R1 Director of Psychology; EGPP

NHS Lothian continues to grow and develop its workforce; alongside wider ongoing whole system working and service evolution. Our organisation is dynamic, inclusive, values based and multi-disciplinary; with an ethos that promotes safe, effective, patient-centred care; and a culture that values, empowers, supports and develops our staff.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join NHS Lothian’s Royal Edinburgh Hospital and Associated Services Senior Leadership Team in a key innovative role as the substantive Director of Psychology. This post offers blended remote and onsite working to suit the candidate’s needs.

Within Lothian, Psychological Therapies are provided and delivered by the Health and Social Care Partnership. The service comprises 16 core specialties and their sub-specialties:
Adult Mental Health, CAMHS, Older People’s Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Clinical Health, Addictions, Forensic, Maternity and Neonatal, Perinatal, Physical Rehabilitation, Trauma, Veterans, Staff Support and Wellbeing and Digital Therapies.

The role will lead and operationally manage a workforce of 241 staff, including clinical psychologists, counseling psychologists, clinical associates, accredited therapists, EPPs, assistant psychologists, peer support workers, clinical trainees and business enabling staff.

• Lead the ongoing and collaborative organisational redesign of Applied Psychology Services to meet demand and reshape the delivery of Psychological Therapies across Lothian.
• Ensure accessible, flexible, and adaptive services from digital delivery through primary care to specialist mental health and acute psychology services.
• Embed service user outcomes and feedback into continuous service improvement.
• Develop and maintain a culture of trust, respect, openness, collaboration, encouragement and integrity throughout the psychology departments.

• Doctorate level (or equivalent) qualification in Clinical or Applied Psychology and registration with the HCPC.
• Significant experience in senior leadership roles with evidence of delivering safe and effective clinical care within Applied Psychology services.
• Experience leading and developing large services and teams, competency in complex demand, capacity, activity, queue (DCAQ) and trajectory modelling, and service redesign and organisational change.
• Evidence of senior consultant psychologist experience with head‑of‑specialty managerial responsibilities.

• Supportive line management and a range of supervisory structures for professional reflection and growth.
• Excellent opportunities for research, academic and clinical experience across early intervention to secondary care, and participation in local and national teaching and training.
• Key teaching board affiliation with the University of Edinburgh and NES.

Workplace:
Royal Edinburgh Hospital and Associated Services, with distance‑working options. A gradual change to a 36‑hour full‑time week (from 37) will apply from 1 April 2026; pay scale remains unchanged.

• Applicants must have legal permission to work in the UK.
• Regulated role designation may require a different level of criminal records check due to upcoming legislative changes; see Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme for details.

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among its workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society and fully supports disabled candidates and those with long‑term conditions or neurodivergent traits by making reasonable adjustments.

Please contact Jillian Torrens, Service Director for REAS, renst.

We anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early. Please submit your application at an early stage to ensure consideration.