‘Digital evangelist’ role at Department of Health

The shrinking Department of Health is on the hunt for a “digital evangelist” to lead its digital direction.

While the department may be planning to shed nearly a quarter of its 2,000 staff, this hasn’t stopped the drive for more digital talent.

It is now looking for a deputy director in digital and technology strategy. This will add to existing digital management team, including a head of digital, director of technology and transformation, head of digital engagement, and director of digital and data.

The job advertisement states that the £100,000 a year role requires a candidate who will share and shape “the department’s vision in setting a ‘Digital First’ approach to health”.

The successful candidate will not necessarily be expected to have knowledge of the “health service and wider system”, although it is an advantage.

However, they should be a “savvy digital and technology leader with experience of creating strategy and demonstrating proven technology delivery experience across customer-facing digital services and large scale business systems programmes”.

Katie Farrington, the director of digital and data, had a personal welcome message for the candidate saying her team was: “leading digital innovation – for example we played a key role in the NHS.uk project and are supporting and incubating a number of other new ideas to transform health and care”.

The NHS.uk is the revamp of NHS Choices, and is scheduled to launch in spring 2017. The Department claims the NHS.uk will have a fuller range of online patient services than NHS Choices, including the ability to register with a GP, see and book appointments and e-prescriptions.

The successful candidate will also be required to chair the Health and Care Digital Leaders Network.

Based in Richmond House in London, applications will be accepted for role until 9 December with interviews in late January and early February.

The job description also states that over the course of this parliament the Department of Health will move from 2,000 people to 1,300-1,400 people.