Senior Partnerships Manager- Band 8a: Sponsorship Available

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Job summary

The Senior Partnerships Manager supports the Head of Strategic Partnerships to develop and manage high-value partnerships that advance the organisation’s strategic objectives, growth ambitions and service priorities.

The role identifies new commercial and collaborative opportunities, develops influential relationships across the public, private and third sectors, and works with partners to deliver measurable and sustainable benefits. Working closely with executive leaders, operational teams and external stakeholders, the postholder will lead complex partnership programmes and projects, develop business cases, negotiate agreements and ensure appropriate governance, risk management and performance monitoring.

The role requires commercial awareness, strategic thinking, relationship management, stakeholder engagement, negotiation and project management skills. The postholder will provide expert advice on partnership development and collaborative working, ensuring opportunities are aligned with corporate priorities and deliver mutual value.

Success will depend on the ability to influence senior decision-makers, manage complex relationships and translate strategic opportunities into practical outcomes that strengthen the organisation’s reputation, innovation, influence and long-term sustainability.

Main duties of the job

Main Duties of the Job

  • Support the Head of Strategic Partnerships to deliver the Group’s five-year strategy and Partnership Plan.
  • Develop and deliver strategic partnership plans and projects, with clear milestones, outcomes and governance.
  • Build and maintain relationships with NHS partners and public, private and voluntary sector organisations.
  • Coordinate stakeholder input, negotiate with senior leaders and support teams to deliver agreed outcomes.
  • Monitor key performance indicators, escalating risks, issues, dependencies and delivery gaps.
  • Analyse complex information and provide clear reports and recommendations to senior leaders and governance forums.
  • Manage partnership and project budgets, resources and change-control processes.
  • Promote collaborative working, service improvement, commercial and business development opportunities.
  • Manage and develop staff, allocating work effectively against agreed priorities.
  • Maintain robust governance and audit trails, ensuring completed initiatives and projects transition into business as usual.

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for the full breakdown of tasks, duties and responsibilities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to Master level or equivalent experience
  • Professional management training / qualification
  • Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

  • Project Management Qualification eg Prince 2 or equivalent
  • Service Improvement Training

Previous Experience

Essential

  • Working at a senior/corporate level within the NHS
  • Experience of managing complex projects
  • Demonstrable experience in managing and influencing teams
  • Significant experience of communicating and working with staff at all levels.
  • Experience of budget and staff management
  • Experience of managing competing priorities
  • Experience of change management / service redesign

Desirable

  • Experience of managing and successfully delivering large scale projects or partnerships
  • Experience of income generation
  • Experience of managing suppliers

Knowledge, skills, aptitudes

Essential

  • Knowledge of programme and project management
  • Effective management, interpersonal and communication skills
  • Ability to create a team approach amongst Partnerships Leads
  • Knowledge of financial and staff management
  • Good analytical skills and ability to interpret and present data
  • Ability to find ways of pre-empting and solving problems
  • Ability to use IT packages – Microsoft Office
  • Understanding of working with confidential information
  • Ability to make sound judgements and decision making

Specific Requirements

Essential

  • An awareness of techniques for planning, monitoring and controlling projects/programmes
  • Sufficient seniority and professional credibility to advise and influence project leads on delivery in relation to the programme/projects
  • Self-motivated and able to work on own initiative
  • Ability to identify links with programme and projects
  • Committed to continuous improvement and pro-active in problem solving

Desirable

  • A knowledge of techniques for planning, monitoring and controlling programmes
  • A knowledge of project management approaches

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 4 October 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.