Posted on 16th September 2022
Application deadline: 9:00 October 3rd 2022
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an internationally-recognised and highly prestigious organisation which continually improves outcomes for patients using the NHS and other public health and social care services by producing trusted, independent, and evidence-based guidance for practitioners across health, public health, and social care. Since its foundation as an independent non-departmental government body in 1999, NICE has endeavored to put “science and evidence at the heart of health and care decision-making”.
However, with new treatments, practices and technologies in the field of medicine emerging at an unprecedented pace, NICE recognises the need to rethink its role in the healthcare ecosystem – particularly given the impact that the pandemic has had, and will continue to have, on health inequalities for years to come. As a result, the Institute has developed a five-year strategy to equip itself not only to continue to meet the needs of both patients and practitioners, but to pro-actively anticipate, recognise, and respond to the challenges and opportunities arising from new medical, technological and scientific advancements with an accelerated sense of pace and dynamism.
NICE is therefore seeking to appoint a Chief Medical Officer (CMO), who will play a critical strategic leadership role in the pursuit of its goal to initiate and sustain a wholesale transformation of the way in which it works, and how its guidelines are used by clinicians and the public – ultimately creating a future in which the translation of scientific and technological innovation into health and care is hastened and democratised across the health and care system. This is a wonderful opportunity to join the executive team of an organisation that has already proven its ability to work seamlessly across boundaries in order to hasten the speed of access to the latest, most effective treatments during the Covid-19 pandemic, but is now seeking to embed this agile approach for the long term.
As the senior clinical leader on the executive team and an attendee at Board meetings, the CMO will provide visible medical leadership and represent NICE across the UK health and care system. This includes establishing and leading on the Institute’s relationships with key stakeholders and academic groups (including the Royal Colleges, clinical leaders within NHSE/I, and the GMC), as well as leading on external engagement to influence the uptake of NICE guidance across national, international, regional and local health and care systems.
Reporting to the Chief Executive (Dr. Sam Roberts, formerly the Director of Innovation, Research and Life Sciences at NHS England), the CMO also has a critical internal leadership role to play, both for NICE’s clinicians and across the whole organisation. In particular, they will be the executive lead for horizon scanning and topic selection, identifying key changes in the evidence base, innovations and emerging approaches, as well as potential improvements in care across a broad range of clinical disciplines in order to ensure that NICE’s advice is focused towards priority areas which will have the greatest impact.
In this appointment, NICE are looking for a senior clinical leader with extensive knowledge of – and a track record across – the full breadth of the UK health, social care, and public health ecosystems. Through their personal credibility, influence, and communication skills, the role holder will have the ability to build strong relationships with a diverse set of senior stakeholders, ensuring that NICE’s vision for the future is properly articulated and represented externally, while also fulfilling a crucial leadership role across the Institute itself, bringing a strong future-focus, ideas and imagination, while appreciating the Institute’s history, achievements to date and critical role in patient safety.
For full details of the Job Specification click here.
The MBS Group are acting as NICE’s advisors on this appointment. To apply please send a covering letter, CV, and completed Equality Monitoring Form (available in Appendix I of the candidate information pack) with the subject line “Application for the role of Chief Medical Officer” to [email protected] by 9am on Monday 3rd October.
If your application is progressed after the Longlist meeting in early October, you will be invited to attend an hour-long, competency-based interview with the MBS team ahead of a Shortlist meeting, where a small number of candidates will be chosen to appear before the selection panel. The panel will consist of Dr. Sam Roberts (Chief Executive), Professor Lucy Chappell (Chief Scientistic Adviser for the DHSC), Professor Gary Ford (Chief Executive of the Oxford AHSN) and Professor David Croisdale-Appleby (Chair of the Royal College of Physicians).
Please note that this is a part-time position, consisting of 30 hours per week (i.e. 0.8 full-time equivalent, allowing candidates to maintain their clinical practice within the remaining 0.2) and may be based in either London or Manchester, where NICE has offices. NICE has an extremely flexible working culture, however the successful candidate should expect to spend roughly two days per week in the office.
The Chief Medical Officer will be appointed on either a Medical and Dental or GP employed contract. NICE expect to be able to match individuals’ current salaries up to £150,000 per annum pro rata. The role holder will also have membership to the NHS Superannuation Pension Scheme.