Chief Commercial Officer | University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

Wessex Health Innovation Wessex is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for the detailed job description of the role.

We are looking for a Chief Commercial Offer to lead commercial innovation across two pioneering organisations.

Chief Commercial Officer – Joint Role across Health Innovation Wessex (HIW) and Wessex NHS Secure Data Environment (SDE).

This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of health innovation, data-enabled collaboration and commercial growth across Wessex. This joint post brings together two ambitious organisations — Health Innovation Wessex and the Wessex NHS Secure Data Environment (SDE) — in one high-impact leadership role designed to drive partnerships, unlock income opportunities and create real-world value for patients, the NHS and industry.

As Chief Commercial Officer, you will sit at the heart of strategic growth: leading commercial strategy, developing compelling offers for partners, and building influential relationships across healthcare, academia, industry and research. This is more than a business development role — it is an opportunity to help position Wessex as a national leader in commercial innovation, real-world evidence and data-enabled transformation.

Working for Health Innovation Wessex Health Innovation Wessex is a company limited by guarantee, owned by the NHS and hosted by University Hospital Southampton.

Based at Southampton Science Park in Chilworth in a bright modern office easily accessible from the M3, M27 and Southampton Parkway train station, the location offers free parking with a café area and networking spaces on site. 27 acres of the Science Park site are designated a protected Conservation Area and open to staff.

We are keen to ensure that staff enjoy a successful work/life balance and offer flexible hybrid working dependent on the requirements of the role. Health Innovation Wessex endorses personal development and provides training allowances to help you deliver in the role and meet your career goals.

We also have a proactive approach to wellbeing in line with our core values of being Innovative, Inclusive and Collaborative, with staff engagement groups shaping the organisation’s culture and driving initiatives to allow our people to flourish despite times of challenge, change and high demand.

Lead and deliver a clear commercial strategy that drives sustainable growth and achieves ambitious income targets.

Build long-term strategic partnerships with industry, particularly within pharmaceuticals, life sciences, medtech and digital health.

Develop and promote a compelling SDE commercial offer, including consultancy services and opportunities to generate real-world evidence.

Identify new markets, funding streams and commercial opportunities that strengthen the long-term position of Health Innovation Wessex and the Wessex NHS SDE.

Use market insight and relationship-building skills to convert opportunities into qualified leads, contracts and partnerships.

Work at the executive level to influence strategy, shape go-to-market plans and position Wessex as a partner of choice for innovation and commercial collaboration.

YOUR MAIN DUTIES

You can read an overview of the main duties of the role in the section below: Job Description and Main Responsibilities.

To understand the role in more detail, please read the full job description and person specification documents attached.

For Health Innovation Wessex (HIW)

The Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) will be a key member of the HIW Executive team, accountable for the achievement of the yearly revenue targets for HIW and for overseeing the efforts across the organisation within directorates towards achieving year on year sustainable growth.

They will lead the Commercial Growth and Customer Relationship functions across the organisation, working with the Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships and Business Development to drive innovation, business growth and commercial excellence.

They will play a critical role, responsible for working on large-scale collaborations with industry partners as well as driving and supporting HIW’s international footprint. They will be experienced in pricing and packaging products and services, and in developing and closing deals with new and existing partners.

Wessex NHS Secure Data Environment (SDE)

Develop a SDE commercial offer for industry clients that Health Innovation Wessex can promote, to include consultancy services offered by the SDE.

Foster long-term partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry, understanding their strategic direction and priorities and aligning to services offered by SDE.

Interpret potential pharmaceutical industry clients’ shorter-term priorities and identify opportunities for real-world evidence generation, including the use of the AI Sandbox. Make qualified leads into the SDE team and advise on RWD pricing based on market insight.

Understand pharmaceutical industry clients’ longer-term priorities and translate into future data requirements – helping to inform SDE strategy to integrate additional data nodes and inform anticipated consultancy skillsets.

Actively contribute to the SDE business development plan and the Go to Market strategy.

Why this role is special

• A genuinely unique joint role spanning Health Innovation Wessex and the Wessex NHS SDE, giving you influence across both innovation adoption and secure data infrastructure.
• The chance to shape and promote a commercial offer for industry clients, including consultancy services and opportunities linked to real-world evidence generation.
• A role with visibility and reach — working closely with executive leaders, national partners, commissioners, life sciences organisations, and academic and NHS stakeholders and industry, particularly within pharmaceuticals, life sciences, medtech and digital health across the region.
• An opportunity to help translate Wessex’s strong culture of collaboration, rich data assets and innovation capability into meaningful growth, better services and improved patient outcomes.

Wessex offers a powerful combination of ambition, collaboration and opportunity. Health Innovation Wessex works across a broad regional partnership spanning NHS organisations, universities and system partners, with innovation and collaboration at the heart of its approach. The wider Wessex ecosystem is recognised for strong partnership working, rich data assets and growing commercial potential, making this an exciting time to join and help shape what comes next.

If you are an experienced and collaborative leader who is excited by the idea of creating strategic partnerships, building a distinctive commercial offer and helping improve outcomes for patients while returning value to the NHS, this could be a career-defining opportunity.

We are looking for an ambitious, credible and highly connected commercial leader who can operate confidently across complex partnerships and fast-moving opportunities.

You will bring

• A strong track record in commercial strategy, business development and income generation.
• Experience in developing offers, pricing services and securing partnerships or contracts with new and existing partners.
• The ability to build trusted relationships across senior stakeholders in the NHS, academia, industry and research.
• Commercial insight combined with a genuine interest in innovation, healthcare improvement and data-enabled transformation.
• The confidence to work across organisational boundaries and help shape a bold, future-facing vision for Wessex.

Health Innovation Wessex is a company limited by guarantee, owned by the NHS and hosted by University Hospital Southampton.

Based at Southampton Science Park in Chilworth in a bright modern office easily accessible from the M3, M27 and Southampton Parkway train station, the location offers free parking with a café area and networking spaces on site. 27 acres of the Science Park site are designated a protected Conservation Area and open to staff.

We are keen to ensure that staff enjoy a successful work/life balance and offer flexible hybrid working, dependent on the requirements of the role.

This advert closes on Tuesday 26 May 2026