Innovation Policy / MedTech in the Community Adviser

In the Department of Health and Social Care, we are proud of our purpose - to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you would like to work in, we would love to hear from you. The MedTech and Innovation Directorate focuses on one of the most dynamic and innovative sectors of the health system. It adopts a system-wide approach to ensure that the health and care system has a resilient supply chain of safe and high-quality products, gets value for money, embeds sustainability, drives innovation, and promotes UK interests in global markets. It also oversees the regulation of medical devices. The first post sits within the Innovation Unit. The Innovation Unit is responsible for addressing one of the department's top ministerial priorities - to increase the adoption of safe, ethical and effective innovations in the health and care system. It is a new function, established to set a compelling vision for innovation, develop a clear strategy for achieving it, and coordinate delivery. We are looking for a creative self-starter who builds trusting relationships easily and knows how to get things done. The second post sits within the Medical Technology (MedTech) Strategy, Policy and Regulation Team. The team are responsible for setting the UK priorities for medical technology and ensuring their successful implementation and delivery. The post directly links to the Government's priorities, specifically investment in technology, a critical aspect of the life sciences sector and health system. You will play a key role in enhancing the performance of MedTech that can drastically improve patient outcomes. The Medtech and Innovation Directorate is looking two recruit two HEOs. One HEO will work in the Innovation Unit, the other in the Medtech Strategy, Policy and Regulation team. This is a prominent area with a lot of interest from No 10, DHSC ministers, patient groups and industry stakeholders, so proactivity and attention to detail are essential for timely delivery. These are a stretching and rewarding roles, ideally suited for individuals looking to further develop skills in strategy, policy development and delivery in a fast-paced and high-interest area. Innovation Unit This is an exciting policy and strategy role to deliver an important ministerial priority and bring fresh thinking into the department. You will be responsible for leading research to build our understanding of the system in which innovators operate and the emerging technologies that might have an impact on the health and social care system. You will help translate this research into policy proposals for innovation taking account of the complex health and care innovation landscape. The role requires significant stakeholder engagement working across arm's length bodies and government departments. You will also get the opportunity to interact with innovators such as clinicians, start-up owners and big tech companies to understand the challenges and opportunities that they are facing and use these insights to inform policy making. Finally, the role will involve working with both senior civil servants and ministers through the delivery of high-quality advice and briefings on innovation. You will be encouraged to share ideas and views in a positive and supportive environment and play an active role in shaping the direction of the team as its focus evolves. Strategy, policy and regulation team - medtech in the community The Higher Executive Officer will play a key role in implementing strategic changes to Part IX of the Drug Tariff. The role directly relates to appliances prescribed in primary care. These appliances account for over £1.4 billion of annual NHS spend and are an important pathway to ensure equity of access to products for patients. The post holder will work closely with stakeholders including NHS Business Services Authority, NHS England, industry, clinicians and patient groups. The postholder will be responsible for maintaining and scrutinising key programme delivery documents including the programme plan, decision log and risk and issue log. This is a stretching and rewarding role, ideally suited for an individual looking to further develop skills in programme delivery and project implementation in a fast-paced and high-profile area. Due to the high-profile nature the post involves frequent engagement with seniors within the department and across government. Innovation Unit The Innovation Unit is a new team welcoming a diverse mix of skills and experience. You will:

• Clarify innovation priorities: You will work with key stakeholders across DHSC and its arm's length bodies to help clarify the department's innovation priorities and turn them into an actionable and widely supported plan. You will remain aware of the bigger picture, using relevant insights to identify trends and challenge the system's work on innovation. Indicatively, this could include work to identify which technologies are likely to be 'game changing' for the future health and social care system and how the department should support their evolution.
• Coordinate system efforts: You will help build and maintain networks, actively coordinating system efforts to ensure that the whole health and social care system is aligned behind the department's strategy and delivers the elements that they are responsible for. You will help prioritise and allocate responsibility for addressing any gaps in government provision.
• Deliver high-priority cross-cutting projects: You will work on exciting projects, progressing our highest-priority innovation challenges which span several policy teams or require independent challenge. This could include projects such as assessing how the health and social care system can support the emerging femtech sector to improve women's health.
• Promote and support a culture of innovation in DHSC: You will be instrumental in encouraging and developing a culture of innovation and continuous improvement throughout the health and care system. You will help create platforms to encourage innovative policy thinking across the department. Indicatively, this could include establishing internal competitions that allow innovative thinking to cut through hierarchy, supporting policy teams to run policy sprints, or developing approaches to more open policymaking.
• Briefing: You will contribute to commissions including correspondence, parliamentary questions and briefings for boards.
Strategy, policy and regulation - Medtech in the community The post holder will have a significant role to support the delivery of a number of critical strands of work for medtech in the community. The role is flexible and can be adapted to the skillset and development objectives of the individual. Responsibilities will include:
• Support the implementation of policy changes to Part IX of the Drug Tariff.
• Develop and maintain working relationships to progress implementation working closely with relevant patient groups, industry and health system stakeholders. Project manage and build an in-depth understanding of key issues across medtech in the community to drive improvements for the NHS.
• Deliver and maintain oversight of programme and project management documents. Horizon scan for upcoming challenges and risks to delivery and support in identifying mitigations.
• Think strategically to advance policy goals, considering the wider policy environment across the medtech strategy, department and government with regular stakeholder touch points and progress tracking.
• Support and lead where appropriate in drafting policy documents including submissions and briefings.
• Contribute to a team approach responding to parliamentary questions and correspondence and briefing requests.
• The team has a strong focus on L&D and post holders will be able to take advantage of opportunities offered within the directorate, such as front-line visits to see technology deployed.