Transformation Programme Manager

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare institution in Milton Keynes is seeking a Transformation Programme Manager to spearhead key initiatives aimed at enhancing patient care and service efficiency. The role offers a salary in the range of £55,690 to £62,682 annually and demands strong skills in programme and change management. The successful candidate will work collaboratively across various teams, leveraging analytical skills to drive improvements in healthcare services. If you are passionate about making a difference in healthcare, this position could be for you.

Qualifications

• Experience in health service management and workforce redesign.
• Experience in delivering complex changes in a multi-agency environment.
• Strong communication skills to lead discussions with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead major initiatives to improve service delivery and patient experience.
• Collaborate with clinical, operational, and corporate teams.
• Use data to inform decisions and ensure measurable outcomes.

Skills

Programme management

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical skills

Education

Master's level or equivalent experience

Programme management qualification

Job description

Overview

Transformation Programme Manager, Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The closing date is 16 February 2026. Hours 37.5 per week, with flexible working considered for MKUH roles.

We are seeking a Transformation Programme Manager with a real enthusiasm for improving healthcare services. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in driving efficiencies through developing and implementing change initiatives that will enhance patient care and staff experience.

What You'll Do

• Lead on one or more major initiatives or programme areas that drive efficiency, improve service delivery and enhance patient experience.
• Work closely with clinical, operational and corporate teams both within and outside the Trust to identify and implement best practices.
• Use data and insights to inform decision-making and ensure positive, measurable outcomes.
• Engage stakeholders at all levels, ensuring collaboration and commitment to change.

Who You Are

• An autonomous and skilled Programme Manager with experience in change management, service reviews and delivering efficiency schemes.
• Caring about the NHS, with a drive to make local healthcare services the best they can be.
• An excellent communicator and collaborator, able to influence and engage diverse teams.
• Analytical and solution-focused, with the ability to turn challenges into opportunities for improvement in patient outcomes.

Join Us and Be the Change

Interview w/c 23 February 2026

Main duties of the job

Administrative and Clerical staff feel supported with flexible working at MKUH, reporting 6.82 out of 10, and a 76% feel strongly about approaching their managers regarding flexible working. NHS Survey, 2024

The Transformation Programme Manager will lead on one or more major initiatives or programme areas, planning, delivering and monitoring complex change portfolios aligned to the Trust Strategy 2024-2029. This role is pivotal in achieving elective recovery, digital maturity, integrated care delivery and sustainability goals.

The role will require close collaboration across MKUH, the BLMK ICS, and other strategic partners. The postholder will be expected to apply advanced transformation, project and change management techniques to deliver measurable improvements.

• The Transformation Programme Manager will lead on one or more major initiatives or programme areas which have a range of projects within by planning, supporting, facilitating and monitoring progress.
• The role will be based in the Transformation Team and will work collaboratively with other colleagues in the Transformation Team, corporate and divisional management teams and stakeholders across the Trust and wider health economy to ensure a cohesive, consistent, and multi-professional approach to transformation and cost improvement.

About us

Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a "Good" rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.

As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.

We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.

Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards - a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards - and the recently approved Women and Children\'s Centre, set to open by 2030.

For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes

Job responsibilities

The Programme Manager will be responsible for persuading board members and senior managers of the importance of the initiative/programme, for helping to develop long term strategic plans for performance and service improvement, develop associated policies, hold budget allocated to the initiative/programme, manage a team, design and develop training programmes and act as a line manager.

To ensure programmes are designed and delivered in such a way that the benefits to service users are delivered. This should also align with the Trusts strategic objectives.

Communication and relationship skills

To build relationships with senior managers across the Trust and programme sponsors to develop a clear understanding of the needs and challenges and to support and develop programme plans to solve these issues and to support and develop programme plans to solve these issues

To ensure meaningful involvement of patients and service users and carers at all appropriate points

To deliver a programme management function covering multiple, simultaneous projects with a level of complexity and excellent decision-making skills

Develop programme documentation which provides the governance and assurance in the support of change/ service improvements in the Trust; and is also in alignment with the Trust strategic objectives. This will require presenting complex information and persuading senior teams of the options to progress

Please refer to the Job Description for further details

Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge

• Masters\' level or equivalent experience to include health service management or change management
• Programme management qualification or knowledge and experience of programme management or delivering complex changes in a multi-agency environment

Experience

• Experience of Health service management, change management and workforce redesign
• Experience of delivery of successful programmes and projects to include planning, implementing and managing programmes with a high degree of autonomy across Directorates and organisations
• Management experience, including delivering through others outside of own management control
• Experience of service user and carer involvement in the design and delivery of services
• Knowledge of the performance management and governance functions within the NHS or local government
• Experience of contributing to major reforms in line with service development needs
• Experience of working with senior clinical staff
• Experience of supervising the day-to-day management of staff
• Demonstrable experience of effectively engaging with key stakeholders to achieve results and to required deadlines
• Experience of writing and/ or monitoring delivery of business case plans and of supporting the business planning process
• Demonstrable experience of producing accurate plans and performance reports which inform and influence the target audience
• Experience of working with complex data
• Experience of working under pressure to tight deadlines
• Able to provide evidence of continued professional development to work across professional and organizational boundaries

Skills and knowledge

• Expert knowledge of a range of programme and project management techniques and skills
• Receive and interpret highly complex, sensitive information and present this to large groups
• Receive and interpret highly complex, sensitive information and present this to large groups
• Decision making skills on a range of complex project and programme issues, where there may be more than one course of action
• Plan and organise a range of complex activities. Develop a range of plans/ long term strategic plans for service / performance improvement in various areas across the organization
• Assist service users / patients and carers during incidental contact

Personal and people development

• Experience of managing a team of staff and developing them
• Excellent skills in motivating and leading / role modelling for staff
• Experience of setting stretching targets for line reports

Communication

• Excellent communication skills with small groups and larger groups
• Ability to develop effective communication plans to support objectives of the Programme to overcome barriers to understanding
• Able to lead discussions with multiple stakeholders - Trust, ICB, Region in relation to projects identified, negotiating to achieve shared aims and objectives, and resolve conflict

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

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

£55,690 to £62,682 a year, pro rata if part-time