Interim Head of Improvement (Band 8C)

The Methodist Church in Britain; Coalville; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a seniorprogramme lead to manage the Operational Improvement Programme. You will coordinate across Care Groups, clinical departments and digital and quality teams to deliver productivity plans and ensure robust governance.

The role requires a degree or equivalent experience, with demonstrated NHS transformation success and strong financial oversight.

Qualifications

• Degree-level education or significant relevant experience.
• Postgraduate qualification in management or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Trust's Operational Improvement Programme.
• Develop and deliver productivity improvement plans aligned to strategic objectives with Care Groups and clinical departments.
• Identify productivity opportunities with finance and operations teams and set priorities.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams to deliver improvements at pace.
• Implement a standardised PMO framework with reporting to governance bodies.
• Lead development of the annual improvement plan from operational and financial plans.
• Define service improvement priorities and design monitoring and assurance systems.
• Work with the QI directorate on strategy, methodology and training.
• Model cost benefits, ROI, and manage programme budgets.
• Produce performance reports and track delivery of major programmes.
• Apply governance frameworks for Care Groups and corporate functions.
• Ensure all plans include quality and equality impact assessments.

Skills

Process redesign

Project management

Quality improvement

Governance

Financial management

Prioritisation

Education

Degree-level education

Postgraduate management qualification

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

This fixed-term post sits with North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, and runs to January 2028. The postholder oversees the Trust's Operational Improvement Programme, working with Care Groups and clinical departments to build productivity plans and coordinate operational, clinical, digital and quality teams to deliver them. The role is distinct for setting up a standard PMO framework that reports through the Improvement Group to the Finance and Sustainability Committee, and for working alongside the Associate Director of Quality. Candidates need proven experience of transforming services within budget and a degree or equivalent experience.

What the job involves

• Oversee the Trust's Operational Improvement Programme
• Develop and ensure delivery of productivity improvement plans aligned to strategic objectives, with Care Groups and clinical departments
• Work with finance and operational teams to identify productivity opportunities and agree priorities
• Coordinate operational, clinical, transformation, digital and quality improvement teams to deliver improvement at pace
• Implement a standardised PMO framework with reporting and escalation to the Improvement Group and Finance and Sustainability Committee
• Lead development of the annual improvement plan from the operational and financial plans
• Define service improvement priorities and design monitoring and assurance systems
• Work with the Associate Director of QI on the QI strategy, methodology and training
• Model cost benefits, assess return on investment and manage programme budgets
• Produce performance reports and track delivery of major programmes
• Apply robust project governance and create governance frameworks for Care Groups and corporate functions
• Ensure all improvement plans have quality and equality impact assessments

Qualifications

• Degree-level education and/or significant relevant experience
• Management or professional qualification at postgraduate level or equivalent relevant experience
• Evidence of continuing personal and professional development

Experience

• Demonstrated achievements in improving patient care, meeting NHS targets and managing within budgets
• Experience of delivering end-to-end change in a service or function with scale and complexity
• Recent evidence of leading and transforming a team to work effectively together

Skills & knowledge

• Thorough understanding of process redesign, improvement, project management and quality improvement techniques
• Sound financial management across multiple services
• Working knowledge of governance and risk
• Ability to prioritise own and others' workloads to tight deadlines while managing conflicting priorities
• Computer literacy (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, email) and IT skills to manage complex performance reporting, with clear presentation skills

Nice to have

• Senior NHS management experience in transformation, financial management, planning, performance management and improvement, and staff
• Building and maintaining external relationships across a range of organisations and stakeholders
• Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge