Director of Strategy and Partnerships

As Director of Strategy & Partnerships, you will be a key member of the senior leadership team and a non-voting Board Director, helping to shape the future direction, performance and governance of the Trust. You will lead the development and delivery of the Trust's strategic direction, ensuring NWAS remains at the forefront of integrated urgent and emergency care while strengthening its influence across local, regional and national partnerships. By aligning the Trust's ambitions with system priorities, you will position NWAS as an influential partner in shaping the future of integrated urgent and emergency care and make a tangible impact on the health and wellbeing of the communities it serves.

You will be an engaging, visible and collaborative strategic leader with a strong track record of shaping strategy, leading change and improving services within a large, complex organisation. Operating at Board level, you will combine sound governance and assurance expertise with the practical ability to turn vision into delivery, working through others and in partnership with staff, patients and stakeholders. With the credibility, resilience and influence to build trusted relationships across organisational boundaries, you will unite people around a shared vision and deliver meaningful, measurable change.

To learn more about us and this exceptional role, please visit our dedicated microsite by clicking Director of Strategy and Partnership - Apply Here or for a confidential discussion, and details of how to apply, please contact our search partners Will McAlpine on will.mcalpine@gatenbysanderson.com or Emily Smith on emily.smith@gatenbysanderson.com at GatenbySanderson.

Preliminary interviews are to take place on w/c 16th & 23rd November 2026, with final panel on Monday Monday 14th December 2026

NWAS is an inclusive, compassionate organisation committed to working together, being at its best and making a difference to patients, staff and communities. We actively welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse leadership team that reflects the communities we serve.

Essential: - Educated to Masters level or with current equivalent experience; - Additional appropriate specialist qualification or management qualification; - Minimum of 5 years' experience in a relevant senior management role; - Substantial evidence of specialist knowledge and ongoing education relevant to varied aspects of role

Essential: - Highly developed negotiation/interpersonal skills; - Excellent communication and relationship skills; - Excellent analytical and judgement skills, including ability to consider and manage the strategic, political and operational factors within highly complex situations; - Excellent planning and organisational skills and 'whole system' analysis; - Project management skills; - Ability to manage complex and contentious situations and to resolve/move forward in situations where there are no obvious solutions; - Ability to work and act autonomously within senior decision-making forums internally and as Trust representative in external forums; - Resilience and ability to cope within a highly challenging environment; - Ability to maintain confidentiality and deal with situations in a sensitive manner; - Able to communicate across wide demographic boundaries in an appropriate manner; - Strong management, motivational and leadership skills; - Ability to think strategically and grasp complex policy and political issues, good understanding on the healthcare policy context.; - Ability to grasp, analyse and interpret complex ideas and translate them into language that is easily accessible to all audiences.; - Understanding of public affairs, stakeholder engagement techniques and best practice, branding and marketing communications

Essential: - Extensive and significant experience and demonstrable success of working at a very senior level in a communications and stakeholder engagement role in a large complex organisation; - Project management within a complex, multiagency service system, including proactive management of change; - Managing across different organisational cultures and working across professional groups; - Working effectively within the local political and health sector environment; - Leadership of substantial service change; - Understanding of national requirements and developments within the health and social care and their implications for ambulance services; - Experience of managing a team; - Experience of budget management, including large scale project budget management

Essential: - Flexible and highly motivated; - Project a professional image; - Compliant with the requirements of Fit and Proper Persons Regulations, including Board level competency framework