Role: Senior Partnerships Manager

Organisation: NHS England

Sector: Public sector

Studied: International Relations and Social Anthropology (MA) and Social Anthropology (PhD, ongoing)

Maddie Weir

  • Anthropology
  • International Relations
  • Public body

Senior Partnerships Manager in the NHS 

Maddie Weir is a Senior Partnerships Manager in the new Global Health Unit at NHS England (NHSE). In her role, Maddie is responsible for the management of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Human Resources for Health, which includes programmes of technical assistance and support for policy implementation.

How did you get to where you are now?

I began my career working as an intern at a small humanitarian charity called Team Rubicon UK, which built my confidence in the workplace and exposed me to a myriad of different ways of working. This experience was very formative, as working alongside veterans who used their skills to deliver humanitarian aid sowed the seeds for my PhD research on military humanitarianism. I then worked in domestic health roles focusing on quality improvement, before shifting into a global health role with Public Health England at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I’ve been fortunate to work with many incredible people who have been generous with their time to support my development and learning whilst working with them, and this has been fundamental in springboarding my career. In particular, whilst working as a Technical Officer on Global Disaster Risk Reduction, I worked alongside a consultant who supported me to use my social science skillset to design qualitative research programmes to better understand the impact of health hazards during disasters.

 

What do you do in your current role?

I currently manage the WHO Collaborating Centre for Human Resources for Health within NHS England’s Global Health Unit. This involves working with colleagues from the WHO to design knowledge exchange seminars, workshops and learning programmes for workforce planners and policy leads, and supporting technical assistance programmes focused on strengthening health systems around the world and at home.

“Social science is a toolkit that we can use to explore the world that we live in.”

What skills do you need for this role?

The skills I learned during my degree in social anthropology, like being reflexive in my approach to collecting data, learning and managing projects, have been essential. Cross-cultural sensitivity and inter-personal skills are also really important, recognising that everyone communicates and works in different ways (even within the same team or organisation!).

 

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The part of my job I enjoy the most is that every single day is different, and that there is always a new challenge to puzzle out. Some of these are more conceptual – like finding a scope for a programme that aligns to the priorities and requirements of everyone involved (and staying within budget!). But other challenges are more mundane, like muddling through the general confusion that comes with trying to deliver a programme amidst organisational restructuring.

 

What impact does your role have?

My role manages programmes of technical assistance and learning programmes through the WHO/NHSE Working for Health 2030 programme. This programme convenes groups of senior health staff from government agencies to find solutions for their ‘wicked problems’. By holding space and convening these sessions, participants have met new people, learned about new techniques, and were enabled to hold time in their very busy schedules to talk about the perennial issues in health system strengthening. The programme has seen incredible results, including supporting the establishment of the national Georgian Nursing and Midwifery councils, for example.

“Whilst working as a Technical Officer on Global Disaster Risk Reduction, I worked alongside a consultant who supported me to use my social science skillset to design qualitative research programmes to better understand the impact of health hazards during disasters.”

Why did you choose to study social science?

I chose to study social anthropology after being exposed to it during a work experience placement at a university. I attended lectures and was given papers to read on the anthropology of sport, local ghost stories, and critically, international development. A strange assortment of topics for sure, but it gave me an introduction to how broad the study of social anthropology (and social science) could be. That was almost 15 years ago, and I am now doing my PhD in social anthropology!

 

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

I hope to still be working within the field of health in five years’ time, and that I continue to hone my skills in both research and implementation. There are many opportunities for progression in both the health sector and international development sector in the UK. There are so many opportunities to work on interesting progressively responsible portfolios in government, and many in the research sector also.

 

What would you say to someone considering studying or pursuing a career in the social sciences?

Do it!

Maddie Weir - career timeline

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