Job summary
We are recruiting for professional members to join the Funding Variation Advisory Group (FVAG) in the following professions:
- Clinicians - across a broad range of areas and specialties.
- Commissioners - national and regional.
- Pharmacists.
- NHS finance professionals
NICE updated the process for managing funding variation requests in September 2026 and part of this includes the development of a funding variation advisory group (FVAG).
The Funding Variation Advisory Group will be an advisory body comprising a range of NHS professionals and lay members. The group will review funding variation requests submitted to NICE and provide advice on specific questions posed by NICE's Guidance Executive (GE).Funding variation requests and associated questions will be shared with members electronically, via email.
As this is an exceptional process, it is difficult to predict how many funding variation requests NICE will receive and how they will be distributed across the calendar year. Based on current information, we anticipate receiving approximately 3 to 5 requests per year across a range of clinical specialties.
If you have an access requirement that prevents you from applying online, please contact fundingvariations@nice.org.uk and we can provide MS word versions of the forms to complete.
Main duties of the job
Main duties of the job
Responsibilities:
- Set aside enough time to contribute to the review of the funding variation request and use their personal and professional knowledge to provide additional scrutiny and expert advice to assist the NICE Guidance Executive in assessing funding variation requests.
- Contribute positively to the work of the advisory group and to reviewing the funding variation request.
- Raise any concerns about the process or the details in the funding variation request with NICE, and try to resolve these issues with support from the wider advisory group and NICE commercial liaison team.
- Take full account of the evidence in responding to queries by GE.
- Act in a professional manner, show good manners and be courteous to colleagues and staff at all times (advisory group members should behave in a polite, efficient and respectful manner and without bias or favour, using the highest standards of conduct expected in public life and service while on NICE duty).
- Be impartial and honest in conducting their duties for NICE, use public funds entrusted to them to the best advantage of NICE, and avoid deliberately damaging the confidence of the public or stakeholders in NICE.
- Ensure strict adherence to NICE's Principles and equality policy.
- Read and adhere to NICE's policies on hospitality, declarations of interests and travel and subsistence.
Please see attached Information for Applicants document for more information.
About us
Expenses:
Information on reimbursement can be found here. Currently all advisory group contributions will be via email with no committee meetings.
Should this change in the future NICE will pay reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including train fares and hotel costs when necessary, for attending committee meetings. NICE recognises that in some circumstances individuals will need to arrange for carers or support workers to accompany them to a meeting, or to take over unpaid caring responsibilities while they are at a meeting - this includes childcare or care of a family member with a disability or other additional needs. The circumstances in which NICE can provide reimbursement for such costs are outlined in the non-staff reimbursement policy.
Membership:
Membership will be for 3 years and will be eligible for renewal. The second and further periods of office will be for periods of up to 3 years by mutual agreement, upto a maximum of 10 years. Members may leave the group at any time; however, they must notify NICE in writing and provide a minimum of four weeks' notice.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Ability to contribute to the work of the advisory group
Essential
- Experience in health or social care either as a practicing health or social care professional, or working in or in association with the wider aspects of health or social care or the healthcare industries including finance and commissioning.
- Active registration with the appropriate professional body where applicable [for example any members who are appointed because of their up-to-date specialist pharmaceutical knowledge, are required to be registered with the GPhC].
- A licence to practise (for medical roles only).
- An understanding of the social, political, economic and professional influences on NICE.
- An understanding of the medicines evaluation function at NICE including the application of the funding mandate.
- Ability to understand and interpret complex information.
- Commitment to eliminating unlawful discrimination, advancing equality and an understanding or awareness of the issues of inequality in health, public health and social care settings
Person Specification
Ability to contribute to the work of the committee
Essential
- Experience in health or social care (as appropriate) either as a practising health or social care professional, or working in or in association with the wider aspects of health or social care or the healthcare industries.
- An understanding of the social, political, economic and professional influences on NICE.
- Active registration with the appropriate professional body.
- A license to practice.
Ability to understand and interpret multiple complex data sets
Essential
- Ability to gather data. analyse, critique and synthesise complex information, as evidenced by relevant experience and/or academic qualifications.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
Essential
- Commitment to eliminating unlawful discrimination, advancing equality and an understanding of the issues of inequality in health, public health and social care settings.
Other
Essential
- Please specify which of the advertised roles on the committee you are applying for.
Eligibility
Essential
- Are you happy to commit to work within the NICE equality scheme?
- Do you commit to keeping committee discussions confidential as needed?
- Do you have the time to commit to this committee's work? (This includes attending meetings, reading papers, commenting on draft documents, and other work as required)
- Have you worked, or do you work as a healthcare, social care or public health professional? If yes, please give details including profession, specialty and dates:
- Have you received a prison sentence or suspended sentence of 3 months or more in the last 5 years?
- Are you the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order?
- Have you been dismissed (except by redundancy) by any NHS or social care body?
- Have you had an earlier term of appointment with NICE terminated?
- Are you under a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986?
- Have you been removed from trusteeship of a charity?
- Are you employed by the Department for Health and Social Care?
- Are you employed by NHS England's national commissioning functions?
- Are you appointed by NHS England as a National Clinical Director, National Specialty Lead, or Clinical Reference Group chair?
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
