Change Delivery Lead

Transformation Unit; Dorchester; Hybrid; GBP 67,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Job summary

Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Change Delivery Lead (Band 8b) to join our Transformation Team in Dorchester. You will lead a skilled team delivering complex transformation, improvement and recovery programmes across services.

You will oversee a portfolio of high-profile programmes, provide senior challenge and assurance, and ensure change initiatives translate into measurable benefits for patients, staff and the organisation.

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of transformation, change management, improvement, programme management, service redesign.
• Experience leading large-scale transformation and improving outcomes.
• Ability to influence senior leaders and work across organisational boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for successfully designing, delivering, embedding and adopting programmes across Dorset HealthCare and partners.
• Provide senior leadership of the Change Delivery Team and ensure measurable impact.
• Set approaches for change delivery and prioritise activities to deliver change at pace.
• Lead benefits-led transformation and embed evaluation and continuous improvement.

Skills

Change management

Programme management

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Job description

Main area Administration Grade Band 8b Contract 18 months (Fixed Term/Secondment. End date 31/3/28.) Hours

• Full time
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week Job ref 152-S079.26

Employer Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Dorset County Hospital Town Dorchester Salary £66,582 - £77,368 p.a Salary period Yearly Closing 26/11/2026 23:59

Change Delivery Lead

Band 8b

Job overview

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.

Working for our organisation

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.
We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate’s individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.
All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.
As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact [e-mail]

Please note visa sponsorship for this role is unfortunately not available. Ensure you hold valid right to work in the UK and will not require sponsorship if successful.

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.

At Dorset HealthCare we want to offer all our staff the opportunity to work flexibly, putting health and wellbeing first, whilst continuing the delivery of excellent patient care. Flexible working looks different for everyone and we welcome applicants to discuss flexible working opportunities with the recruiting manager.

What working for us will provide:

• 27 days of annual leave, rising to 33 over ten years (for staff on Agenda for Change terms and conditions)
• Health and wellbeing services
• Flexible working options, including family-friendly hours
• Free training and one-to-one career coaching to reach your career goals
• Preceptorship programme for newly qualified nurses and AHPs
• Access to nine staff networks – have a voice and transform our Trust
• Relocation costs where applicable
• Salary sacrifice scheme opportunities – including childcare vouchers, car lease and cycle scheme, home technology equipment, and buying annual leave
• NHS discounts to save on your shopping, gym membership and more

Regrettably, we are not able to offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you attempt to apply for a role that we do not offer sponsorship for, you will receive notification of this at the time of starting your application and you will not be able to proceed. At this point, we wish to thank you for your interest in working for us and apologise we cannot take your application any further.

Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route. Further guidance can be found on the gov.uk website. It is vital that you provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form. Overseas applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK must present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided in continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)