HIEM Deputy Head of Programme Delivery

Job summary
At Health Innovation East Midlands (HIEM), our mission is to save lives, improve patient outcomes, reduce NHS costs, and transform services through innovation. We are seeking an experienced Deputy Head of Programme Delivery to help drive the successful delivery of our growing portfolio of innovation and improvement programmes across the East Midlands and beyond.

This is an exciting opportunity to work with partners across the NHS, academia, industry, and the wider Health Innovation Network, leading programmes that improve clinical outcomes, enhance patient experience, increase efficiency, and support economic growth.

The Deputy Head of Programme Delivery will play a pivotal leadership role within Health Innovation East Midlands (HIEM), providing operational leadership across a portfolio of high-profile programmes operating at national, regional, and local levels.

As part of our expanding Programme Delivery Team, you will lead complex programmes, support stakeholder engagement, and coach colleagues in programme and improvement methodologies. We are looking for a proven leader with significant experience delivering large-scale transformation, innovation, or improvement programmes within the public sector.

This role is offered as full-time, permanent position and will be subject to a six-month probationary period.

Main duties of the job
Working closely with the Heads of Programme Delivery, the post holder will lead the development, implementation and delivery of complex programmes focused on patient safety, quality improvement, and the adoption and spread of innovation across health and social care systems.

The role will support the identification, evaluation, implementation and scaling of evidence-based innovations that improve patient outcomes and patient and staff experience, while delivering measurable system wide benefits.

A key focus will be building sustainable improvement capability and capacity across partner organisations to strengthen patient safety and support long-term quality improvement and effective use of resources. The post holder will work collaboratively with NHS organisations, local authorities, academia, industry partners and other stakeholders to transform services and promote best practice.

The post holder will also:

• Provide leadership and oversight for a portfolio of complex, high-profile programmes and projects across patient safety, innovation adoption and quality improvement.
• Ensure programmes are delivered to agreed objectives, timescales, budgets and quality standards
• Lead the development and implementation of programme plans, evaluation frameworks and sustainability strategies
• Support the adoption, spread and scaling of proven innovations across health and care systems
• Ensure robust governance arrangements, including risk management, assurance, monitoring and reporting

About us
We are one of 15 Health Innovation Networks around England that operate as the innovation arm of the NHS.

We bring together partners from all sectors involved in health and care including the NHS, social care and public health, patients, research, third sector and industry - to identify, test and spread new technologies and better ways of working.

We save the NHS money, generate economic growth, empower health and care staff, and improve lives for patients.

We work closely with our health and care stakeholders to establish their priorities then provide support. As part of a national network, we import evidenced solutions from other Health Innovation Network regions and export our successful East Midlands programmes on a national basis.

We have a range of objectives, but our overarching aim is always to make a difference for patients.

To find out more, visit the 'About Us' and 'Join our Team' sections of our HIEM website

Job responsibilities
Please familiarise yourself with the Job Description and Person Specification attachments located within the supporting documents section of this advert. These documents will provide a comprehensive overview for this exciting role.

HIEM is a hybrid working organisation with staff working a combination of home and office working. Our office is based in Nottingham and travel across the East Midlands may also be expected as part of this role.

This role is offered as full-time, permanent position and will be subject to a six-month probationary period.

We recognise that Generative AI (GenAI) can be a helpful tool when preparing your application. However, we have noticed a growing reliance on AI-generated content, which can sometimes reduce the personal insight and individuality that help us understand your unique skills, experiences, and motivations. If you choose to use GenAI, we encourage you to use it as a tool to support and enhance your application rather than creating your supporting statement entirely. Please confirm that you have read and understood the information above.

Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential

• Degree in health services management, quality improvement or patient safety, project or programme management or a related clinical discipline
• Highly developed specialist knowledge underpinned by theory and experience with qualifications to Masters level or equivalent in a relevant discipline (or equivalent experience)

Desirable

• Change management training/qualification

Experience
Essential

• Proven ability and extensive experience of managing medium/large-scale projects and programmes working across different organisations and within a complex environment using a range of programme management techniques
• Experience of leading improvement and /or innovation programmes utilising a range of quality improvement and/or adoption and spread methodologies

Knowledge
Essential

• Developing a broad range of programme management practices, tools and techniques including new and emerging ones around impact measurement
• Significant knowledge of quality improvement methodologies and patient safety science
• Excellent understanding of current healthcare / NHS challenges and national agenda

Communication and relationship skills
Essential

• Ability to influence and motivate staff to deliver challenging targets
• Demonstrable ability to build successful teams to deliver required outcomes - being effective in communicating in a clear and articulate manner, using tact and diplomacy in managing difficult people and situations
• Able to positively influence the direction and decisions of internal and external audiences; including make difficult and challenging decisions that support strategic aims and long term vision

Analytical and judgement skills
Essential

• Excellent ability to understand and judge the implications of proposed developments/changes in practice
• Quality and business focussed

Planning and organisation skills
Essential

• Demonstrate ability to work on own initiative and manage a wide range of different projects simultaneously within a complex agenda
• Highly developed motivational, influencing and negotiating skills
• Experience of managing and developing individuals with ability to develop own and others knowledge and practice

Physical skills
Essential

• Highly computer literate with experience of MS office software and PMO systems

Personal Qualities
Essential

• A team player able to contribute to the wider mission of the organisation, with a supportive and flexible approach
• Values diversity and difference, operates with integrity and openness

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.
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).