NS239431 Quality Improvement and Assurance Advisor

Quality Improvement & Assurance Advisor (Band
7)

Location:

NHS Grampian - hybrid Summerfield House

Duration:
Permanent

Hours:

Part‑time (29.5 hrs) – job share considered

Are you ready to embark on a role at the heart of NHS Grampian's approach to quality, safety and organisational learning? We are recruiting a dynamic and skilled Quality Improvement & Assurance Advisor to join our senior Quality Improvement & Assurance Team (QIAT). This is an exciting time to join us as we strengthen our organisation‑wide approach to clinical governance, risk management, adverse events, complaints, and regulatory compliance across the system.

This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to major strategic priorities while developing specialist expertise through a 12‑month rotational model. Advisors rotate across the core specialist areas of:

• Clinical & Care Governance
• Risk Management
• Adverse Events & Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP)
• Complaints & Feedback (including SPSO interface)

All Advisors contribute to Quality Improvement activity, which underpins our entire quality and safety agenda. QI is not a standalone function but an essential component of how we respond to risk, incidents, feedback, inspection findings and wider system intelligence – ensuring learning is translated into proactive, systematic improvement and supports safe, effective, person‑centred care.

• Provide expert leadership, advice and support across Quality Improvement, assurance, clinical governance, risk, adverse events, and complaints.
• Lead programmes of work that support NHS Grampian to meet national standards and regulatory requirements, including HIS inspections and SPSO processes.
• Work with clinical teams to identify gaps, analyse data, and drive evidence‑based improvement.
• Coach, teach and mentor staff, helping build capability and confidence across the system.
• Develop, interpret and present high‑quality data, reports and insights to senior leaders, committees, and board‑level forums.
• Facilitate organisational learning from incidents, feedback and performance information.
• Strengthen culture, systems and assurance processes that support safe, high‑quality care.

You will thrive in this role if you:

• Have completed ScIL, ScILP or the Scottish Quality & Safety Fellowship.
• Have substantial experience in healthcare quality, patient safety or governance at a senior practitioner or management level.
• Demonstrate strong strategic thinking, analytical ability and improvement methodology expertise.
• Are an experienced facilitator, communicator and relationship builder across multi‑professional teams.
• Have a track record of leading improvement and enabling change in complex systems.
• Bring confidence in interpreting data, advising on assurance, and working with external bodies (HIS, SPSO, NES, etc.).
• Can positively influence, challenge and support others to deliver excellent care.

• A supportive senior team that values professional growth, flexibility, and shared learning.
• A 12‑month specialist rotation model offering breadth, depth and development.
• The chance to shape the future of NHS Grampian's quality, safety and governance landscape.
• Meaningful work every day that directly impacts patients, families and staff.

For informal enquiries, please contact Gillian Poskitt, Associate Director of Quality Improvement and Assurance (gillian.poskittt) or Rachael Little, Interim Team Leader, Quality Improvement and Assurance (rachael.littlet).

Interview date will be Tuesday 31 March in person in Aberdeen.

HS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

As from 1/4/26, the Agenda for Change full‑time working week will be reducing from 37 to 36 hours per week. Part‑time hours will be reduced pro‑rata. However, there will be a corresponding increase in the hourly rate so that pay will not be affected.

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