Director of Voice, Improvement and Partnership

Job summary

Stakeholder Event Date: 28th July 2026

Panel Interview Date: 31st July 2026

Help us create an organisation where every voice matters, every idea counts and everyone has a role in improving care.

At UHSussex, we are on an ambitious journey to deliver Excellent Care Everywhere.

We have recently launched a new Trust Strategy, a new Trust Operating Model and a Behavioural Compass that sets out how we work together as One UHSussex. We are creating an organisation where people feel heard, valued, included and empowered to make a difference; where staff, patients and communities help shape decisions; where improvement is part of everyday practice; and where better staff experience and patient experience drive better outcomes for the people we serve.

We believe that the best ideas can come from anywhere. We want to create an organisation where people feel confident to speak up, challenge constructively, test new ideas, learn together and take ownership for making things better. We want staff, patients and communities to be active partners in shaping services and improving care.

To help us achieve this ambition, we are seeking an exceptional Director of Voice, Improvement & Partnerships.

Main duties of the job

Reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer, this is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of one of the largest NHS trusts in the country. You will lead the development of a new Trust-wide function bringing together organisational listening, staff and patient voice, organisational development, inclusion, improvement capability, community partnerships and lived experience.

You will lead the development and delivery of Every Voice Matters, our approach to organisational listening, involvement and participation. You will help create the conditions where people feel safe to speak up, contribute ideas and challenge constructively. You will champion inclusion, belonging and psychological safety, support leaders to build high-performing teams, and help unlock the creativity, expertise and ideas that exist across our workforce and communities to improve staff experience, patient experience and the quality of care we provide.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Master’s degree level or equivalent senior leadership experience.
• Evidence of substantial continuing professional development.
• Relevant professional qualification or significant experience in organisational development, leadership, improvement, transformation, engagement, change, people development or a related discipline.

Desirable

• Executive leadership development programme or equivalent.
• Coaching, facilitation, organisational development or improvement qualifications
• Membership of a relevant professional body

Experience

Essential

• Significant senior leadership experience within a large, complex organisation, ideally within the NHS, public sector or a similarly complex environment.
• A demonstrable track record of leading organisation-wide culture change and organisational development, supported by substantial experience of staff and stakeholder involvement, improvement, transformation and partnership working.
• Experience of bringing together insight, engagement, organisational development, improvement and change approaches into a coherent strategy that delivers measurable organisational impact.
• Proven experience of improving staff experience, patient experience, customer experience or organisational culture through cultural, behavioural and organisational interventions.
• Experience of developing high-performing, inclusive cultures that encourage participation, innovation, learning and continuous improvement.
• Experience of creating environments where people feel safe to speak up, contribute ideas, challenge constructively and influence decisions.
• Experience of working with diverse communities, stakeholder groups and partners to shape services, priorities or organisational strategy.
• Experience of leading complex change and transformation programmes requiring significant cultural and behavioural change.
• Experience of influencing Boards, Executive Teams and senior leaders.
• Experience of leading across organisational boundaries and building effective partnerships.

Desirable

• NHS provider leadership experience.
• Experience of patient and public involvement, co-design or citizen participation.
• Experience of health inequalities, population health or community partnership programmes.
• Experience of developing improvement capability or innovation approaches across organisations
• Experience of leading organisational development, inclusion or engagement functions.

Knowledge

Essential

• Strong understanding of organisational culture, leadership and behavioural change.
• Strong understanding of organisational development and how culture influences performance, staff experience and patient experience
• Understanding of inclusion, belonging, equity and psychological safety.
• Understanding of organisational listening, participation, co-design and involvement methodologies.
• Understanding of improvement, innovation and learning cultures.
• Understanding of change management, adoption and implementation.
• Understanding of partnership working across organisational and system boundaries.
• Understanding of how staff experience, patient experience and organisational culture influence outcomes and performance.
• Understanding of governance, assurance and accountability within complex organisations
• Understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the NHS and wider health and care system.

Desirable

• Knowledge of contemporary improvement, innovation and organisational development approaches
• Knowledge of health inequalities and population health agendas
• Understanding of NHS regulatory and policy frameworks relating to culture, inclusion, leadership and improvement.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Exceptional leadership and influencing skills
• Ability to inspire people around a shared purpose and vision.
• Ability to build trust, credibility and strong relationships at all levels.
• Highly developed communication, facilitation and engagement skills.
• Ability to bring together diverse perspectives and build consensus around complex issues.
• Strong strategic thinking and organisational awareness.
• Ability to translate insight into action and measurable improvement.
• Ability to work effectively within complex and politically sensitive environments.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to challenge constructively and support others to do the same.
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with practical delivery
• Ability to lead through influence as well as formal authority.
• Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Essential

• Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
• Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues

Closing Date: 19 July 2026