Senior Project Manager - Cancer Services Department

Mcht; Crewe; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager (Transformation and Improvement) to drive a programme of cancer services enhancements. You will lead end-to-end transformation work, coordinating programmes, governance, and stakeholder engagement to deliver patient-centred care improvements across Leighton Hospital and partner sites.

The role focuses on implementing new ways of working, processes and mechanisms to improve quality, performance against

Qualifications

• Masters/postgraduate qualification or equivalent experience.
• PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent qualification.
• Continuous improvement qualification or related experience.
• Change management techniques or specialist knowledge.
• Knowledge of MoR concepts and methods.

Responsibilities

• End-to-end delivery of allocated projects to time and budget with required quality.
• Support ongoing improvement capability and cultural change for sustainable workforce.
• Plan and initiate programmes ensuring governance and benefits realization.
• Define scope and deliverables, develop business cases and cost/benefit analyses.
• Develop project plans with resources and assign ownership to teams.
• Track deliverables, ensure quality assurance against definitions.
• Manage project budget within tolerance and monitor costs.
• Maintain risk logs, assign owners and drive issue resolution.
• Improve project development methods and address gaps.
• Produce highlight reports for Project Board and stakeholders.
• Create and maintain communication strategies and meetings cadence.
• Support change management and stakeholder engagement across levels.
• Analyse and present data with dashboards and charts for insights.
• Coordinate third-party and external stakeholder contributions.
• Provide facilitation and coaching to sustain improvements.
• Ensure benefits are identified, measured and owned by the team.
• Promote Continuous Improvement culture across the Trust.
• Maintain strategic focus while understanding high-level processes.

Skills

Programme/Project management

Change management

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Quality improvement

Communication skills

Education

Masters/Postgraduate qualification

PRINCE2 Practitioner

Continuous improvement qualification

MoR knowledge

Job description

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Main area Cancer Services Department Grade NHS AfC: Band 8a Contract 12 months (Fixed term 12 month secondment opportunity) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 412-S&C-8102567

Site Leighton Hospital - Transformation Team Offices Town Crewe Salary £57,528 - £64,750 Per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 15/11/2026 17:00

Job overview

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to work with the Cancer Services Team to support the delivery of an ambitious programme of improvement across the Trust.

The post holder will play a key role in driving transformational change across cancer services, focusing on improving performance against national standards, enhancing patient experience, and supporting the delivery of sustainable improvements aligned to Trust and national priorities.

Applicants wishing to apply on a secondment basis will be considered; however, prior approval from their current line manager is required.

Main duties of the job

The role of the Senior Project Manager (Transformation and Improvement) is to support the delivery of strategic programmes of work at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, aligned to agreed Priorities and Improvement Aims. The primary objective of the role is to support the development and spread of new ways of working, new processes and new mechanisms to support improvements. The Senior Project Manager for cancer will lead the development and implementation of transformation and improvement practices, supporting various programmes of work relating to the wider transformation and improvement agenda to improve quality and patient and staff experience across the organisation.

The role will primarily be focused on establishing the business support and work streams for the programmes and work with partners to implement the key priorities of the programme.

The post holder will be expected to engage and work in collaboration with a number of different stakeholders. They will be responsible for driving forward the priorities of work and supporting operational change required across all partners to support achievement of the delivery of person-centred, safe and effective care. The role will report to the Head of Transformation.

Working for our organisation

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides a full range of local hospital and community services for people across East Cheshire (population 399K) and West Cheshire and Chester boroughs (population 357K).

The Trust provides high quality planned and unplanned/emergency care, cardiac and critical care as well as child health, maternity services, and intermediate care across our sites at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Victoria Infirmary in Northwich, and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford.

The Trust provides 500 beds and employs over 5,100 members of staff.

An extensive range of community services is provided across 26 medical centres and schools by our community arm, Central Cheshire Integrated Care Partnership, in collaboration with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FT and the South Cheshire and Vale Royal GP Alliance.

We have played, and continue to play, a proactive role in the development of Integrated Care plans across Cheshire & Merseyside and our local Cheshire East and Cheshire West Place-based systems. We believe, and it is the cornerstone of our five-year Trust Strategy, there is the opportunity to progress innovative, responsive and effective care in the best setting for the patient, be it in the hospital or out in the community.

At Mid Cheshire, our mission is to inspire hope and provide unparalleled care for the people and communities of Cheshire, helping them to enjoy life to the fullest.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• The Senior Project Manager (Cancer) is responsible for the end to end delivery of allocated projects to time, on budget and the appropriate levels of quality in accordance with the appropriate Boardpriorities.

2. To support ongoing work around improvement capability and cultural change to ensure a sustainable improvement workforce across the organisation.

3. Lead the planning and initiation of programmes and projects ensuring the Trust’s Improvement Matters approach is followed and the correct governance is in place. This should be carried out in line with lesson learnt from previous programmes and projects, whilst adhering to the strategic direction.

