Job summary
- Main area
- Hosted Contracts
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- 12 months (Fixed Term or Secondment until 30.09.2027)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 164-8173642
- Employer
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Sir Colin Campbell Building, University of Nottingham Innovation Park
- Town
- Nottingham
- Salary
- £57,528 - £64,750 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 30/08/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 14/09/2026
Employer heading
HIEM Senior Innovation & Improvement Lead
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Job overview
This is a fantastic opportunity to work across the East Midlands and with colleagues across the Health Innovation Network. We are seeking up to three Senior Innovation & Improvement Leads to join our Programme Delivery Team and play key roles in making sure people throughout the East Midlands, and beyond, benefit from our innovation and improvement programmes.
Our national and local programmes are designed to enable improvements in clinical outcomes, deliver better patient experiences, contribute to driving down the cost of care and stimulate economic growth. In line with the NHS 10-year plan our programmes support finding, testing and implementing of innovations, including digital solutions, to optimise prevention, digitalisation and community-based care. If you have the motivation, skills and experience to drive innovation and improvement, manage programmes, support digital and AI-enabled solutions and collaborate with a variety of stakeholders, this role could be for you.
These roles are fixed term contracts or secondments until 30.09.2027, due to our funding being confirmed year on year. All roles will be subject to a six-month probation period.
HIEM is a hybrid working organisation with staff working a combination of home and office working. Our office is based in Nottingham and travel across the East Midlands may also be expected as part of this role.
Main duties of the job
We are seeking an enthusiastic team player to help take our Improvement Programmes to the next level. You will be passionate about the NHS and determined to make your mark - challenging the status quo, developing contacts across the region's health and care system, networking, collaborating and taking responsibility for influencing positive change.
You will be a strategic thinker who understands the health and care system priorities, challenges and opportunities for change and innovation. You will understand system levers and be prepared to support system partners to overcome barriers to progress the adoption of innovation that will both transform care delivery and outcomes.
You will be an excellent communicator; a problem solver able to influence and build advocacy across organisations and sectors, with patients at the very heart of everything you do.
You will be responsible for leading, planning and managing the projects/programmes that HIEM are implementing in response to national and local priorities.
Working for our organisation
We are one of 15 Health Innovation Networks around England that operate as the innovation arm of the NHS.
We bring together partners from all sectors involved in health and care including the NHS, social care and public health, patients, research, third sector and industry – to identify, test and spread new technologies and better ways of working.
We save the NHS money, generate economic growth, empower health and care staff, and improve lives for patients.
We work closely with our health and care stakeholders to establish their priorities then provide support. As part of a national network, we import evidenced solutions from other Health Innovation Network regions and export our successful East Midlands programmes on a national basis.
We have a range of objectives, but our overarching aim is always to make a difference for patients.
To find out more, visit the ‘About Us’ and ‘Join our Team’ sections of our HIEM website
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please familiarise yourself with the Job Description and Person Specification attachments located within the ‘supporting documents’ section of this advert. These documents will provide a comprehensive overview for this exciting role.
We recognise that Generative AI (GenAI) can be a helpful tool when preparing your application. However, we have noticed a growing reliance on AI-generated content, which can sometimes reduce the personal insight and individuality that help us understand your unique skills, experiences, and motivations. If you choose to use GenAI, we encourage you to use it as a tool to support and enhance your application rather than creating your supporting statement entirely. Please confirm that you have read and understood the information above.
Applications will be assessed via a 2 stage process, if successful at stage 1 you will be invited to a short 30 minute phone call W/C 14th September, if successful at stage 2, face-to-face interviews will be held at our office in Nottingham on 29-30th September. These dates are subject to change once shortlisting is completed.
Applications may close early prior to the closing date if sufficient numbers are received.
Person specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to Masters or equivalent level in a clinical, health services management, patient safety or quality improvement subject, or able to demonstrate equivalent experience in these areas
- Degree in health related or management discipline, or equivalent experience
Communication and Relationship Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive information where cooperation and agreement is required from various partners
- Ability to develop credible, productive relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including patients
Analytical and Judgement Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to constructively challenge the status quo to ensure the best outcome for patients
- Innovative thinker with the ability to cut through barriers to change
- Excellent problem solving skills
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
- A team player able to contribute to the wider mission of the organisation, with a supportive and flexible approach
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of managing medium/large-scale projects working across different organisations and within a complex environment using a range of programme management techniques and QI methods
- Significant change management experience
- Evidence of experience in applying a broad range of project management practices, tools and techniques
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Specialist knowledge of the healthcare system including health and social care sector
Planning & Organisation Skills
Essential criteria
- Demonstrate ability to work on own initiative and manage priorities across a number of different projects simultaneously
- Good time management, efficiency, the ability to meet deadlines and work with minimal supervision
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Tracey Jackman
- Job title
- Head of Innovation Programme Delivery (Innovation)
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07971 795600
- Additional information
Alternative contact details:
Christina Watson, Deputy Head of Innovation Programme; [email protected]
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