Job vacancy: Deputy Programme Director, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Chelsea

Job summary

Main area: Administration
Grade: NHS AfC: Band 9
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 282-OD1168

Employer: The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: The Royal Marsden Hospital Chelsea
Town: Chelsea
Salary: £117,645 - £134,103 per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 05/02/2026 23:59

Deputy Programme Director

NHS AfC: Band 9

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information, please refer to the Job Description / Person Specification

Programme Management & Delivery

With the support of the Programme Director

Provide day-to-day leadership of the programme.
Establish and maintain programme controls including scheduling, resource planning, reporting etc.
Establish and lead a high performing, multi-disciplinary cost-effective programme team.
Manage external advisors’ consultants and contractors.
Provide leadership, challenge and direction across multiple complex workstreams (design, planning, estates, finance)
Support the development of the future clinical operational model and ensure that the development aligns.

Governance & Risk Management

With the support of the Programme Director

Maintain robust governance, controls and reporting arrangements.
To engage with the Programme Director, the Director of Projects and Estates and the external Project Managers in ensuring client sign off of the relevant RIBA stages of work.
To work with the Programme Director to provide clear and accurate assurance to Programme Board, Trust Board, Charity Trustees and Executive Teams.
Lead engagement with external regulators and assurance bodies including NHS England, Cabinet Office and other statutory stakeholders

Staff Management

With the support of the Programme Director

To direct, lead, manage, motivate and develop staff so as to maintain the highest level of staff morale and to create a workplace environment characterised by high standards and openness.
To provide leadership as required within the organisation and ensure that staff understand the strategic direction of the Programme Plan and the Trust and the part that they play in delivering the organisation’s objectives.
To ensure the contributions and perspectives of all staff are heard, valued and where appropriate influence management decision making.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential criteria

Master’s degree or equivalent extensive experience gained of delivery of major projects with direct accountability
Extensive experience of overseeing/managing successful major projects.
Experience in a responsible director/senior management position in a complex operational environment, reporting into Trust Boards.
Extensive knowledge of the strategic, financial and management issues facing major project functions in a senior management position.
Experience of working on projects with significant charitable funding
Senior management experience in a variety of health and/or social care settings
Experience of representing organisations in public forums with a positive influential impact.

Skills Abilities/knowledge

Essential criteria

Effective partnership working and multi stakeholder engagement, both internally and externally.
Strong inter-personal skills with an ability to build credibility and trust quickly.
Able to think and plan strategically, and to prioritise work programmes in the face of competing demands.
Literate in information, communications and digital technologies including the full Microsoft package.
Working knowledge of the UK healthcare sector and its regulation.
Managing conflict, displaying high levels of emotional intelligence, and remaining calm and resilient.
Strong people management skills - to motivate and inspire clinical and non-clinical colleagues.
Resilient, self-motivated, honest and strong sense of personal integrity and inclusiveness. Evidence of holding strong public service valu
Excellent presentation and facilitation skills to very senior audiences, and external audiences.

Desirable criteria

Commercially minded supporting the development of compelling offerings for potential partners.
Able to lead changes to services that deliver significant value for patients and taxpayers.

The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. We advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment. Please ensure your information is accurate to avoid errors with processing your application

All applicants will be contacted by email to the address supplied on your application. Applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly and to ensure that email filters are set to allow our emails.

Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff

At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease.

The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the upmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.