Head of Governance and Risk

The Head of Governance & Risk provides senior leadership for governance, assurance, risk management, and performance reporting across the Estates and Facilities Directorates at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.

The role is responsible for developing and maintaining robust governance frameworks that ensure statutory and NHS compliance, effective risk oversight, and high-quality management information to support executive decision-making. As a key member of the Estates Senior Leadership Team, the postholder leads on estates-focused risk management, assurance processes, and performance reporting across capital delivery, contract management, compliance, property, and soft facilities services.

Working closely with senior leaders, regulators, auditors, and internal partners, the role champions a data-driven and improvement-focused culture, translating performance and risk intelligence into actionable insights that enhance safety, quality, efficiency, and value for money across the Trusts' estates portfolios.

• Provide senior leadership for governance, assurance, and risk management across Estates and Facilities.
• Develop and maintain governance frameworks ensuring statutory, regulatory, and NHS compliance.
• Lead estates-focused risk management, including risk registers, escalation processes, and assurance actions.
• Produce and present high-quality performance, risk, and compliance reports to senior leadership and Trust committees.
• Translate estates performance and risk data into actionable insights to drive service improvement and safety.
• Act as the senior business assurance lead, working closely with internal teams, regulators, and audit bodies.
• Support financial performance, efficiency initiatives, and continuous improvement across the Directorate.

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWB) serves Birmingham and the Black Country - one of the country's most culturally diverse areas. It's a friendly and welcoming place - a place where you can belong, and a place where you can grow.

We care for our patients, we care about our population, and we care about our people.

Our values - Ambition, Respect and Compassion - are at the heart of who we are. They guide us every step of the way; how we work with each other, and how we look after our patients and their families; how we respect and value the rich diversity of our team and our community.

Our Trust has always aspired to be more than a hospital, more than a healthcare provider. Our purpose is to "Improve the Life Chances and Health Outcomes of our Population." It is what inspires, drives, and unites us every day. It's what makes us unique.

We want working at SWB to feel like more than just a job. We want our Trust to be a place where you can feel you belong. A place where you feel happy, safe, and rewarded. A place where you can develop your career in whatever way you choose. When we say we're 'with you all the way' we want you to know that we mean it.

Visit the SWB website to find out more about our ambitions and people plans.

The Head of Governance & Risk is responsible for strengthening corporate governance and assurance arrangements across the Estates and Facilities Directorates at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust. The role leads the development of integrated governance and reporting frameworks covering estates operations, capital delivery, contract management, compliance, property management, and soft facilities services.

As a key member of the Estates Senior Leadership Team, the postholder provides senior oversight of estates risk management, ensuring infrastructure, compliance, and environmental risks are effectively identified, monitored, escalated, and mitigated. The role oversees operational and corporate risk registers, supports assurance actions arising from audits and inspections, and ensures alignment with national standards and NHS requirements.

The postholder is accountable for producing clear, accurate, and timely performance, compliance, and risk intelligence to inform executive decision-making. By…