Non-Executive Director, Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board

About Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board

In July 2022, 12 organisations came together to establish NHS Greater Manchester, our city region’s ICB. We are a statutory part of our ICS - Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership, overseen by a Board comprising colleagues from across the system championing joined up working to help people live independent, active and healthy lives, all while making the system work better for the public and professionals who serve it.

In March 2023, we published our first Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) Strategy setting out our ambition for the next five years. Local Health and Well Being strategies for the 10 localities were reviewed as part of the development of the ICP strategy and used to inform its content, and the strategy itself was developed with the Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBBs) in Greater Manchester and their views were sought on an engagement draft in early 2023.

Our vision is the one which many partners across the city region have collectively adopted: for Greater Manchester to be a place where everyone can live a good life; growing up, getting on and growing old in a greener, fairer more prosperous city-region. To achieve this, our strategy sets out six missions: to strengthen our communities; help people get into – and stay in – good work; recover core NHS and care services; help people stay well and detect illness earlier; support our workforce and our carers; and achieve financial sustainability.

Dear Colleague
Thank you for your interest in the role of Non-Executive Director – Senior Independent Director and Deputy Chair at NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board. This is an important appointment at a time of transition, both for our organisation and the wider NHS, and I am delighted you are considering joining us.
Greater Manchester has a proud history of collaboration and innovation in health and care. With a population of 2.8 million, we are one of the country’s largest integrated care systems. What makes us unique is our history of devolution, bringing together the NHS, local government and the Mayor of Greater Manchester in ways that have shaped national policy. This legacy of close working has provided strong foundations for joined-up health and care. Yet, we also recognise the challenges ahead. Too many of our residents live shorter, less healthy lives, and inequalities remain stark. The pandemic exacerbated these pressures and placed additional strain on our system.
Against this backdrop, NHS Greater Manchester is reshaping how we work. Following a governance review, we have streamlined our Board committees into four strategic forums, and we are embedding a revised operating model. Our focus is firmly on strategy: tackling health inequalities, strengthening our financial position, and delivering improvements in urgent and elective care. At the same time, the NHS nationally is evolving, with Integrated Care Boards set to take on commissioning responsibility for a wide range of specialised services from 2025. These changes provide us with both challenge and opportunity.
In this context, the role of Senior Independent Director and Deputy Chair is crucial. As SID, you will provide independent counsel to the Board, lead the appraisal of the Chair, and act as a trusted contact point for colleagues and stakeholders. You will sit across all our key committees, giving you a unique vantage point to support coherence in our work. As Deputy Chair, you will support me in guiding the Board through complex decisions, ensuring we uphold the highest standards of governance and remain focused on outcomes for the people we serve.
This role also carries specific responsibilities. You will act as the Board’s Freedom to Speak Up Guardian and whistleblowing lead, helping to build a culture of openness, transparency and support for staff who raise concerns. In addition, you will hold the policy lead for people and culture, working with internal colleagues and system partners to ensure our workforce agenda remains at the heart of our strategy. This means championing staff wellbeing, talent development and leadership, while embedding equality, diversity and inclusion in everything we do. Your ability to listen, act with integrity and foster trust will be essential.
We are looking for someone who can bring not only governance expertise and leadership experience, but also the personal qualities to make a difference. This is not a role for a first-time NED. We need someone with the confidence to provide constructive challenge, the courage to speak up, and the interpersonal skills to support colleagues. You may come from health and care, or from another sector entirely, but you will understand how to operate in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Above all, you will share our commitment to improving health outcomes and tackling inequalities across Greater Manchester.
I want to stress how much we value diversity. We know that boards are more effective when they reflect the communities they serve. We are therefore keen to attract applicants from all backgrounds, particularly those who are under-represented in NHS leadership today. If you are motivated by the opportunity to make a real difference and believe you can contribute to our journey, we would be delighted to receive your application.
This is a challenging role, but it is also a rewarding one. By joining our Board, you helping us deliver lasting improvements for people and communities in a system known nationally for its ambition and innovation. You will have the opportunity to help us deliver meaningful improvements in people’s lives and to contribute to the broader prosperity of our city-region.
Thank you once again for your interest. I hope you are inspired by the opportunity and look forward to welcoming you to GM ICB.
Yours sincerely
Sir Richard Leese
Chair
Please click here to read the Job Description & Person Specification
All applications must include:
- A full curriculum vitae/resume - this should include your contact address and details, stating your preferred method of contact, highlighting and explaining any gaps in your employment history.
- Quoting the relevant role reference number: A040999
- A covering letter highlighting your skills and experience and allow insights on your knowledge, skill and experience relevant to the role. You should outline your personal responsibility and achievement within previous roles that demonstrates you have the knowledge, skills and competencies to deliver this role, as outlined in the person specification and take the opportunity to highlight your personal values and motivations for applying for the role. (Microsoft Word document)
- Contact details for three referees, these will not be contacted without your permission. (References should validate a minimum period of six years employment)
- A completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (which you will be redirected to once you have submitted your application) *
Right to work checks
If you are successfully shortlisted, our partner, Yoti, will contact you to complete an online right to work check. This is a quick and secure process, ensuring that all necessary legal requirements are met before proceeding further in the recruitment process.
Monitoring
One of Alumni Global’s and Greater Manchester ICB’s objectives is to ensure that its workforce is reflective of the local community and therefore we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups. So that we can successfully achieve these aims, while it is not mandatory we would encourage every applicant to complete the “Equal Opportunities Monitoring form” so that we can measure the effectiveness of our efforts. The Recruiting Manager does not have access to the Monitoring Information Sections of the application form at any stage of the process and the information provided will be kept entirely confidential.
For a confidential discussion on this role please contact:
Thomas Patterson, Managing Director or Beth Stickney, Principal Researcher on +44 7703 821 996
Candidate adjustment
If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made as part of the recruitment process please can you advise us so that we can ensure this is accommodated.
Closing date: 10th October 2025
Stakeholder Sessions: TBC
Final Interviews: w/c 10th November 2025 - TBC
Please ensure you have made a note of the final interview date(s). We recommend that you bookmark this microsite, as any potential updates regarding the role will be posted online.