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Job summary

Main area
Transformation
Grade
Band 8c
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
351-CS2786-LW
Employer
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Sceptre Point
Town
Preston
Salary
£76,965 - £88,682 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
27/10/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust logo

Associate Director of Transformation and System Improvement

Band 8c

Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community based services for the populations we serve.

As an integrated mental health, learning disability and community Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including:

•    Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, forensic services including low and medium secure care.
•    Specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
•    Community physical health and well-being services for children and adults.

The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,000 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health and general nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers.

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust supports flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, home/remote working, and flexi-time.

For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.

Please note that further communication from Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCft to contact them.

Job overview

Are you ready to lead transformational change at scale and make a lasting impact on population health and equity? Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an exceptional leader to join us as our Associate Director of Transformation and System Improvement, a pivotal role at the heart of our improvement journey as we build on our recent CQC rating of Good.

This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and experienced professional who thrives on complexity, collaboration, and innovation. Following a recent review and strengthening of the Trusts improvement approach, you will lead a newly formed transformation team, working across clinical networks, corporate services, and system partners to deliver large-scale change programmes that improve outcomes, reduce inequalities, and embed sustainable improvement.

Main duties of the job

You’ll bring advanced knowledge of improvement methodologies, such as Kaizen, Model for Improvement, and human factors, alongside strong programme leadership skills. You’ll be instrumental in shaping and delivering a Trust wide portfolio that aligns with our strategic priorities, including our commitment to health equity and system wide collaboration.

We’re looking for someone who can:

•    Inspire and lead transformational change across diverse teams and stakeholders.
•    Champion innovation and improvement, embedding tools and techniques into everyday practice.
•    Build trusted relationships with clinical and non-clinical leaders, service users, and system partners.
•    Use data and insight to drive decision making and evaluate impact.
•    Lead with compassion, authenticity, and a commitment to our values: We are Kind, Respectful, Always Learning, and Always a Team.

This is more than a leadership role, it’s a chance to shape the future of care across Lancashire and South Cumbria. If you’re ready to take the next step in your career and be part of a Trust that is ambitious, inclusive, and focused on making a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

Working for our organisation

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.

The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.

For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Educated to Masters level and/or equivalent experience
  • VMI Advanced Process Improvement or similar qualification in Value Management.
  • Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) & PRINCE2 or equivalent, qualifications and/or experience

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Extensive knowledge, expertise and experience in programme management, project management and service transformation and improvement methodology
  • Excellent appreciation of performance improvement and implementation with the NHS, external environment, including national and regional strategies and priorities and the political agenda.
  • Exceptional skills and experience in leading portfolio and transformational change management across a large healthcare organisation or system.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrable experience of leading complex and large scale change at a senior level working directly with senior operational and Executive teams in a large healthcare organisation or system.
  • Significant experience in utilising improvement methods within large scale change an system transformation programmes, including use of advanced process improvement, Model for Improvement, human factors and the System of Profound Knowledge
  • Effective relational leadership skills and the ability to work with people at all levels, and an approach that builds and nurtures collaborative working and coproduction

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Ability to analyse, interpret and make judgements in relation to substantial amounts of complex data to make reasoned, logical deductions and plans.
  • Ability to plan workload considering conflicting priorities and deadlines.
  • High level of interpersonal, oral, presentation and written communication skills with the ability to persuade and influence others at all levels in the service, demonstrating political and diplomatic skills and awareness of organisational culture, the sensitive, confidential or controversial nature of material and the tactful and appropriate use of it.
  • Negotiating on complex matters of critical organisational importance with directors and senior managers and across multiple partners.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare Leaver CovenantStep into healthDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Kelly Jones
Job title
Head of Transformation
Email address
[email protected]
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