Deputy Director of Integration and Strategic Partnerships

Deputy Director of Integration and Strategic Partnerships
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust is recruiting a values-led senior leader to join our team as Deputy Director of Integration and Strategic Partnerships (secondment to 31 March 2027). This is a real chance to shape what comes next: build the partnerships that matter, unlock new collaborations, and turn ambition into delivery for our communities--with neighbourhood health and the three NHS 10-year plan shifts at the heart of it.
Main duties of the job
We're looking for a credible, collaborative leader who can:

Spot opportunities and turn them into new partnerships
Build strategic collaborations with a clear line to delivery
Work confidently across system boundaries to get things done
Build and sustain relationships across health and care
Influence at pace - mobilise others and move work on without direct authority

Masters Degree from an accredited college or university or equivalent level of knowledge

Experience

System leadership across ICs/Place with partners
Evidence of delivering transformational programmes with impact
Senior management experience in a large complex organisation
NHS experience
Demonstrable experience of developing, maintaining and managing strategic relationships across health and care
Understanding and experience of working with general practice and local authorities.
Experience in designing and implementing business planning and strategic planning cycles
Providing assurance reports to the Board / Committees
Structuring and effectively communicating complex analysis, concepts and recommendations
Experience of turning complex multi layered strategies into SMART action plans
Delivering presentations to a wide range of audiences including the general public
Ability to establish and maintain professional relationships in the NHS and related sectors.
Proactively seeks and actively listens for information in both formal and informal settings
Experience of designing and implementing reviews of service effectiveness, productivity and sustainability
Demonstrable ability to gather and analyse data as it applies to the current and future business direction of NHS organisations/Trusts
Strong partnership and networking skills, harnessing energy across organisational boundaries and driving the work forward without direct authority
Reconfiguring clinical services
Commissioning experience within the NHS.

Knowledge

Specialist knowledge of current NHS policy and political environment, including integration and neighbourhood health .
Knowledge and applied interest in innovative models of care and approaches in healthcare
Project management methodology such as MSP or Prince 2
Understanding of the Foundation Trust process and other regulatory and policy frameworks that NHS Trusts are subject to
Financial Structure of the NHS
Health care policy and strategic direction
Strong professional network to stay abreast of changes in market, competitor, commissioner and regulatory environments.
Service improvement methodologies
Challenges in the local health economy of Cheshire and Merseyside, Strong partnership and networking skills, harnessing energy across organisational boundaries and driving the work forward without direct authority
Strategic analysis, research, business and market intelligence
Proven ability to manage complex projects
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
A proven ability to communicate persuasively to stakeholders from many different backgrounds
Influencing without formal authority
Expert ability to scope, research and develop implementation plans across a wide range of subject matters
Proven excellent research and data collection abilities to analyse complex data sources in support of strategic and planning activities
Ability to understand complex issues quickly
Politically astute
Reporting writing for the most senior level of an organisation

Values

Awareness of the Trust Values

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order)#####5 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.
Chief Strategy, Planning and Partnerships Officer
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Join an ambitious Trust with an innovative culture - and make a tangible difference, quickly. If you're driven by partnership working and neighbourhood health, we'd love to hear from you.
Prior to interview you must have agreement from your line manager to be released for secondment with a start date of 1 July 2026 at latest.
About us
At Mersey Care we strive to continually build on our values and beliefs that will allow all our workforce to develop their potential and bring their whole self into the organisation. In order to strengthen our inclusivity and diversity, we recognise the need to ensure we become more representative of the communities we serve. This is recognised in the NHS England EDI Workforce Improvement Plan 2023 and NHS Workplace Race Equality Standard that in senior NHS Leadership positions, there is an underrepresentation of Black and Asian Minority colleagues (BME). As an organisation we are committed to our Perfect Care Goal on Anti-racism and so are employing positive action where we know there is underrepresentation and for this position therefore, we encourage applications from people who are from BME communities. The Equality Act (#####) permits Mersey Care as a defined public authority, to take steps to address inequity and underrepresentation as positive action, and this includes
our approach for this position.