CQC Interim Deputy Director of Portfolio Assurance

Employer: Care Quality Commission

Location: Home-based, with travel to meetings as required

Temporary: 12 Months Secondment / Fixed Term Opportunity

Working hours: Full time 37 hours per week

Salary: £75,183 per annum  

Closing date: 19th January 2026 at 11.59pm

• Job description

  Every role at CQC contributes to our mission.

  If you’re looking for a short-term leadership role in Governance and Assurance that offers real impact and purpose, this is your opportunity! As our Deputy Director of Portfolio Assurance, you’ll lead the governance and assurance of change and improvement initiatives, ensuring robust frameworks and alignment with strategic priorities.

  This role will focus on prioritisation, benefits realisation and embedding best practice across the organisation.

  You will be an advocate for sharing best practice, you will define and maintain, in collaboration with the Deputy Director colleagues in the function who are experts in their fields, the standards for change and improvement including project management and business change across the team.

  Picture this

  We are seeking an experienced and motivated individual who can:
  . Lead and shape portfolio assurance improvements, ensuring robust frameworks and processes.
  . Provide assurance and high-quality reporting to Board and Executive Committees.
  . Drive alignment between organisational priorities and change initiatives, embedding best practice and statutory compliance.
  
  The role

  In this short term role, you’ll:
  . Facilitate the provision of assurance, to the Executive Committee (portfolio oversight function) and the Board of Directors, over the delivery and expected future performance of the major change initiatives defined within the scope of the CQC Change Portfolio.
  . Work closely with senior stakeholders to ensure clarity, transparency, and accountability in decision-making.
  . Contribute to strengthening assurance frameworks and prioritisation processes during this transitional period.
  
  Show us

   We will be looking for specific skills, knowledge and experience in your application form:

  . Significant experience of developing an organisational assurance and advice service, specifically in relation to major change programmes, that provides an independent and objective assessment of confidence, supports effective decision making and thus drives successful delivery of a Major Change Portfolio.
  . Strong experience in portfolio, programme, and project governance within complex organisations.
  . Ability to influence and collaborate with senior leaders in high-profile environments.
  . Proven leadership skills and the ability to deliver at pace.
  
  How to apply

  To apply for this role, please submit a copy of your CV via the Recruitment System.

  For general enquiries, please email recruitment@cqc.org.uk 

  Compliance
  To progress your application, you’ll need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. Without valid right to work you won’t be eligible for the role. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Some roles may also be subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

  Next steps

  You can read the full details of the role in the following Job Description: JD DD of Portfolio Assurance Jan 2026.docx

  If you apply, you’ll need to create a profile and complete an online application form. Your application will be completely anonymous.  Please see our information for applicants for more details on the process. We contact every applicant to let them know the outcome of their application, so you will hear from us whether or not you are shortlisted.

  The Benefits 

  We offer a wide range of benefits, including: 
  Annual leave starting at 27 days per year, rising to 32.5 days with service, plus bank holidays (usually 8 days per year). 
  Training and development opportunities. 
  Wellbeing initiatives, such as gym discounts and meditation. 
  NHS pension scheme, with around 14% employer contribution. 
  Discount schemes (including eligibility for Blue Light card, costing £4.99 and valid for 2 years), reward vouchers, car leasing and more! 
  Please see our benefits page for the full list

  Equity for all

  We know job descriptions can feel intimidating. Research shows they can cause some people to doubt whether they’re a good fit. This happens more often to people from underrepresented groups (e.g. ethnic minority backgrounds). If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply. Your unique perspective, skills, and experience could be exactly what we need.
  
  We want every candidate to feel supported and able to do their best. If you need adjustments to our process, we’ll work with you to remove any barriers.
  
  We promote a workplace where fairness, respect and inclusion are a priority. Diverse teams make our work better, help us deliver our mission and make our culture stronger. See our ED&I page for more about this.

  We welcome applications from everyone, and colleagues can find support and community among our many employee networks. This includes people of any:
  . Age
  . Sex
  . Gender identity or expression
  . Sexual orientation
  . Religion or belief
  . Ethnicity
  . Disability

  A Note on AI

  AI tools can be great for research and refining ideas, but we want to learn about you. If you use AI or Chatbots to help you with your application, keep these points in mind:
  . AI can support research, structuring and refining your writing, but your application must reflect your real skills and experience.
  . Spell-checking and condensing word counts are great ways to use AI effectively.
  . Do not copy and paste AI generated answers. These will not help you stand out; remember we want to hear about your skills and experience.
  . Providing false and insincere examples goes against our core values of honesty and integrity and may lead to your application being withdrawn or termination of your employment.

  Values and vision

  We are guided by our core values, which shape our work and our culture.
  Excellence – being a high-performing organisation.
  Caring – treating everyone with dignity and respect.
  Integrity – doing the right thing.
  Teamwork – learning from each other to be the best we can.
  We are a disability confident employer and a carer confident employer.

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