project with internal and external partners at all levels. Support the NHS workforce development initiatives and contribute to the project’s progress and outcomes.
What We Love To See
Senior Specialist Leads offer a broad range of skills and experience; if you can offer some or all of these, we’d love you to apply: A proven track record in effective collaboration across health and care services and/or education and skills sector Management experience with executive and senior management teams in complex environments Experience of change management and delivering improvements via partnership working A strong understanding of the skills and education landscape in the UK A confident influencer and negotiator with an ability to quickly establish trust and credibility The ability to work on your own initiative, to organise and prioritise workload and that of your team, and to meet strict deadlines A flexible approach to learning and problem solving Demonstrate honesty, integrity, care and compassion when dealing with others, utilising tact and persuasion skills when necessary Ability to work on own initiative, to organise and prioritise own workloads, to meet strict deadlines
Benefits Which Matter
As a valued employee of NHS Scotland, you can enjoy an extensive range of benefits including: Life-work balance - with opportunities for flexible working and hybrid working Generous NHS pension scheme Annual incremental salary progression (up to the maximum of the salary band) plus annual NHS salary scale review Annual Leave - 27 Days increasing in line with service plus 8 days public holiday NHS discounts and more
Diversity and Inclusion
Developing a successful national service for Scotland means considering the diverse needs, perspectives, and backgrounds of everyone in Scotland. We are focused on hiring the very best talent and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Our aim to ensure that everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has a positive recruitment experience—regardless of the outcome. We welcome applications from all under-represented groups, including racially minoritised people and disabled people. It is not essential to be in a Senior Specialist Lead role right now—you may be returning from a career break (e.g., maternity, paternity, caring) or coming from another field. Your experiences can bring a fresh perspective to our work. If you are considering applying and would like to discuss the opportunity, any adjustments or alternative work patterns, please contact Dylan White, Youth Academy Principal Lead (dylan.white@nhs.scot)
Next Steps
NHS candidates will be considered firstly on a secondment basis, and so are strongly encouraged to discuss this with their current NHS employer at the earliest opportunity, ideally prior to application. All applicants who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. In person OR online interviews including a presentation task will take place on a date/s to be confirmed, between Monday 25 February 2026 and Monday 2 March 2026. The presentation topic will be sent to candidates selected for interview. For further information please refer to the Job Information Pack below. Unless otherwise stated the deadline for applications is 23:59 hours on the closing date. Please note, CVs will not be accepted.
Please be advised that if you are successful in being offered the role following the recruitment process, you will be expected to attend the office prior to your start date to complete face-to-face pre-employment checks. If you require any adjustments to support this, please let us know. To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visas and Immigration Service. As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here. For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licensed Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here. It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form. If you have any queries regarding the NHS Scotland National Recruitment Portal or the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to contact our recruitment partners, the East Region Recruitment Service, at: EoS.ERRS@nhs.scot
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Flexible Location:
NES is a remote-friendly employer with staff based throughout Scotland. We support office-based and hybrid working arrangements. We welcome conversations about alternative working patterns—please get in touch during the application process to discuss. Work Pattern:
Fixed Term, Full Time, 37 hours per week. As from 1/4/26, the Agenda for Change full-time working week will be reducing from 37 to 36 hours per week. Part time hours will be reduced pro-rata. However, there will be a corresponding increase in the hourly rate so that pay will not be affected.
Fixed-term or Secondment until 31 March 2027 Eligibility:
You must have eligibility and entitlement to work in the UK which is required to be maintained throughout your period of employment.
Who We Are
NHS Education for Scotland (NES)
is the national health board with statutory responsibilities to effect sustainable change through workforce development, education and training across the health and social care system in Scotland, while working at UK level with partner organisations. The role of the NHS Scotland Academy, Learning and Innovation Directorate is wide-ranging and exciting. The Directorate was recently formed to support the development of learning and innovation within the organization, which will have system-wide impact on the development of the health and social care workforce. Uniquely, the Director works across the executive teams of two national health boards: NES and NHS Golden Jubilee to lead the development, implementation, and ongoing management of NHS Scotland Academy.
