Director Director – BDA Scotland

Director, BDA Scotland

Responsible to Chief Executive (London based)

Location - Flexible with a Stirling base

Objectives of job

The BDA is the trade union and professional association for dentists and dental students. It is a member-led organisation and the postholder is the senior staff member in Scotland working with elected members to represent the dental profession and provide advice and services to members. The postholder will play a key role in negotiations with Scottish Government over contracts and pay for dentists working in NHS dentistry.

The Director for BDA Scotland is responsible for planning and effective delivery of BDA activity in Scotland including advice, services, products and policy development to BDA members in Scotland. The National Director will provide leadership and direction to BDA Scotland staff and will work closely with senior elected officers in Scotland to ensure representation of the BDA in Scotland at the highest level. As an internal director of the BDA, the post-holder also has corporate responsibility and will contribute to the overall planning and delivery of BDA services. The post has a significant amount of autonomy and relies on the post holder to be at the forefront of providing progressive, effective and efficient services to BDA and its members.

This is a part-time post advertised on a four day per week basis.

Main Duties and responsibilities

Leadership and management

• To contribute to corporate decision making, to ensure the development, planning and effective delivery of BDA activities across the whole of the UK.

• Working with fellow Directors, plan, co-ordinate and participate in the effective delivery of all relevant advice, services, communications and products to BDA members in Scotland. To secure, within overall priorities and spending limits, resources to meet the needs of members in Scotland and to ensure sound financial policies are maintained within Scotland by proposing and managing the budget.

• To lead and manage staff reporting to the post-holder, ensuring all staff have clear objectives, and to delegate appropriate responsibility and authority to staff.

• The effective leadership of the BDA Scotland team, providing day-to-day supervision of staff working in, or for, BDA Scotland, supporting team working and development.

Policy and governance work

• To establish and maintain excellent working relationships with the chairs and officers of Scottish Council, craft committees and other working groups, providing professional leadership to committees, officers and staff.

• Ensuring the effective administration of Scottish Council and other committees.

• To ensure that the BDA influences policy across a range of stakeholders.

• To ensure that high quality authoritative policy advice is available to officers and staff on matters affecting dentistry.

• In consultation with the Chair of Scottish Council, to advise the Principal Executive Committee and the UK Council of the BDA on developments in Scotland.

Influencing and external relations

• To represent the BDA in Scotland, acting as an ambassador for the BDA and for dentistry, and providing high-quality briefings to policy makers and advisers, as and when required.

• To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of all legislation, regulations, agreements and policy developments that relate to the delivery of any aspect of dental services in Scotland.

• To represent the BDA in influencing the development of new proposals and to seek to ensure that the Scottish Parliament and Government appropriately addresses dental health needs, maintaining links and seeking to influence MSPs.

• To establish and maintain a wide range of contacts with decision makers and stakeholders, within the Scottish Parliament, political parties, NHS management structures, Dental Schools, post-graduate Deaneries, Royal Colleges and Professional and Specialist Associations.

Communication

• To work with colleagues and elected members to ensure high quality communications for members, disseminating information regarding the work of the BDA.

• To work closely with the Head of Corporate Communications and External Relations to ensure that the work of the BDA in Scotland is widely promoted to non-members, stakeholders and the public, and communicated effectively at all opportunities.

Member services

• To identify new initiatives where BDA may deliver member benefit.

• To work closely with the Associate Director of Advisory Services to ensure that members in Scotland receive advice, support and development on all relevant matters.

• To work closely with the Head of Marketing to ensure that opportunities are created to promote the work of the BDA and its services and products to all members of the profession.

• Work with the Scottish Branches to support Branch activities, supporting communication of the Branch programme.

General

• Manage a demanding and wide-ranging workload of complex information and competing demands.

• Any other duties as reasonably required.

• The role will require some flexible working, including occasional weekends, and travel within Scotland and the rest of the UK from time to time. Person Specification

• Understanding of healthcare or a similar environment.

• Strong negotiating skills.

• Knowledge and understanding of the political and democratic processes in Scotland.

• Awareness of the impact of devolution on the future development of health systems across the four countries of the UK.

• Understanding of the impact of regulation at a Scotland, UK and European level on the future development of the profession.

• Ability to work with and influence elected members.

• Understanding of issues for professional associations such as the BDA and the framework within which the BDA operates particularly as they relate to Scotland.

• Demonstrable communication skills, both verbal and written, and ability to present in public, to professional and lay audiences, to a high level.

• Ability to network widely both within and outside dentistry, particularly in Scotland and to maintain a wide range of contacts to support aims and objectives of the BDA.

• Ability to lead a small team in Scotland, providing appropriate leadership and motivation.

• Ability to manage a wide and varied workload, managing time effectively and working effectively under pressure and to deadlines.

• Self-motivated to work individually, setting and meeting individual objectives under minimal supervision, and able to delegate and to seek advice and support, where appropriate.

• Understanding and appreciation of the principles of equal opportunity and how to apply these to the role in Scotland.

 

The following skills and attributes are desirable for the role

• Knowledge and experience of current issues in all aspects of dental practice, from undergraduate education, through to professional practice and post-graduate education, in Scotland and the UK.

• Experience of working at senior management level, including staff and budget management.