Programme Director – Large Scale Change

Job summary

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is one of the largest NHS organisations in the country, serving a diverse population across Greater Manchester and beyond. As we continue to transform the way we deliver care, we are seeking an exceptional Programme Director (VSM) for Large Scale Change to play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering our ambitious improvement agenda.

Reporting to the Trust Director of Improvement and working closely with the Chief Delivery Officer, this senior leadership role will lead the development, implementation and delivery of a portfolio of large-scale transformation and improvement programmes that support safer, more effective and sustainable services for patients, carers and staff.

This is an outstanding opportunity for a highly experienced improvement leader with a proven track record of delivering complex organisational change within healthcare. You will work across organisational boundaries to embed a culture of continuous improvement, supporting leaders and teams to translate strategic ambitions into practical actions and measurable outcomes. As a visible and influential leader, you will champion MFT’s values, foster innovation and help build the capability, systems and culture required to ensure continuous improvement becomes part of everyday practice across the Trust.

Main duties of the job

The Programme Director will lead and drive a portfolio of complex, cross-organisational improvement and transformation programmes, ensuring delivery of measurable benefits across quality, operational performance, workforce, finance, patient experience and staff experience.

Working with senior clinical, operational and corporate leaders, the post holder will provide expert leadership and advice on large-scale change and organisational improvement, including urgent and emergency care improvement, pathway redesign, flow optimisation and performance recovery.

The role will be responsible for establishing robust governance arrangements, monitoring programme outcomes, tracking benefits realisation and ensuring improvement priorities remain aligned to organisational strategy. The post holder will coach and support leaders at all levels, helping teams build the confidence, skills and capability to lead and sustain improvement locally.

The successful candidate will work collaboratively with colleagues across MFT, the wider health and care system, academic partners and external stakeholders to develop innovative solutions to complex challenges, while promoting a culture of improvement supported by effective use of data, digital technologies and evidence-based improvement methodologies.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Master’s degree/PhD and/or equivalent level of knowledge acquired through practical experience in the delivery of organisational improvement/transformation.
• Management qualification or equivalent level of knowledge acquired through experience and further training/development.
• Relevant accredited quality improvement training
• In depth understanding of the application of multiple methods for largescale change and the strategic and leadership alignment required to support it.

Desirable

• Coaching qualification

Skills, Knowledge Requirements & Experience

Essential

• Clear evidence of leading and driving major Improvement programmes with successful outcomes using improvement methodologies, including delivering a significant improvement programme in a health or care setting
• Experience in both broad transformation programmes and specific urgent and emergency care expertise
• Evidence of developing and execution of improvement learning systems, collaboratives and networks
• Experience of analysing, interpreting, and reporting on information to identify and manage opportunities for improvement and identifying solutions to identified problem/areas for improvement
• Significant experience of working with senior stakeholders (e.g., at Executive Team level)
• Track record of effective leadership, including the ability to inspire and motivate teams to deliver results.
• Successful track record of delivering in complex environments.
• Relevant experience of establishing and maintaining effective relationships with stakeholders, both external partners, and people in organisations directly impacted by change.
• Knowledge of the NHS and care sector
• Ability to actively apply improvement methodologies.
• Ability to plan and implement a major programme from conception through to completion.
• Proven ability to give constructive feedback to senior leaders
• Significant experience in developing strategies to meet changing organisational needs.
• Experience of commissioning and managing work by external agencies and consultants

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Skilled influencer, with the ability to co-ordinate multiple teams to achieve a common goal, particularly in the absence of direct line management responsibility for these teams
• Outstanding relationship management skills, and ability to address complex strategic issues and real work practical challenges working with and through others
• Effective and persuasive communicator, with a high degree of personal credibility
• Ability to be collegiate and coaching-led in robust interactions
• Ability to manage and deliver complex programmes of work to time and to high quality
• Organised and able to balance the demands of several activities with a proven track record of meeting deadlines and working under pressure.
• Strong team player – collaborative and empowering by nature, able to role model the organisational virtues and ways of working
• Strong personal resilience and tenacity to work in challenging and frequently changing environments.
• Ability to manage own workload and that of others to very tight and often changing timeframes
• Ability to identify key development areas for staff and support them in achieving development goals
• Ability to think and act strategically and to exercise sound, pragmatic and measured judgement in the face of conflicting pressures and deadlines

Closing Date: 9 August 2026