Have you considered a career in the NHS?
At UHSussex we run seven hospitals serving 1.8 million people across West Sussex, Brighton & Hove and parts of East Sussex. We’re proud to employ and support a growing number of veterans, reservists and cadets within our 20,000 strong workforce, across many different disciplines and professions.
We recognise the values and transferable skills that the armed forces community can bring to the NHS such as:
- leadership and management
- communication and teamwork
- loyalty and commitment
- ability to adapt to change.
If you’re looking for a rewarding and fulfilling civilian career then we want to hear from you.
Why join UHSussex as a service leader or reservist?
We are a Veteran Aware organisation and are leading the way in improving veterans’ care within the NHS, as part of the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA).
We’re also proud to have the Chavasse Clinic at UHSussex, one of only two specialist musculoskeletal clinics in the UK for service personnel and veterans.
For service leavers, we can offer:
- The chance to make a real impact: use your technical skills to directly support patient care — every task contributes to saving lives and improving health outcomes.
- Training and upskilling opportunities: we offer extensive training, recognised industry certifications, and guaranteed professional development tailored to your needs, with paid professional membership
- A supportive resettlement pathway: we understand the transition from military to civilian life and provide the tools and support to help you succeed.
- Camaraderie and a great team culture: be part of a professional, supportive team that thrives on camaraderie and shared purpose — a familiar environment for many service leavers.
- Competitive financial benefits: a competitive salary with opportunities for additional earnings through the on-call rota, plus access to the NHS Pension Scheme and generous annual leave.
- Extensive wellbeing support: access a range of health and wellbeing programmes, including counselling, fitness initiatives, and occupational health services.
We also offer many incentives to our serving armed forces personnel, including:
- two weeks extra leave for annual deployment exercises
- a dedicated Armed Forces Policy
- access to our occupational health service, including self-referral to counselling.
- membership of our dedicated UHSussex Armed Forces Community
- armed forces drop-in sessions
- military induction for cohorts of regular military personnel
- support from our armed forces community
- mentoring new Reserve recruits where necessary
- collaboration with local Reserve units on deployment, training and education.
We have a wide-range of roles available across our clinical and corporate services, take a look at our vacancies below and get started on your journey to working within the NHS.
View some of our current vacancies
- Mechanical Craft Operative, Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath
- Electrical Engineering Technician (Multi-skilled), Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath
- Electrical Engineering Technician (Multi-skilled), Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton
- Mechanical Estates Manager, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton
- Engineering Technician (Electrical Bias), Worthing Hospital
- Engineering Technician (Electrical Bias), Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath
- Other Estates and Facilities roles such as engineers, portering, security and more
- Administrative roles such as finance, business management, rostering and general management
- Not seen a role that interests you? Why not get in touch and we can add you to our talent pool.
NHS pay bands explained
The starting salary for service personnel, including new recruits, is approximately £25,200 as of April 2024. Salaries increase with rank and years of service. NHS salaries are structured into bands, with Band 2 starting at £23,614.
The table below shows the comparison between armed forces ranks and NHS pay bands. Please note, the alignment between military ranks and NHS bands is approximate and based on salary ranges and typical responsibilities.
| Armed Forces rank | Annual salary (£) | NHS pay bands (2025-26) | NHS role examples |
| Private / Aircraftman / Marine | ~£25,200 | Band 2 | Porter, domestic support worker |
| Lance Corporal / Leading Aircraftment | £26-28,000 | Band 3 | Healthcare assistant, clinical support worker, therapy assistant, administrative worker |
| Corporal / Sergeant | £30-40,000 | Band 4-5 | Nursing associate, pharmacy technician, secretary |
| Staff Sergeant / Flight Sergeant | £40-48,000 | Band 6 | Senior nurse, paramedic, health records manager |
| Warrant Officer Class 2 / Class 1 | £48-52,000 | Band 7 | Ward sister, senior physiotherapist, estates manager |
| Lieutenant / Flying Officer | £42,850-50,000 | Band 6-7 | Newly qualified nurse, paramedic, occupational therapist |
| Captain / Flight Lieutenant | £50-60,000 | Band 7-8a | Advanced nurse practitioner, clinical lead, service manager |
| Major / Squadron Leader | £60-70,000 | Band 8b | Matron, consultant paramedic, department manager |
| Lieutenant Colonel / Wing Commander | £70-90,000 | Band 8c-8d | Deputy chief nurse, consultant psychologist, head of service |
| Colonel / Group Captain | £90-110,000 | Band 8d-9 | Chief nurse, director of estates and facilities, senior clinical manager |
| Brigadier / Air Commodore | £110-125,000 | Band 9 | Director of nursing, chief finance manager, director of operations |
UHSussex: a great place to work
Here are just some of the many benefits of working at UHSussex:
- flexible shift patterns
- competitive rates of pay
- job security and career progression
- wide range of development opportunities, training courses and professional qualifications
- generous annual leave entitlement including bank holidays
- company pension
- NHS benefits including high street discounts
- UHSussex benefits including bike scheme and car scheme
- …and being part of our supportive UHSussex family.
Find out more about our benefits, staff support and professional development.