Change Delivery Lead

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust; Dorchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Change Delivery Lead to steer the Transformation Team, guiding a portfolio of complex programmes from design through delivery, embedding change and realising measurable benefits across services.

The role combines strategic thinking with delivery focus, requiring senior influence, cross-boundary collaboration and a track record of successful large-scale improvement in healthcare settings.

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of transformation, change management, improvement, and programme management methodologies.
• Ability to evaluate complex programme issues and provide senior recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for ensuring allocated programmes are designed, delivered, embedded and adopted.
• Provide senior leadership of the Change Delivery Team with practical delivery at pace.

Skills

Transformation knowledge

Change management

Programme management

Stakeholder influencing

Education

Masters level qualification

Job description

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Change Delivery Lead

The closing date is 26 November 2026

We are looking for an exceptional Change Delivery Lead to join our Transformation Team, leading a skilled team delivering complex transformation, improvement and recovery programmes across our services.

This is a pivotal leadership role. You will oversee a portfolio of high-profile programmes, provide expert challenge and assurance, and ensure change initiatives translate into measurable improvements for patients, staff and the organisation. You will work closely with executive, clinical and operational leaders to drive implementation, realise benefits and build sustainable improvement capability.

We're looking for someone who combines strategic thinking with a strong focus on delivery. You will be comfortable working in complexity, influencing senior stakeholders, challenging constructively and leading through others rather than relying on hierarchy.

You will have significant experience leading large-scale transformation, service redesign or improvement programmes, with a track record of delivering measurable outcomes and building trusted relationships across organisational boundaries.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape how transformation is delivered, develop capability across the organisation and make a lasting difference to services and patient outcomes.

If you are passionate about delivering meaningful change and have the credibility, judgement and leadership skills to operate at a senior level, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

• Accountable for ensuring that allocated programmes are successfully designed, delivered, embedded, and adopted across Dorset HealthCare, Dorset County Hospital, and system partners.
• Responsible for a consistent, structured and proportionate change delivery, service redesign, senior assurance, practical implementation, adoption and benefits realisation.
• Provide senior leadership of the Change Delivery Team, ensuring practical delivery-at-pace and measurable impact.
• Set the professional approach for change delivery, structured improvement, ensuring programme activities are prioritised to deliver required change at pace.
• Work closely with the Strategy, Insight and Evaluation Lead to ensure supported programmes align with portfolio governance, reporting cycles, assurance requirements and agreed methodology.
• Build and maintain credible relationships with executive sponsors, senior clinical leaders, operational leaders, corporate functions and system partners.
• Communicate complex and potentially contentious proposals to service change, transformation and performance improvement to a wide range of audiences, including where there may be barriers to understanding and agreement
• Lead a benefits-led approach to transformation delivery by critically challenging benefit assumptions, ensuring programmes deliver measurable and evidence-based outcomes, and embedding evaluation, learning and continuous improvement to maximise sustainable benefits and inform future change initiatives.

About us

At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to create healthier lives, empowered citizens and thriving communities.

Person Specification

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND TRAINING

• Professional knowledge acquired through postgraduate study, training and/or significant equivalent experience to Masters level.
• Advanced knowledge of transformation, change management, improvement, programme management, service redesign and implementation methodologies.
• Ability to evaluate complex programme issues where there may be more than one course of action and provide senior recommendations.

MANAGERIAL/SUPERVISORY EXPERIENCE

• Proven experience of line managing, coaching, developing or professionally leading staff or specialist teams.

JOB SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE

• Significant senior experience leading complex transformation, improvement, recovery or change programmes in complex environments.
• Experience providing senior oversight, quality assurance and constructive challenge to transformation programmes, implementation plans and benefits cases.
• Experience working effectively across directorate, organisational, professional or system boundaries.
• Experience influencing executive sponsors, senior clinical leaders, operational leaders and corporate functions.
• Experience of prioritising, deploying or managing specialist resources across competing programmes or priorities.
• Proven experience preparing and presenting complex information to Board, executive or senior management forums.

FINANCE AND RESOURCES

• Experience of identifying, tracking or challenging financial and non-financial benefits associated with transformation programmes.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• High degree of skill in communication, negotiation, facilitation and influencing, internally and externally.
• Able to communicate highly complex, sensitive or contentious information where there may be barriers to understanding or agreement.
• Ability to act and think strategically while developing practical, innovative and deliverable solutions to complex problems.
• Able to provide constructive challenge while maintaining credibility and positive working relationships.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust

Ensure you hold valid right to work in the UK and will not require sponsorship if successful.