The Opportunity
We are looking for a Senior Specialist Lead to join our team and help complete the Enhancing Medical Attraction (EMA) project. This exciting collaborative project supports widening access to Medicine for Scottish applicants, through a focus on career learning. You will use your expertise in collaborative working, and your knowledge of the education and skills system to help deliver the project’s objectives. Working with a small team, you will achieve success through working with senior staff in NHS Medical teams, universities, local authorities, schools, colleges, widening access partners, Developing Young Workforce Groups and others. You’ll have a high degree of visibility with internal and external staff, representing NES and the EMA project with a wide range of different partners, at all levels.
Responsibilities
Working with a Senior Specialist Lead role, you will: Collaborate with NHS Medical teams, universities, local authorities, schools, colleges, widening access partners, Developing Young Workforce Groups and others to deliver project objectives. Represent NES and the EMA project with internal and external partners at all levels. Support the NHS workforce development initiatives and contribute to the project’s progress and outcomes.
What We Love To See
Senior Specialist Leads offer a broad range of skills and experience; if you can offer some or all of these, we’d love you to apply: A proven track record in effective collaboration across health and care services and/or education and skills sector Management experience with executive and senior management teams in complex environments Experience of change management and delivering improvements via partnership working A strong understanding of the skills and education landscape in the UK A confident influencer and negotiator with an ability to quickly establish trust and credibility The ability to work on your own initiative, to organise and prioritise workload and that of your team, and to meet strict deadlines A flexible approach to learning and problem solving Demonstrate honesty, integrity, care and compassion when dealing with others, utilising tact and persuasion skills when necessary Ability to work on own initiative, to organise and prioritise own workloads, to meet strict deadlines
Benefits Which Matter
As a valued employee of NHS Scotland, you can enjoy an extensive range of benefits including: Life-work balance - with opportunities for flexible working and hybrid working Generous NHS pension scheme Annual incremental salary progression (up to the maximum of the salary band) plus annual NHS salary scale review Annual Leave - 27 Days increasing in line with service plus 8 days public holiday NHS discounts and more
Diversity and Inclusion
Developing a successful national service for Scotland means considering the diverse needs, perspectives, and backgrounds of everyone in Scotland. We are focused on hiring the very best talent and actively encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds. Our aim to ensure that everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has a positive recruitment experience—regardless of the outcome. We welcome applications from all under-represented groups, including racially minoritised people and disabled people. It is not essential to be in a Senior Specialist Lead role right now—you may be returning from a career break (e.g., maternity, paternity, caring) or coming from another field. Your experiences can bring a fresh perspective to our work. If you are considering applying and would like to discuss the opportunity, any adjustments or alternative work patterns, please contact Dylan White, Youth Academy Principal Lead (dylan.white@nhs.scot)
Next Steps
NHS candidates will be considered firstly on a secondment basis, and so are strongly encouraged to discuss this with their current NHS employer at the earliest opportunity, ideally prior to application. All applicants who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. In person OR online interviews including a presentation task will take place on a date/s to be confirmed, between Monday 25 February 2026 and Monday 2 March 2026. The presentation topic will be sent to candidates selected for interview. For further information please refer to the Job Information Pack below. Unless otherwise stated the deadline for applications is 23:59 hours on the closing date. Please note, CVs will not be accepted.
Please be advised that if you are successful in being offered the role following the recruitment process, you will be expected to attend the office prior to your start date to complete face-to-face pre-employment checks. If you require any adjustments to support this, please let us know. To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visas and Immigration Service. As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here. For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licensed Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here. It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form. If you have any queries regarding the NHS Scotland National Recruitment Portal or the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to contact our recruitment partners, the East Region Recruitment Service, at: EoS.ERRS@nhs.scot
#J-18808-Ljbffr