Chair of Audit and Risk Committee, Non-Executive Director and Trustee
10 November 2025
Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) is the UK’s national institute for health data science and a registered charity. We are uniting the nation’s health data to enable discoveries that improve people’s lives. Our vision is that every health and care interaction, and every research endeavour, will be enhanced by access to large-scale data and advanced analytics.
We are seeking to appoint a non-executive director and trustee to Chair our Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) — a pivotal governance role providing strategic oversight of HDR UK’s audit, risk management, and financial reporting processes. The Chair leads and supports the committee, ensuring it is effective, appropriately constituted, and adds value beyond procedural responsibilities. The role involves providing assurance to the Board, guiding discussions on risk, finance, and governance, and engaging with key stakeholders while ensuring compliance with statutory duties.
The ideal candidate will bring:
- Board-level or non-executive experience in complex or evolving organisations;
- Expertise in audit, assurance, risk management, and financial oversight;
- Strong governance experience, including oversight of internal and external audits; and
- The ability to act independently, impartially, and strategically in providing assurance to the Board.
This is a voluntary, unremunerated role, although reasonable expenses (e.g., travel and accommodation) will be covered. The term of appointment is three years, with the possibility of extension, and the role typically requires approximately four days per month. Detailed Terms of Reference for the ARC and further information on HDR UK’s financial strategy, funding, and key risks will be made available to shortlisted candidates.
HDR UK actively seeks and values diversity in all its forms. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives who can contribute to an inclusive, high-performing Board.
How to apply
Please send a CV and covering letter, together with your contact details to appointments@hdruk.ac.uk.
We will also require two referees’ names and contact details, which will not be taken up without your prior permission.
We are committed to ensuring that our workplace is accessible to all and to promoting fairness and equality of opportunity throughout our recruitment process. If you need any support with your application or any reasonable adjustments to be made, please let us know.
Applications should be received by 12pm on 8 December 2025.
See below for further information about the role and to download an application pack.
HDR UK – NHS England Data Partnership Programme Manager
24 November 2025
Purpose of the post and main responsibilities
Health Data Research UK and NHS England are both committed to delivering streamlined processes and procedures for scalable, trustworthy access to high-priority NHS England data assets.
During a period of rapid change, this Programme Manager role will focus on delivering pragmatic near-term progress to securely increase the accessibility of NHS England datasets available to external users, while ensuring that solutions can scale and expand in reach and impact over time. The intent is to sustain progress/mitigate planning blight during a period of significant uncertainty and lay the foundations for a successful transition to the Health Data Research Service, once this is operational. Datasets will be selected to maximise reach and onward benefits to research across a broad spectrum of disease areas and for a broad range of researchers.
This post will be employed by HDR UK, but though an honorary appointment will work with colleagues in HDR UK and NHS England as a joint appointment across both organisations, agreeing a realistic 6-12 month set of joint objectives, and reporting jointly to NHS England’s Deputy Director for Data Access and HDR UK Programme Director for data partnerships.
Main responsibilities will include:
- Working with NHS England and HDR UK teams to accelerate progress across the below priority areas, with a phased approach to ensure tangible progress in at least one domain initially:
- Unlocking access to key datasets (e.g. primary care through OpenSAFELY) and support development of robust processes and key stakeholder relationships (e.g. BMA, RCGP for primary care) in close collaboration with existing NHS England programmes.
- Developing processes and procedures that streamline information governance approvals and contracting, focussing on models for data access for programmatic research within the NHSE SDE, removing complexity and duplication whilst retaining confidentiality and security for patients.
- Increase transparency and engagement in the prioritisation process for onboarding of new data assets for access through the NHSE National SDE and other access routes.
- Supporting close integration with existing delivery teams to maintain alignment and progress.
- Attending and shape strategic discussions within HDR UK and NHSE to ensure delivery of the roadmap.
- Coordinate and manage reporting and updates to key senior stakeholders to ensure strategic buy-in of agreed priorities.
What would role do?
The role will:
- Work with both NHSE and HDR UK colleagues to address agreed acceptably disruptive solutions to make realistic but meaningful progress.
