Job summary
- Main area
- Administration
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8b
- Contract
- Fixed term: 8 months (For internal substantive staff, a secondment will be acceptable. Until 31st March 2027)
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 354-CO-21910-1-A
- Employer
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Portland House
- Town
- Worthing
- Salary
- £66,582 - £77,368 pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 04/08/2026 17:00
Employer heading
Programme Manager
NHS AfC: Band 8b
Come and join us
We’re looking for people who share our values of compassion, accountability and optimism to help us provide high quality care for the patients, carers, families and communities we serve. We specialise in NHS mental health and learning disability services and we’re proud to make a difference every day.
At SPFT we put people first. We’ll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. You’ll have opportunities to learn, grow and gain new experiences to support your career, with access to lifelong learning and professional development.
We actively promote flexible working and understand how important work life balance is, especially in healthcare. Whether it’s part time hours, hybrid working or flexible start and finish times, we’ll explore what works for you and the role.
We recognise that tools like AI are becoming part of everyday life and you may choose to use them when preparing your application. We welcome this, as long as what you submit reflects your own experience, skills and voice. AI can be helpful for structuring or refining your answers, but it should not replace your own examples or create content that isn’t based on your real experience.
Our recruitment process is designed to get to know you, and we’ll explore your examples further at interview, so it’s important your application genuinely represents what you bring. You can read more about using AI in applications and interviews on our recruitment process page.
We’re shaping a workplace where ideas are encouraged, technology supports you and everyone has a voice in how we improve. If that sounds like the kind of organisation you want to be part of, we’d love to hear from you.
Job overview
Two fixed term contracts, of upto 8 months duration, to provide cover for career break / secondment.
The Programme Manager plays a key role within the Trust’s central Transformation & Change function, leading the delivery of complex, high-impact programmes that support the Trust’s strategic priorities. Working within a matrix structure, the postholder will collaborate closely with senior clinical, operational and system partners to design and implement sustainable change that improves outcomes and delivers better value for patients and services.
The role is responsible for end-to-end programme leadership, including planning, governance, stakeholder engagement and benefits realisation. The postholder will provide expert programme and change management leadership, ensuring robust delivery against agreed objectives while managing risks, resources and competing priorities. They will use data and insight to inform decision-making, challenge current ways of working, and drive continuous improvement across the organisation.
Main duties of the job
- Lead and deliver a complex transformation programme across the Trust from inception to completion
- Establish and manage programme plans, including milestones, risks, and benefits realisation
- Ensure robust programme governance, reporting, and assurance to senior leadership
- Drive effective change management to support adoption of new ways of working
- Build and maintain strong relationships with senior clinical, operational and external stakeholders
- Lead and support multidisciplinary teams to deliver programme objectives and performance
- Manage programme resources, including staff and budgets, to deliver within agreed parameters
- Use data, analysis and insight to inform decision-making and challenge existing practices
- Promote continuous improvement and ensure learning is captured and applied across programme
- Align programme delivery with Trust strategy and wider NHS policy and priorities
Working for our organisation
Our support services help to keep the trust running. They are the core to everything we do and are valued as such.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Programme Leadership and Delivery
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Lead the end-to-end delivery of a transformation programme from inception through to completion
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Develop and manage comprehensive programme plans, including milestones, dependencies and deliverables
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Ensure delivery of agreed programme outcomes, timelines and benefits
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Identify and implement short, medium and long-term strategies to support transformation priorities
Governance, Risk and Assurance
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Establish and maintain robust programme governance arrangements in line with Trust standards
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Provide regular, accurate reporting on progress, risks, issues and benefits realisation
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Identify, assess and proactively manage programme risks and issues, ensuring mitigation plans are in place and monitored
Change Management and Continuous Improvement
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Lead the application of best practice change management approaches to support sustainable adoption
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Promote a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring learning is captured and applied
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Challenge existing practices using data and evidence to support innovation and service redesign
Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration
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Build effective working relationships with senior leaders, clinical teams and external partners
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Facilitate collaboration across multidisciplinary teams to ensure alignment to programme objectives
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Design and lead stakeholder meetings, workshops and communications to support programme delivery
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Influence and support colleagues to adopt new ways of working and deliver improvement
Performance, Data and Insight
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Use data and analytical insight to inform decision-making and track programme performance
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Develop and agree key performance indicators with stakeholders to monitor delivery
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Produce high-quality reports and presentations to support governance and decision-making
Financial and Resource Management
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Manage programme resources, including people, budgets and external support
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Monitor and control programme expenditure to ensure delivery within agreed financial parameters
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Support development of business cases, cost-benefit analysis and return on investment assessments
People Management and Leadership
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Provide effective leadership, direction and support to programme and project teams
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Line manage staff where required, ensuring performance, development and wellbeing are supported
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Promote a positive, inclusive and high-performing team culture aligned to Trust values
Policy and Service Development
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Support the development and implementation of programme and project management standards and frameworks
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Contribute to the development of service improvement and performance policies impacting across the Trust
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Interpret national policy and translate into practical delivery approaches for local implementation
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
- Relevant master's qualification or equivalent experience of working as a senior operational or strategic manager in a relevant field
- Evidence on ongoing CPD activity
Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria
- Project/ops management experience
- Proven experience in managing complex transformation programmes, ideally within the public sector.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple stakeholders, including senior management, external partners, and cross-functional teams
- Strong track record in delivering change initiatives on time and within budget
- Strong understanding of programme management methodologies, such as PRINCE2, Agile, or MSP
- Experience influencing staff at all levels to ensure project objectives are owned by all members of the team including users and stakeholders
- Evidence of the ability to involve teams in analysis of situation and solution development; persuade teams to take on new ways of working and to constructively challenge the status quo
- Experience of working in a demanding environment with many, sometimes conflicting priorities.
- Experience of successfully developing collaborative relationships with a variety of stakeholders
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Michelle Eades
- Job title
- Deputy Director Transformation and Change
- Email address
- [email protected]
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