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Job summary

Main area
Programme Management
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 9
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
435-C076-26
Employer
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital
Town
Blackburn
Salary
£112,782 - £129,783 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
14/07/2026 23:59
Interview date
20/07/2026

Employer heading

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust logo

Associate Director of Delivery and Improvement

NHS AfC: Band 9

At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care.  We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.

Job overview

The service development, improvement and delivery function supports the Trust to realise its vision to deliver Safe, Personal and Effective care as outlined in the Trust’s Strategy and medium-term plan. The team support the development of clear plans and their delivery through its improvement practice and programme delivery approach.

 

This is a senior leadership post, working with the Executive Team and our senior leadership group to ensure the Trust has a strong programme management approach, complimenting our improvement practice, to drive forward the Trust's delivery and improvement programmes including the delivery of the Waste Reduction Programme.

 

The post holder will develop professional leadership of programme and project management across the Trust. Working closely with the Director of Service Development, Improvement and Delivery, Deputy Director and Associate Director of Improvement Practice Development the post holder will contribute to a single Trust-wide approach to service development, improvement (SPE+ Improvement practice) and delivery, ensuring integration of project management tools and methods. A key aim will be the development of the capability and capacity across the Trust in project management skills, establishing consistency of approach at all levels and reducing the reliance on external project management capacity.

Main duties of the job

  1. Maintain an objective and up to date appraisal of the status of critical delivery and improvement programmes, projects and developments across the Trust
  2. Establish Programme Management systems and procedures to compliment the Trust's improvement practice
  3. Build effective and productive relationships with Divisional Management Teams and Directors 
  4. Provide leadership and line management for the Programme Management Office ensuring it meets the objectives required to suport delivery of the Trust's strategy

Working for our organisation

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust is a well-performing Trust and continues to make good progress in its financial recovery journey.

The Trust is in a fortunate position with a well-established improvement practice, led by the Improvement Hub Team and effective Service Development and Strategy development function overseen by the Service Development Team. The Programme Management Office was established in 2025 and we are now bringing these teams together into one function to support the delivery of the new Trust Strategy.

This is an exciting time to join the Trust as we progress our improvement journey.

 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The main duties are described above. Please refer to the detailed job description for further details.

Person specification

Qualifications and Experience

Essential criteria
  • Educated to Masters degree level, or equivalent relevant senior management experience
  • Significant experience of leadership at a senior managerial level in operational and strategic management, including exposure to Board.
  • Experience in designing and implementing strategic change programmes that are complex in nature
  • Advanced leadership skills that motivates others and fosters effective team work
Desirable criteria
  • Formal training in programme and project management ( e.g. PRINCE 2 and MSP)

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardPositive about disabled peopleInvestors in PeopleCare quality commission - GoodDisability confident committedStep into healthHappy to Talk Flexible Working

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Kate Atkinson
Job title
Director of Service Development and Improvement
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07977395843
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