Job summary
- Main area
- Corporate
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 374-LCCG1726
- Employer
- East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Eastbourne District General Hospital
- Town
- Eastbourne
- Salary
- £57,528 - £64,750 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 26/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Programme Manager
NHS AfC: Band 8a
We are proud to provide ‘Outstanding’ care and be a great place to work.
East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust provides safe, compassionate and high quality hospital and community care to the half a million people living in East Sussex and those who visit our local area.
We are one of the largest organisations in East Sussex with an annual income of £700 million and we are the only integrated provider of acute and community care in Sussex.
Our extensive health services are provided by over 8,000+ dedicated members of staff working from two acute hospitals in Hastings and Eastbourne, three community hospitals in Bexhill, Rye and Uckfield, over 100 community sites across East Sussex, and in people’s own homes.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated us as ‘Good’ overall, and ‘Outstanding’ for being Caring and Effective. The Conquest Hospital in Hastings and our Community Services were rated ‘Outstanding’ and Eastbourne DGH was rated ‘Good’ Our two acute hospitals have Emergency Departments and provide 24 hour a day care, offering a comprehensive range of surgical, medical, outpatient and maternity services, supported by a full range of diagnostic and therapy services.
Job overview
We are seeking an experienced and forward‑thinking Programme Manager to play a pivotal role in delivering our Trust’s strategic priorities, including cost improvement, productivity gains and major transformation programmes. This is a highly influential role requiring a proactive, collaborative leader with exceptional project management skills and a passion for driving meaningful change across clinical and corporate services.
Working autonomously, you will act as an internal consultant—supporting, challenging and enabling teams across the organisation to successfully implement sustainable improvement initiatives. You’ll bring strong analytical capability, excellent communication skills and a “can‑do” approach to ensure key projects deliver on time, on budget and to the highest quality standards.
Main duties of the job
This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with strong programme and project management expertise—ideally with PRINCE2 knowledge—who thrives in a complex, fast‑paced environment and is motivated by supporting our teams to deliver better care, better value, and better outcomes.
Working for our organisation
A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries. staff restaurants and accommodation.
In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year.
There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.
Statement on the Use of AI
We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective.
Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.
We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete their applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Transformation & Project Delivery
- Lead a portfolio of cost and productivity improvement projects, ensuring delivery of high‑quality and safe services.
- Maintain oversight of workstreams, identifying risks and issues, and implementing mitigating actions.
- Coordinate multi‑disciplinary teams, securing input from HR, IT, Finance, Estates and clinical services.
- Support the development of Trust‑wide strategies, including financial strategy, commercial opportunities and long‑term planning.
- Ensure robust project controls and adherence to PRINCE2 methodologies.
- Facilitate mobilisation events, workshops and cross‑departmental project planning sessions.
Information & Analysis
- Analyse and interpret complex data from multiple sources to inform decision‑making.
- Produce clear, accurate project information for a range of audiences including Executives and Clinical Leads.
- Support benchmarking, modelling and best‑practice analysis across divisions.
- Ensure accurate performance monitoring, reporting and documentation within the Trust’s PMO systems.
- Lead risk management processes, including developing and maintaining contingency plans.
Performance Management
- Monitor project and programme performance against key delivery targets.
- Support senior leaders with regular performance reporting, forecasting and risk analysis.
- Ensure benefits realisation is embedded across all improvement initiatives.
- Hold divisions and operational leaders to account for effective resource use and financial delivery.
Leadership
- Work autonomously, managing a busy and varied workload across multiple sites.
- Act as a champion for efficiency and improvement, promoting a culture of transparency and high standards.
- Support, coach and motivate project leads and staff involved in transformation initiatives.
- Deliver presentations, training and updates at all organisational levels.
- Contribute to a collaborative matrix management environment and support development of project staff.
Communication & Stakeholder Engagement
- Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Communicate complex, sensitive and highly technical information clearly and persuasively.
- Represent the PMO in working groups, committees and transformation forums.
- Ensure learning and best practice are shared across the Trust.
Financial Responsibilities
- Support identification and delivery of £5m–£10m in annual savings.
- Monitor financial performance of CIP projects and undertake cost–benefit analysis.
- Work closely with Finance and Information teams to ensure accurate reporting, forecasting and financial assurance.
Research, Audit & Continuous Improvement
- Conduct benchmarking, market analysis and research to identify improvement opportunities.
- Lead or support audits to evaluate project outcomes and support service development.
- Translate improvement opportunities into robust, deliverable projects.
Please refer to the job description attached.
If you have any questions about this position please do not hesitate to contact us.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to Masters level or equivalent relevant level of experience and knowledge.
- PRINCE 2 or alternative Project Management qualification or proven equivalent relevant experience.
- Evidence of continued professional development.
- Evidence of further personal development in leadership and change management.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant relevant experience working in a health or local government setting; good understanding of organisational decision-making procedures.
- Experience of project or portfolio management and systems development.
- Understanding of challenges around the Planned Care, Urgent and Unscheduled Care agendas and the national and local drivers for change.
- Experience of successfully implementing change in a complex multi organisational environment with a wide range of stakeholders and professional groups.
- Experience of using IT- based project management methodology - preferably certified.
- Knowledge of formal service and efficiency redesign techniques.
- Experience of development of staff
Desirable criteria
- Experience of facilitating team development workshops and organisational development interventions.
- Use of Programme/Project Management System.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to work collaboratively across a wide range of organisational and cultural boundaries, maintaining a clear sense of objectives and purpose.
- Specialist knowledge of project / programme / change management in the NHS
- Specialist knowledge of project / programme / change management in the NHS
- Working collaboratively with clinical, operational and corporate staff to define, implement and monitor service development projects.
- Ability to produce complex written project briefs and reports, with supporting analysis, to support the decision-making functions.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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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.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lisa Urquhart
- Job title
- Transformation Consultant
- Email address
- [email protected]
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