Clinical Endoscopy Lead

Job summary
The award winning South West Endoscopy Training Academy is seeking an outstanding clinical leader to take on the role of Endoscopy Lead/Clinical Director. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of endoscopy training across the South West, building on the successful work the academy and its team has delivered since its formation in 2021 in ensuring high-quality, equitable, and sustainable training pathways for the region wide endoscopy workforce.

The Academy forms part of the national Endoscopy Training Academy programme, supporting the delivery of world-class endoscopy education and workforce development. The Clinical Director will provide strategic leadership, professional oversight, and expert clinical guidance to ensure that training delivery remains aligned with national standards, regional needs, and the long-term workforce strategy.

This post is offered at up to 0.3 WTE, with opportunities for flexible distribution across one or more consultants, and areas of focus, depending on skills, experience, and interest. Applicants from any relevant endoscopy-performing specialty (including gastroenterology, colorectal surgery, upper GI surgery, general surgery, or related fields) are welcome.

Main duties of the job
The postholder provides senior clinical and strategic leadership for the South West Endoscopy Training Academy (SWETA), setting direction for high-quality, sustainable training aligned to national standards, regional workforce priorities, and service demands. Working in partnership with NHS England, JAG, legacy Health Education England programmes, the South West Endoscopy Network, and local Trusts, the role ensures a coordinated, system-wide approach to workforce development and represents SWETA at regional and national forums.

The role supports delivery of training, simulation, and endoscopist development pathways, ensuring robust clinical governance, quality assurance, and consistency across sites. It promotes safety, excellence, and adherence to national standards.

The postholder leads stakeholder engagement, building effective relationships with Trusts, training centres, clinical leads, trainees, and professional bodies, while promoting innovation, research, and staff development.

In addition, the role supports expansion and accreditation of training sites, faculty development, and standardised assessment processes, while championing equitable access to training. It leads key workforce initiatives, including immersion training, bowel cancer accreditation, and outreach programmes to increase workforce capacity and capability.

About us
NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.

Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.

In March 2025,the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.

If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.

Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.

We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.

Job responsibilities
Strategic Leadership

• Provide clinical leadership for the South West Endoscopy Training Academy, shaping strategic direction and long-term delivery models.
• Work in partnership with NHS England regional workforce teams, the Joint Advisory Group (JAG), Health Education England legacy programmes, and local Trusts.
• Ensure training aligns with national standards, regional workforce priorities, and emerging service demands.

Operational Oversight

• Support the Academy programme leads and wider leadership team to deliver training programmes, simulation learning, and endoscopist development pathways.
• Lead on clinical quality assurance and governance for Academy activity.
• Promote consistency, safety, and excellence across training sites.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build strong collaborative relationships with Trusts, training centres, clinical leads, trainees, and professional bodies.
• Represent the South West Academy at regional and national meetings.
• Promote innovation, research involvement, and staff development.

Workforce & Education Leadership

• Support expansion and accreditation of training sites.
• Contribute to faculty development and standardised assessment processes.
• Lead initiatives that improve equity of access to training across the region.

*Applicants to specify which above area of responsibility is of most interest.
** Applicants will receive Senior clinical leadership support/mentoring from the previous role holder.

You can find further details about the role,including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside theorganisational structureand person specificationin the attached Job Descriptionand other supporting documents.

Secondments
Applicants from within the NHS willbe offered on a secondment basis only,agreementshouldbeobtainedfromtheiremployerpriortosubmittingtheapplication.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• GMC registration with a licence to practise and inclusion on the specialist register (or within 6 months of CCT).

Experience
Essential

• Substantial experience in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy relevant to your specialty.
• Demonstrable experience in clinical education, training, and/or faculty development. TTT and TCT accreditation desired.

Desirable

• Experience holding educational or leadership roles at Trust, regional, or national level.
• Experience of simulation-based training or digital learning innovation.

Skills
Essential

• History of demonstrating strong leadership, communication, and influencing skills.
• Ability to work regionally, build networks, and lead system-level programmes.
• Understanding of endoscopy service delivery, quality standards, and JAG processes.

Desirable

• Involvement in QI, service redesign, or workforce transformation projects.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

NHS England is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.