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Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
About
Contact
[email protected]Programme Director - Large Scale Change
Accepting applications until: 09-Aug-2026 23:59
Vacancy status: Open
Accepting applications until: 09-Aug-2026 23:59
Key details
Location
- Gwefan
- Trust Headquarters, Cobbett House
- Cyfeiriad
- Oxford Road
- Tref
- Manchester
- Cod post
- M13 9WL
- Major / Minor Region
- Manchester
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Permanent
- Oriau
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Salary
- Gradd
- Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM
Specialty
- Prif leoliad
- Improvement
Trosolwg o'r swydd
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is one of the largest NHS organisations in the country, serving a diverse population across Greater Manchester and beyond. As we continue to transform the way we deliver care, we are seeking an exceptional Programme Director (VSM) for Large Scale Change to play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering our ambitious improvement agenda.
Reporting to the Trust Director of Improvement and working closely with the Chief Delivery Officer, this senior leadership role will lead the development, implementation and delivery of a portfolio of large-scale transformation and improvement programmes that support safer, more effective and sustainable services for patients, carers and staff.
This is an outstanding opportunity for a highly experienced improvement leader with a proven track record of delivering complex organisational change within healthcare. You will work across organisational boundaries to embed a culture of continuous improvement, supporting leaders and teams to translate strategic ambitions into practical actions and measurable outcomes. As a visible and influential leader, you will champion MFT’s values, foster innovation and help build the capability, systems and culture required to ensure continuous improvement becomes part of everyday practice across the Trust.
Advert
The Programme Director will lead and drive a portfolio of complex, cross-organisational improvement and transformation programmes, ensuring delivery of measurable benefits across quality, operational performance, workforce, finance, patient experience and staff experience.
Working with senior clinical, operational and corporate leaders, the post holder will provide expert leadership and advice on large-scale change and organisational improvement, including urgent and emergency care improvement, pathway redesign, flow optimisation and performance recovery.
The role will be responsible for establishing robust governance arrangements, monitoring programme outcomes, tracking benefits realisation and ensuring improvement priorities remain aligned to organisational strategy. The post holder will coach and support leaders at all levels, helping teams build the confidence, skills and capability to lead and sustain improvement locally.
The successful candidate will work collaboratively with colleagues across MFT, the wider health and care system, academic partners and external stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to complex challenges, while promoting a culture of improvement supported by effective use of data, digital technologies and evidence-based improvement methodologies.
Gweithio i'n sefydliad
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe. We are an ambitious organisation, serving over 1 million patients and users annually through our 10 hospitals and extensive community services. With a workforce of 30,000 plus, we are a driving force for innovation, clinical excellence, and system leadership across Greater Manchester.
As a senior leader at MFT, you will shape strategy and transformation at scale, working alongside a diverse, high-performing executive team. Our £3bn plus turnover and leading-edge digital infrastructure, including the Hive EPR, enable us to deliver integrated, patient-centred care and drive continuous improvement.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive, values-led culture where your expertise, vision, and leadership will directly influence organisational direction and population health outcomes. You will have the opportunity to lead complex change, champion research and innovation, and develop future talent in a supportive, collaborative environment.
Join us to make a lasting impact—on our Trust, our communities, and the future of healthcare.
Swydd-ddisgrifiad a phrif gyfrifoldebau manwl
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need for this role, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Supporting Documents’ heading.
Explore ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place’
To help you feel confident, prepared and fully informed before you apply, we invite you to explore Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place. This welcoming one‑stop hub gives you a real sense of who we are — what we stand for, how we reward and support you, and the many ways we care for you as you care for others. You’ll also find practical hints and tips for submitting a great application, along with the essential information you need to know before you apply.
To access ‘Inside MFT – Your Candidate Place, simply click on the relevant PDF document under the ‘Supporting Documents’ section and once opened, you can where either scan QR code or click on the link provided.
Closing vacancy listings early
We welcome applications from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
To help us manage applications fairly and give each one the time it deserves, our adverts may close early if we receive a high level of interest. Early applications are therefore encouraged.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application
Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOU—for our patients, our communities, and each other.
As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application—especially personal statements and responses to role-specific questions—is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.
Thank you for helping us uphold the values that make our Trust a place where people belong, grow, and thrive. We look forward to receiving your application.
Person specification
Qualifications
Meini prawf hanfodol
- Master’s degree/PhD and/or equivalent level of knowledge acquired through practical experience in the delivery of organisational improvement/transformation.
- Management qualification or equivalent level of knowledge acquired through experience and further training/development.
- Relevant accredited quality improvement training
- In depth understanding of the application of multiple methods for largescale change and the strategic and leadership alignment required to support it.
Meini prawf dymunol
- Coaching qualification
Skills, Knowledge Requirements & Experience
Meini prawf hanfodol
- Clear evidence of leading and driving major Improvement programmes with successful outcomes using improvement methodologies, including delivering a significant improvement programme in a health or care setting
- Experience in both broad transformation programmes and specific urgent and emergency care expertise
- Evidence of developing and execution of improvement learning systems, collaboratives and networks
- Experience of analysing, interpreting, and reporting on information to identify and manage opportunities for improvement and identifying solutions to identified problem/areas for improvement
- Significant experience of working with senior stakeholders (e.g., at Executive Team level)
- Track record of effective leadership, including the ability to inspire and motivate teams to deliver results.
- Successful track record of delivering in complex environments.
- Relevant experience of establishing and maintaining effective relationships with stakeholders, both external partners, and people in organisations directly impacted by change.
- Knowledge of the NHS and care sector
- Ability to actively apply improvement methodologies.
- Ability to plan and implement a major programme from conception through to completion.
- Proven ability to give constructive feedback to senior leaders
- Significant experience in developing strategies to meet changing organisational needs.
- Experience of commissioning and managing work by external agencies and consultants
Personal Attributes
Meini prawf hanfodol
- Skilled influencer, with the ability to co-ordinate multiple teams to achieve a common goal, particularly in the absence of direct line management responsibility for these teams
- Outstanding relationship management skills, and ability to address complex strategic issues and real work practical challenges working with and through others
- Effective and persuasive communicator, with a high degree of personal credibility
- Ability to be collegiate and coaching-led in robust interactions
- Ability to manage and deliver complex programmes of work to time and to high quality
- Organised and able to balance the demands of several activities with a proven track record of meeting deadlines and working under pressure.
- Strong team player – collaborative and empowering by nature, able to role model the organisational virtues and ways of working
- Strong personal resilience and tenacity to work in challenging and frequently changing environments.
- Ability to manage own workload and that of others to very tight and often changing timeframes
- Ability to identify key development areas for staff and support them in achieving development goals
- Ability to think and act strategically and to exercise sound, pragmatic and measured judgement in the face of conflicting pressures and deadlines
Further details / informal visits contact
- Enw
- Debra Collins
- Teitl y swydd
- Business Manager
- Cyfeiriad ebost
- [email protected]
- Rhif ffôn
- 0161 7015641
If you have problems applying, contact
- Address
- Parkway 1
- Parkway Business Centre
- Recruitment Office 1st Floor
- Princess Road
- Manchester
- M14 7LU
- Telephone
- Resourcing Department: 0161 276 6198
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