Director of Independent Healthcare and Responsible Officer (Medical)

Posted by: Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, Northern Ireland

Employed By: Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, Northern Ireland

Job Title: Director of Independent Healthcare and Responsible Officer (Medical)

Location: Belfast

Salary: £106,424 - £139,920

Contract: Full-time / Part-time

Application Deadline: 16 January 2026 5.00 pm

The Director will provide professional leadership for all aspects of RQIA’s work that reaches into strategy, policy and service delivery affecting medical services provided across the spectrum of regulatory, statutory and independent service delivery, corporately and across all Directorates and services. The Director will provide professional leadership and oversight to medical personnel within the RQIA organisation, including the role of Responsible Officer (RO) for such employed staff, and also the role of RO for RO’s overseeing medical personnel working in the independent sector, outside of contracted medical staff within HSC services. The Director will lead the Independent Healthcare

Directorate team, registering and conducting multi-disciplinary inspections and healthcare reviews across a range of services, for which RQIA have responsibility to regulate and inspect. The individual will provide a key role in providing senior leadership within RQIA and to our role as Regulator across health and social care services, working across sectors. The Individual will demonstrate the highest levels of diplomacy, assertiveness, and ability to undertake challenging conversations. The Director is required throughout to ensure the independence, impartiality and integrity of RQIA's statutory functions, and that this is protected and enhanced.

The post holder is accountable to the Chief Executive for providing strategic leadership and operational management of the regulatory duties and functions of RQIA.