Solution Director - Employment Services

Job Description Job Family Sales & Account Management / Bid Management - Solutions Career framework job title Principal Sales Manager / Principal Solution Owner Level 4 Role job title ES Solutions Director Reports to Director of Employment Services (ES) Location Hybrid – Flexible This role requires regular travel to Southampton/Sheffield, plus national travel to client locations and business offices. Role overview NHS SBS is a joint venture between Sopra Steria and the NHS providing critical business support and transformational services for the NHS. We deliver Finance & Accounting, Employment Services, Procurement, IT Solutions, and Consultancy Services. NHS SBS’s strategy focuses on transformation and growth, expanding existing platforms and developing new service offers. Job Purpose As Employment Services Solutions Director, you will lead the growth of our Employment Services portfolio, driving new business, alongside our Business Development and Account Director teams, cross ‑ selling and up ‑ selling through the development and positioning of innovative workforce and HR ‑ related service solutions. Through your leadership, you will drive the evolution and impact of the ES portfolio — identifying opportunities to enhance existing services, developing new propositions that respond to workforce challenges, and ensuring NHS SBS remains a trusted partner delivering value, efficiency, and improved workforce outcomes for clients You will demonstrate how ES services can resolve client challenges, enhance workforce performance, and deliver measurable value, whether as stand ‑ alone services or as part of integrated solutions alongside other NHS SBS offerings. You will take full ownership of the end ‑ to ‑ end engagement cycle, building strong relationships with Tier 1 and Tier 2 stakeholders across Trusts and ICSs to understand their workforce strategies, pain points, and operational needs. You will develop compelling solution proposals, support clients to shape robust business cases, lead baseline reviews, and contribute to the full benefits case to enable successful contracting for ES services. You will act as a subject matter expert in Employment Services, maintaining a strong understanding of workforce trends, HR service models, and emerging market needs across the NHS. Your expertise will enable you to articulate clear benefits, design relevant solutions, and build a strong, sustainable pipeline with a tactical growth plan developed in partnership with the ES Leadership Team, Business Development Directors, and Account Directors. Role responsibilities & accountabilities Client Engagement & Market Insight Build strong, trusted relationships with Tier 1 and Tier 2 NHS stakeholders, including HR Directors, Workforce Leads, CFOs, and ICS leadership. Translate complex workforce and HR challenges into clear, accessible insights that demonstrate the value of NHS SBS solutions. Maintain deep understanding of NHS workforce trends, policy drivers, and operational pressures to inform proposition development and pipeline strategy. Solutions Leadership & Pipeline Growth Drive profitable revenue growth through new business, up‑sell, and cross‑sell opportunities across the ES and wider NHS SBS portfolio. Build, manage, and convert a robust pipeline aligned to ES growth targets and enterprise‑wide commercial priorities. Lead the end‑to‑end solution cycle, including discovery, solution shaping, business case development, and benefits articulation. Co-create and lead integrated, system-level workforce solutions with ICS stakeholders, ensuring Employment Services propositions are embedded within multi-service offers. Solution Development & Proposition Expansion Identify gaps in the current ES offering and shape new HR and workforce propositions that respond to client needs and market demand. Work with service delivery, product, and transformation teams to design, test, and launch new services, ensuring readiness and alignment with best‑practice HR models. Develop compelling value propositions, toolkits, and materials that clearly articulate the value proposition for clients. Embed Employment Services solutions within the ‘One NHS SBS’ customer lifecycle and operating model. Lead the development of Employment Services solutions that directly support NHS workforce transformation, aligned with national priorities for a digitally enabled, flexible NHS workforce. Internal Collaboration & Capability Building Partner with Sales, Marketing, Commercial, and other NHS SBS business units to ensure cohesive messaging and maximise cross‑portfolio opportunities. Build internal capability by educating Sales, Service Managers, and operational teams on ES solutions, ensuring consistent and confident articulation of our HR offering. Contribute to ES strategic planning, ensuring growth priorities reflect market intelligence and client demand Shape and position workforce consulting, analytics, and transformation-led Employment Services propositions, working closely with NHS SBS Consulting Essential skills and experience Mindset · A strategic, growth ‑ driven mindset with a strong orientation toward innovation, market opportunity identification, and commercial impact. · Curious and forward ‑ looking, with a passion for understanding workforce trends, emerging HR models, and digital transformation across the NHS. · Highly collaborative, operating with a “One NHS SBS” mentality that prioritises partnership, alignment, and cross-functional delivery. · Customer ‑ centric, consistently looking for ways to improve client outcomes, deliver value, and build long ‑ term relationships. · Comfortable with ambiguity and change, with the ability to lead through complexity and shape solutions in an evolving health system. · Demonstrates integrity, credibility, and resilience when working with senior stakeholders both internally and externally. Skills · Exceptional relationship ‑ building skills with the ability to engage confidently at senior levels across NHS Trusts and ICSs. · Strong commercial acumen, including pipeline management, opportunity qualification, and value proposition development. · Advanced problem ‑ solving skills, able to translate complex workforce challenges into clear, compelling insights and solutions. · Excellent communication and storytelling capability, able to articulate benefits, influence decision ‑ making, and support robust business cases. · Skilled in solution shaping, including discovery, benefits modelling, service design, and readiness planning. · Strong facilitation, stakeholder management, and negotiation skills. · Ability to collaborate across matrixed teams, leveraging expertise from sales, service delivery, commercial, consulting, and transformation functions. · Strong organisational and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage multiple opportunities concurrently. Experience · Proven success in sales, business development, solutions leadership or a similar growth-focused role within HR, workforce, consultancy, or professional services. · Demonstrable track record of driving revenue growth, including new business, upsell, and cross-sell opportunities. · Experience engaging senior NHS stakeholders (e.g., HRD, Workforce Directors, CFOs, ICS leaders). · Experience developing new workforce or HR-related propositions from concept to launch. · Background in shaping business cases, benefits models, and value propositions for public ‑ sector clients. · Experience operating within complex, multi ‑ stakeholder environments such as NHS Trusts, ICSs or central NHS bodies. · Exposure to consulting, workforce transformation, analytics, or digital HR services is highly desirable. · Experience influencing internal capability development (e.g., upskilling sales or operational teams on new offerings). Knowledge · Understanding of NHS workforce challenges, HR service models, and policy drivers shaping the NHS people agenda. · Knowledge of shared services models, payroll/pensions operations, HR delivery, and workforce technologies. · Familiarity with NHS governance, strategic priorities, ICS structures, and workforce transformation programmes. · Understanding of digital, data, automation and AI trends and how these shape modern workforce solutions. · Awareness of commercial models, procurement routes, and business case requirements within the NHS environment. Key customers, people & partners External Internal · NHS Trusts · Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) · HR Directors, Workforce Leads and CFOs · NHS England and DHSC workforce and transformation stakeholders · Professional bodies, regulatory groups and workforce partners · Technology and service delivery partners supporting ES solutions · Employment Services Leadership Team · Business Development Directors and Sales Teams · Account Directors and Regional Account Managers · Product & Service Solutions Team · Consulting Team · Service Delivery and Operational Team · Marketing Team · Finance and Commercial Teams · HR Team