4. Facilitate the definition of programme and project scope, goals and deliverables and develop business case details to enable selection of options where appropriate. These should include a cost/benefit analysis for each option as appropriate – includerecommendations.

5. Defining project products and tasks in order to develop full scale project plans and resource requirements. These should be supported by appointed individuals or groups to the Board whilst ensuring that there is efficient allocation of common resources andskills.

6. Track project deliverables using the appropriate tools and techniques whilst taking responsibility for the quality assurance process of all deliverables against pre-defined product definitions and acceptance criteria, in line with the Board’sPlans.

7. Manage the project's budget on behalf of the Project Board, controlling the expenditures within tolerance and monitoring the costs against projectdeliverables.

8. Manage the project’s Risk Log and assure all items are allocated to owners, reviewed on a regular basis whilst resolving issues and initiating corrective action asappropriate.

9. Work to develop efficient methods for improving project development and delivery whilst reviewing and initiating extra activities wherever gaps in the Project areidentified.

10. Constantly monitor and assess the project, whilst producing highlight reports defining project progress, problems and solutions to the Project Board and widerstakeholders.

11. Create and maintain communication strategies in order to ensure effective and timely communication with all stakeholders. This should include regular Project Board and Team meetings.

12. Understand and use a variety of techniques and strategies to support people through change, motivating and support stakeholders at all levels as part of improvement and transformation programmes.

13. Analyse, interpret and present complex data, insight, intelligence and information in a format that can be understood and accessed by all levels of stakeholders and able to utilise dashboards and software to create statistics process control charts and other complex analysis.

14. Manage third party and external stakeholder contributions to the programmes and project as appropriate.

15. Provide facilitation and improvement coaching as part of programmes of work to support and upskill staff and leave a legacy of continuous improvement to ensure systems and improvements are sustained through operationallife.

16. Ensure that the benefits of programme and project activities are identified, measured and owned in order to support the Programme Team in supporting business benefitrealisation.

17. Support the development of a culture of Continuous Improvement, capturing lessons learned throughout the project lifecycle and ensure these are incorporated into future development and shared with colleagues and the wider Trust.

18. Maintain a strategic focus, balanced with a thorough business knowledge and develop an understanding of the high level business processes of the Board functions and serviceareas.

19. Support the Trust’s commitment to developing a continuous improvement culture by making everyday improvements as part of your job using Improvement Matters; the Trust’s single continuous improvement approach.

Person specification

QUALIFICATIONS KNOWLEDGE/ PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

• Masters/ post graduate level qualification or equivalent experience in a relevant field
• PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent qualification
• Continuous improvement qualification of related experience (i.e. Model for Improvement, QSIR training, LEAN, Six Sigma)
• Change management techniques or specialist knowledge of driving project requirements and processes
• Knowledge of MSP concepts and methods

SKILLS

• Significant experience in driving and managing change, team leadership and managing virtual teams
• Significant experience with a successful track record in Programme/Project management using recognised methodologies
• Established record of accomplishment in defining and documenting initiatives in a cost- effective manner
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Able to work on own initiative, taking decisions and actions in line with the Business aims of the organisation
• Experience of transformational change management
• Worked in the NHS or other large organisation
• Experience and understanding of applying MoR techniques

VALUES

• A commitment to quality and safety.
• A recognition of the importance of showing respect, dignity and compassion to patients and colleagues.
• A listening, learning and leading approach.
• A commitment to work together to create the best outcomes.

BEHAVIOURS

• Must be willing to act as a role model.
• Must be willing to take personal responsibility.
• Must have the courage to speak up.
• Must value and appreciate the worth of others.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Occupational Health cleared to perform the duties of the role.
• Ability to perform a wide range of duties according to the Job Description.

Key Messages

We are a forces-friendly employers.

Candidates should ensure that all submissions and interactions reflect the candidate’s own skills, experience, and understanding. Any use of AI that compromises the integrity, fairness, or authenticity of the recruitment process may result in disqualification from consideration, withdrawal of offer, or dismissal if this these circumstances come to light post hire.

Candidates that require sponsorship to work in the UK are strongly advised to check the Government website for up-to-date information about whether the role they are applying for (incl. offered salary) is eligible.

Please let us know if you require an adjustment to our recruitment process and we'll be happy to discuss this with you.

We actively promote flexible working so please discuss any requirements you may have with us.

Secondments will be considered for fixed term positions when both parties agree. Candidates should seek approval from their current line manager before application.

All correspondence will be sent via the email address you have registered as your TRAC account.Selection is based on the Trust's values, and the criteria outlined in the Job Description for the role.

Appointments are subject to a 6-month probationary period. LED Doctors are subject to a 3-month probationary period.

You are required to pay for a DBS disclosure where the post requires one, and we encourage applicants to join and remain registered with the DBS update service.

We do not reimburse travel to interview expenses.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post will require a submission for Disclosure to be made to check for any unspent criminal convictions.