Programme Manager

Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex

Guildford

Hybrid

GBP 45,000 - 60,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

33 days annual leave plus UK Bank Holidays

Job summary

A healthcare innovation organization in Guildford is seeking a Programme Manager to lead initiatives within the Patient Safety Collaborative team. You will oversee NHS-commissioned programmes and improve healthcare delivery in Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. The role requires senior management experience, clinical interaction, and a commitment to solving health challenges. This position offers a fixed-term contract with flexible working arrangements.

Qualifications

Strong drive to deliver outcomes through problem-solving.
Ability to manage expectations and influence stakeholders.
Passionate about creating a culture of improvement in clinical environments.

Responsibilities

Deliver NHS commissioned programmes and report progress regularly.
Support Clinical Leads on Patient Safety improvement projects.
Contribute to assurance reports and communication strategies.

Skills

Senior management roles experience

Clinical experience or significant interaction with clinicians

Project/programme management methodologies

Excellent communication skills

Job description

Programme Manager – Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex

We are recruiting a Programme Manager to join our dynamic Patient Safety Collaborative team, focusing on the ABC Workstream within the Patient Safety Improvement Programme.

Benefits: Include flexible working and 33 days annual leave per annum + UK Bank Holidays (see career site for full details).

Contract: 12 months fixed-term contract basis or NHS secondment, at AfC Band 8a.

Base: KSS AHSNs (trading as Health Innovation KSS) primary place of business is The Beehive, Gatwick/Crawley, West Sussex.

Location: Hybrid work. The successful candidate is expected to be based in, or able to attend meetings in the Kent, Surrey, Sussex geography.

Reports to: Associate Director – Patient Safety.

Responsibilities include leading programmes commissioned under the NHS Improvement Specification contract and the Support Network implementation plan, with delivery focus through to March 2026.

What you’ll do

Deliver a programme of work commissioned by NHS England within the NHS Improvement Specification contract and Support Network implementation plan.
Report progress to the Patient Safety Lead / Associate Director Patient Safety on a regular basis.
Support Clinical Leads with management and delivery of projects within Patient Safety Improvement programmes across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
Identify opportunities across programmes to improve efficiency and progress.
Lead the ABC Programme as the main point of contact.
Support the delivery of a national programme; plan and deliver QI and spread projects using a range of improvement and project management techniques.
Undertake diagnostics, support small tests of change (PDSA cycles), and help teams use measurement for improvement.
Deliver regular virtual and periodic face-to-face events to support programmes through improvement cycles (e.g., Breakthrough Series).
Contribute to monthly informal and quarterly formal assurance reports; collaborate with the Associate Director, Lead, Programme Manager and Programme Co-ordinator.
Support communication strategies to cascade case studies and good practice across media channels and Futures Platform.
Participate in regular national workstream lead calls to stay aligned with national changes to the commission.
Identify and promote new innovations and technologies aligned to local needs with the Innovation Network KSS team.
Build strong relationships with clinicians across KSS to spread changes and improvements where appropriate.
Support building improvement capacity and capability across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
Oversee programme budgets where appropriate, including processing expenditure and liaising with management teams.
Work with the Innovation and Industry team to support other Innovation Network programmes aligned to the ABC programme.

Your skills and expertise

Background in senior management roles and strategic work with senior clinical leadership teams.
Interest in creating a Culture of Improvement within clinical environments.
Clinical experience or significant interaction with clinicians and health & social care systems.
Passionate about solving problems with a strong drive to deliver outcomes.
Experience identifying opportunities, delivering improvements, and implementing QI project/programme management methodologies.
Ability to manage expectations, influence, and facilitate delivery of high-quality service; able to solicit and act on stakeholder feedback.
Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) for reporting programme status and recommendations to stakeholders and team members.

About Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex

Health Innovation KSS is a social enterprise, a not-for-profit company whose surpluses are reinvested into the healthcare innovation network. We work with industry, higher education, and health and care organisations across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

Enabling the spread and adoption of innovation
Improving the quality and safety of health and care
Supporting innovators and driving economic growth

We are one of 15 Health Innovation Networks in the UK, collaborating to share learning and provide access to a pipeline of solutions.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity

We value diversity and encourage applications from groups underrepresented in decision-making, including ethnic minorities and those with disabilities. Our recruitment processes are inclusive and aim to appoint the best candidates from a broad pool of diverse applicants.

How to apply

Visit our career site / vacancies page for the full job description and details of the selection process.