Job summary
- Main area
- Quality and Standards
- Grade
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 413-101685-QS-MS
- Employer
- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Quality and Standards - E00025
- Town
- Manchester
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 13/01/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Quality Improvement and Audit Lead
Band 6
Job overview
We are seeking an experienced, knowledgeable, and driven leader for the role of Quality Improvement & Audit Lead at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. The right person will have an ambitious approach to leading the quality improvement and audit programmes to drive the very best patient outcomes and experience. Supporting the Associate Director of Quality Governance, this role will play an important part in continuing to drive forward and provide leadership to the Trust’s Quality Improvement Strategy. The post holder will provide visible professional leadership which inspires, motivates, and engages teams across the organisation.
The right candidate will be able to demonstrate success in delivering Quality Improvement Methods and Strategies with a solid background in project management and transformation. They will act as a subject matter expert on quality improvement, clinical effectiveness and patient experience to build capacity across the organisation to improve systems and services. They will be a confident communicator who models civility and compassion and able to engage a wide range of stakeholders. The post holder should be resilient, self-motivated, politically astute, and able to negotiate challenging situations and interactions.
Main duties of the job
The role will provide strategic and operational leadership of the Quality Improvement and Clinical Audit (QICA) Team to ensure quality improvement and clinical effectiveness are embedded across the organisation.
The role will support the Associate Chief Nurse in delivering Patient Engagement aligned to quality improvement strategy.
The postholder will work collaboratively to promote a culture of transparency, learning, and continuous improvement, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and delivering high standards of care.
Applicants should note that to be successful at the initial stage of recruitment, the personal statement and job history need to demonstrate a solid understanding and evidence of implementation of a range of Quality Improvement methodologies and project / programme management experience.
Working for our organisation
The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres and an international leader in cancer research. We are a performance-driven, high-achieving organisation, with the patient at the heart of everything we do. Our ambition is to be one of the leading comprehensive cancer centres in the world.
A Foundation Trust since 2007 we are one of Europe’s leading comprehensive cancer centres, treating over 44,000 patients a year and with a turnover in excess of £220m. Based in Manchester we serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, and as a national specialist around 26% of patients are referred to us from other areas of the country.
Our combination of service, research and education provides opportunities for innovation, and we use a strong business approach to develop our services. Our ambitious strategy includes delivering services closer to patients’ homes for example through our network of Christie radiotherapy centres and developing new treatments for patients in our early phase trials unit which is the largest in the world.
If you think you could be the person we are looking for and wish to arrange an informal discussion, please contact Laura O’Brien, PA to Vicky Sharples, Chief Nurse and Executive Director of Quality: [email protected]
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
JOB PURPOSE
The Quality Improvement & Clinical Audit Lead is responsible for delivering key components of The Christie’s Quality Plan 2026–2029, leading programmes of work across Quality Improvement (QI), Clinical Audit, and Patient Experience to ensure positive experience, safe, and effective care.
Lead the design, delivery and evaluation of the Trust’s Quality Improvement Plan
Lead on the Clinical Audit programme in alignment with local and national standards
Support the Associate Chief Nurse for Quality & Standards to deliver the aims of the Christie Involvement & Engagement Plan
Act as Lead officer, supporting the Chair(s), of Patient Experience Committee and Clinical Research & Effectiveness Committee
Day to Day management of the Quality Improvement & Clinical Audit Team
Strengthen organisational capability through the NHS Elect training framework (Levels 1–3)
Ensure improvements align with Safe, Effective, Experience and PSIRF learning themes
The role will champion a culture of system learning, psychological safety, co-production, and continuous improvement across the Trust.
To establish robust structures and processes to ensure the experience of patients, families and carers are central to improving quality and experience of services.
Support the Associate Director of Quality Governance in delivering Trust-wide improvement plan
Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of the Trust-wide Quality Improvement Programme.
Ensure all QI and audit activity explicitly supports the Quality Strategy goals (Safe, Effective, Experience).
Provide strategic leadership for the patient experience agenda, embedding co-design and “You Said, We Did” processes.
Work with senior leaders to embed QI across clinical, operational and corporate services.
Drive alignment of QI, audit and patient experience within ICS and cancer alliance networks.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
Lead the adoption and implementation of the NHS Model for Improvement across the Trust.
Provide expert QI coaching using PDSA, driver diagrams, process mapping, measurement for improvement and SPC.
Lead and expand the QI Faculty, building a strong internal coaching and improvement capability.
Coordinate delivery of the NHS Elect training programme (Level 1 Intro, Level 2 Practitioner, Level 3 Coach).
Lead the design and delivery of QI training, workshops and coaching programmes.
Support PSIRF learning responses, ensuring improvement methodology underpins all action plans.
Provide methodological oversight of complex Trust-wide improvement programmes (e.g. pathways, safety, governance).
CLINICAL AUDIT
Lead and modernise the Clinical Audit Programme, ensuring compliance with:
HQIP standards
NICE
NCAPOP
National and local audit requirements
Ensure every audit follows the full cycle with measurable action and re-audit.
Advise divisions on audit prioritisation, standards selection, methodology and data interpretation.
Produce quarterly audit dashboards and exception reports for board assurance
Oversee the integration of audit outcomes into QI and service improvement cycles.
PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Lead the Trust’s patient experience strategy, working with Associate Chief Nurse for Quality & Standards on;
Patient and carer involvement
Co-design in QI projects
Regular thematic analysis of patient feedback
Delivery of FFT requirements
Production of “You Said, We Did” improvement outputs
Ensure inclusion, equity and diverse voices inform improvement activity.
GOVERNANCE & REPORTING
Provide monthly and quarterly QI and Audit performance reports to Divisional and Trust-wide assurance committees
Ensure robust registration, prioritisation and monitoring of QI and audit activity.
Ensure audit and QI recommendations are tracked, completed and evidenced.
Maintain the QI and Audit dashboard systems, working with CODU
Produce the Annual Quality Improvement & Clinical Audit Report
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Support organisational learning through mentoring, coaching and training.
Lead the Trust-wide improvement capability framework linked to the People Strategy.
Develop the QI and audit team’s competencies and succession planning.
PERSONAL
Participate in the performance review by indicating own learning goals, support needs and setting personal development objectives with feedback from others.
Ensure own professional knowledge is regularly updated and keep abreast of relevant developments, making effective use of learning opportunities and actively promoting the workplace as a learning environment.
Undertake theoretical education/academic courses as necessary to maintain specialist knowledge base relating to cancer care, general management, and human resources issues.
Actively seek mentorship/supervision/coaching to enable reflection and own personal development within the role.
Promote a culture of continuous improvement, psychological safety and learning.
Facilitate improvement collaborations, workshops and communities of practice.
Engage patients, carers, and staff in co-production.
Represent the Trust at ICS, GM Cancer Alliance or national QI forums.
SCOPE
Expected to have freedom to make decisions that improve the service provision within the team, whilst working within the scope of the Trusts policies.
Expected to deep dive into clinical service activities for the purpose of investigation and quality improvement in line with risk identification.
Expected to escalate and act on information which may have an impact of the Trusts integrity and objectives.
Patient safety and quality of care should be central to each active decision made about service review and improvement activity.
RISK MANAGEMENT
It is a standard element of the role and responsibility of all staff of the Trust that they fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Degree or equivalent experience in Health related area.
- QI Qualification or relevant work experience
Desirable criteria
- Masters Degree or equivalent in Health related subject
- Teaching Qualification
- Project Management Qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable experience of Senior Management within the healthcare setting.
- Demonstrable evidence of substantial experience in quality improvement and clinical audit2
- Able to articulate and interpret the impact of national directives, strategies and need for assurance activities.
- Demonstrable evidence of interpretation of CQC regulations and systems.
- Evidence of developing, delivering and evaluating training across the organisation.
Desirable criteria
- Demonstrable experience of working with patients / public as partners in developing and improving services
- Demonstrable experience of clinical audit / national audits
- Understanding of NICE guidance
- Understanding of CQC and other regulatory agencies / standards
- Patient involvement and co-design
Interpersonal Skills
Essential criteria
- Able to apply advanced communication skills in a variety of situations/settings.
- Evidence of effective people management and leadership skills
- Ability to influence peers and management teams to achieve objectives.
- Highly effective verbal communication
- Highly effective report writing and written communication skills
- Able to present information to professional groups.
- Ability to sustain effective interpersonal relationships with colleagues across health and social care setting.
- Evidence of effective team working across professional and organisational boundaries.
- Able to manage time effectively and reach set targets
- Able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
- Responsive to service demands.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of professional and NHS issues and policy.
- Detailed understanding of the Care Quality Commission.
- Detailed understanding of NHS national and local policy.
- Identification of Key stakeholders and all regulatory bodies.
- Proficient in the use of office applications.
- Proficient analysis skills and experience that provides ability to interpret information.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of PSIRF and systems thinking
- Knowledge of NHS governance, CQC Well-Led, NICE, GIRFT, NCAPOP
- Knowledge of measurement for improvement and SPC
Values
Essential criteria
- Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours
Other
Essential criteria
- Demonstrates flexibility in working hours.
- Able to perform a wide range of duties.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Laura O’Brien
- Job title
- PA to Vicky Sharples, Chief Nurse
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01614463000
- Additional information
Laura O¿Brien, telephone 0161 446 3000, email [email protected]
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