Insight lead

Job overview

Listening to patients’ experiences of their care plays a crucial part in delivering services that are safe, effective and continuously improving.  

When it comes to collecting patient-generated data, the NHS has long been a world leader. It was the first health system to launch national patient surveys and each year we invite more than 15 million people to tell us about their experiences of care and treatment. 

We have an exciting opportunity to join the team on a permanent basis as an Insight Lead.   

·       Expert in social research methods to deliver insight, you will help the team build on their successful track record to ensure NHS England and our commissioning partners understand the diverse populations we serve and deliver improvements in their experiences of care.  

·       Passionate about getting insight to the people who need it, you will support the oversight of data collection and delivery of insight.

·       Familiar with the healthcare landscape, you will be instrumental in ensuring team delivery supports the needs of a changing health and care system.  

·       An excellent communicator, you will ensure research findings are shared, interrogated and understood, helping to build capability to act on what patients and carers say. 

·       As a senior member of the team, you will be able to demonstrate critical thinking and people management skills to help lead a highly skilled and dedicated team onto the next stage of their development. 

Main duties of the job

Playing a lead role in generating and driving use of insight across the NHS to support the provision of care, the successful candidate will:

·       have a proven record delivering quantitative insight programmes ideally within health, including to support the production of Official Statistics.

·       strengthen relationships with policy teams across NHSE to support existing and emerging insight needs

·       engage with the wider stakeholder community, understanding how NHSE’s work in this space aligns with that of other organisations.

·       oversee the work programme’s budget, contractor relationships, deliverables and risks to quality.

·       deliver programmes within a political environment amid competing priorities whilst supporting the leadership of the broader team. 

Key Skills & experience:

1. Develop, plan and implement the team’s quantitative insight programme, gathering patient and public views and experiences.   
2. Lead the function as a subject matter expert in the use of different quantitative methods (existing and emerging) in relation to the production of statistical outputs, to generate the best quality outcomes for programmes of work  
3. Develop the operational best practice of the function, in terms of new thinking in quantitative collection methods (including surveys)  
4. Be responsible for, monitor and report on delivery, quality assuring deliverables and overseeing budgetary expenditure  

      5. Provide leadership and assist in the management of the team

Working for our organisation

In April 2023, NHS England, NHS Digital, and Health Education England merged to create a new, single organisation to lead the NHS in England. This new NHS England is designed to create a simpler, smaller, high performing, organisation that leads the NHS more effectively and is a better place to work. Speaking with one voice to the service.

The new NHS England board have set out the top-level purpose for the new organisation to lead the NHS in England to deliver high-quality services for all, which will inform the detailed design work and we will achieve this purpose by:

• Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities.
• Making the NHS a great place to work, where our people can make a difference and achieve their potential.
• Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care
• Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation
• Delivering value for money.

If you would like to know more or require further information, please visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/ .

Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in-person.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Person specification

Essential Criteria

Essential criteria

• Develop, plan and implement the team’s quantitative insight programme, gathering patient and public views and experiences.
• Lead the function as a subject matter expert in the use of different quantitative methods (existing and emerging) in relation to the production of statistical outputs, to generate the best quality outcomes for programmes of work.
• Develop the function in terms of operational best practice, emerging opportunities or new thinking in quantitative collection methods (including surveys).
• Be responsible for, monitor and report on delivery, quality assuring deliverables and overseeing budgetary expenditure.
• Provide leadership to and assist in the management of the team.

We are committed to recruiting the best person for the job, based solely on their ability and individual merit as measured against the criteria for the role; through a process that is fair, open, consistent and free from discrimination. We support the values and pledges of the NHS Constitution. 

We are committed to being a diverse and an inclusive employer and will build a culture where all employees are valued, respected and acknowledged. We strive to ensure that no individual receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of their gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief, colour, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, pregnancy and maternity, marital or civil partnership status, transgender status, HIV status, social background, trade union membership or non-membership and is placed at a disadvantage by requirements or conditions that cannot be shown to be justifiable.  

We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants and employees are treated fairly and consistently.  

Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Candidates are reminded that, if you are applying on a secondment basis, you must have agreement with your current manager that if successful you will be released for the period of the secondment.

Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.