- Work to develop and implement solutions that benefits all research and are scalable, rather than solutions for individual projects.
- Project manage and co-ordinate a prioritised delivery roadmap, developing project plans, tracking progress and deliverables, and managing risks and mitigation.
- Ongoing reporting to a range of stakeholders, adapting communications as required.
General responsibilities:
- Enable use of appropriate team communications and project management tools.
- Support development of communications to maintain alignment across multiple internal cross-departmental interfaces and ensure that ongoing efforts are widely understood across external stakeholder groups.
- Be prepared and able to work flexibly to support colleagues as needed, adapting to an evolving environment and emerging priorities.
Planning and organising
This post is embedded and supported by a range of colleagues across HDR UK and NHS England Data Access & Partnerships teams and will plan and manage a specific workload of complex, over-lapping projects and tasks. The role will require high levels of organisational skill and ability to work across organisational boundaries. The post-holder will need to effectively plan and deliver their work and be able to respond to changing needs in a fast-paced organisations.
Problem solving
The Programme Manager will be expected to use problem solving skills to respond to the diverse demands across each organisation. Supported by team-members, the postholder will operate with significant independence and will require confidence and resilience in planning and in dealing with enquiries and challenges that arise across the work. The post holder will make an effective judgement on when to escalate issues to senior colleagues’ attention and with what urgency.
Decision making
The post-holder will make day-to-day operational decisions for their own workload. They will identify, initiate, and develop opportunities for streamlined and effective working across NHS England and HDR UK.
For more information, please view the full JD.
Purpose of the post
The Finance Officer plays a crucial role within HDR UK as one of the key points of contact and financial support for the Institute. The role is responsible for managing the financial transactional processes and providing crucial cross-organisational support and troubleshooting via the Finance inbox. The Finance Officer supports with the management of the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable functions, from supplier set up through to payment run processing. The role also plays a key part in the running of our finance system, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and our expense system, Continia Expense Management. The Finance Officer is the key point of contact between HDR UK and our external Payroll providers, supporting with timely and accurate preparation and review of the monthly payroll process. The successful candidate will be working across the entire organisation, including contact with senior stakeholders on the central team, and with our external partners.
This is an exciting role which offers career development opportunities in finance management (the incumbent Finance Officer is moving up to a Finance Business Partner position). The successful candidate will be working across the entire organisation, including contact with senior stakeholders on the central team, and with our external partners.
Main responsibilities
- Responsible for the finance inbox, first point of contact for finance queries and ensuring appropriate filing of all relevant documentation
- Managing purchase ledger
- Preparing and processing weekly payment runs
- Managing the employee expense process and the public engagement expense process
- Preparing monthly bank and balance sheet reconciliations
- Ensuring all transactions are accurately recorded in the accounting system
- Working with the Finance Business Partners to ensure all postings are correctly coded
- Finance system management – general administration and management of the finance and expenses system
- Troubleshooting of finance system and expense system queries and issues
- Performing administrative tasks related to customer and vendor setup
- Performing administrative tasks relating to credit card expenditure
- Assisting with preparation for annual audits and year end statutory accounts
- Assisting with monthly payroll checks
- Continuous improvement of processes and procedures
- Updating the finance manual as and when changes are made to processes
Experience
- Demonstrable practical experience in a finance role (minimum of 2 years)
The following is desired but not essential:
- Prior experience of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
- Studying towards accountancy qualification
Skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively and confidently with people at all levels.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to handle sensitive issues positively and confidentially
- Ability to work accurately with attention to detail
- Excellent relationship building and networking skills
- Excellent problem-solving skills and confident in decision making
- Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment and to work in an agile, flexible and pragmatic way
- Proficient with Excel, Word, Adobe, and Outlook.
- A good understanding of accounting principles, such as double-entry accounting
- A strong desire to learn on-the-job and engage in career development. This role presents an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual to gain finance competencies. Please note, as we are a UK-based organisation, applicants must be living in, and eligible to work in, the UK. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.We politely request no contact from recruitment agencies or media sales. We do not accept speculative CVs from recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.”