Value for Patients Associate Director

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK healthcare organization seeks a senior leader to enhance healthcare delivery within the NHS. The ideal candidate will possess a Master’s degree and significant experience at a senior level in large organizations, particularly the NHS. Responsibilities include leading programme management offices and implementing efficiency programmes. Strong financial management, leadership skills, and the ability to engage with multiple stakeholders are critical to succeed in this role. We value diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent job-related experience required.
• Significant experience in managing operational performance and change in healthcare.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities in complex organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead Programme Management Offices in NHS Trusts to enhance efficiency.
• Manage operational performance within financial constraints.
• Develop strong relationships with stakeholders to implement healthcare changes.

Skills

High communication skills

Leadership

Financial management

Negotiation skills

Interpersonal skills

Project management

Organizational skills

Education

Master’s degree or equivalent job-related experience

Job description

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you'll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the 'Supporting Documents' heading. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how 'we care for you as you care for others'. Most importantly, it also contains critical information you'll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application

Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we're proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOU‑for our patients, our communities, and each other. As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application‑especially personal statements and responses to role‑specific questions‑is written by you.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you.

Person specification

Qualifications - Academic/Professional

Essential criteria

• Master’s degree or equivalent job-related experience/graduate calibre
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• The post holder will require in-depth professional knowledge in a number of disciplines e.g. financial management, performance management, information systems, staff management acquired through training and experience over an extended period

Desirable criteria

• Programme management qualifications or certifications

Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant ' experience at senior level in large organisation within NHS or within consultancy providing healthcare turnaround or PMO services
• Leading Programme Management Offices or efficiency programmes across one or more NHS Trusts
• Working with Boards and multiple stakeholders to deliver change.
• Proven experience and ability in managing operational performance with tight financial constraints demonstrating effective budget management
• Evidence of successfully leading significant organisational change in developing new models of healthcare delivery
• Demonstrate experience of building, maintaining and utilising successful relationships with all staff especially clinicians within complex organisations
• An understanding of healthcare planning process and key national healthcare issues
• Demonstrate strong and credible leadership in being able to pull people together across systems and motivate them to deliver common aims and targets
• Demonstrate significant experience of situational leadership, human
• Knowledge and experience of handling the media

Desirable criteria

• Experience of developing alliances and partnerships within and across organisations
• Knowledge of the strategic direction of the local health economy

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• Highly effective communication skills – must be able to articulate complex issues to a wide range of recipients, both written and verbally
• Excellent presentation skills with the ability to engage and influence diverse audiences
• Strong interpersonal and negotiating skills, with the ability to engage, build and sustain relationships both within the Trust and within external organisations
• Able to demonstrate sound financial management skills and understand business‑centred approach to healthcare provision.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills to meet competing priorities.
• Able to take 'tough' decisions and calculated risks and see required action through.
• Demonstrates strong commitment to action to achieve equality and diversity in the NHS workforce and for the community.
• Excellent project management skills as project manager or sponsor
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Well‑developed IT literacy
• Ability to share vision and engender ownership in others
• Exhibits a drive, energy and enthusiasm and resilience to drive through and achieve end results and improvements

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of the strategic direction of the local health economy

Other Requirements

Essential criteria

• Ability to work flexibly
• Ability to work as part of a team and autonomously
• Ability to establish and maintain credibility
• Ability to persuade, negotiate with and influence others
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects
• Demonstrates drive and energy
• Demonstrable customer awareness
• Ability to communicate at all levels requiring tact and diplomacy to achieve results.
• The post holder will require access to transport
• Use agreed project management methodology to plan and implement project deliverables, ensuring that targets and milestones are met and delivered on time.
• Frequent periods of concentration analysing data and spreadsheets for periods of time as part of service reviews.
• Prolonged concentration required for long periods of time, chairing and attending consecutive senior level meetings for 3 to 4 hours each on every day of the week investigating problems, analysis of performance data and policies, with interruptions requiring immediate response
• Imparting unwelcome news to the Board and Hospital Chief Executives and Directors e.g. where performance or financial targets not met.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

None listed.

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• Job Description (PDF, 440.4KB)
• Functional Requirements (PDF, 920.2KB)
• Candidate Essential Guide Non Medical (PDF, 1.3MB)