Breast Screening Programme Manager in Bradford

The postholder provides strategic and operational leadership for the Breast Screening and Symptomatic Breast Imaging Service, ensuring safe, high-quality, patient-centred and compliant care. They are responsible for managing the Pennine Breast Screening Service across Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Craven, including the coordination of four mobile screening units and delivery of a rolling three-year screening programme for approximately 200,000 eligible women.

The role ensures achievement of NHS Breast Screening Programme standards, activity targets and quality indicators through effective workforce planning, performance management and continuous improvement. It also oversees the Symptomatic Breast Service, delivering one-stop diagnostic clinics and around 5,000 mammograms annually.

Key responsibilities include:

• Operational performance, governance, quality improvement, financial and workforce management, risk management and service transformation.
• Working with clinical teams and partners to provide sustainable, accessible and high-quality breast imaging services across the Pennine region.

The post holder will provide operational leadership for Breast Imaging Services, supporting the General Manager to deliver performance, quality, workforce, and financial objectives while ensuring compliance with NHS Breast Screening Programme standards and Trust priorities. Working closely with Clinical Directors and multidisciplinary teams, they will lead service improvement, performance management, capacity planning, and transformation initiatives to enhance patient care, productivity, and service sustainability.

The role is responsible for the effective management of workforce, financial, and estate resources, delivering the annual Breast Screening Service Plan and key performance targets. The post holder will foster strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, lead multidisciplinary teams, and promote a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and high-quality patient care. They will also ensure robust governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance arrangements are in place, supporting the safe, effective, and patient-centred delivery of Breast Imaging Services.

The role requires visible and effective leadership across breast imaging services, promoting high-quality patient care, operational excellence and staff engagement. Responsibilities include implementing Trust policies, fostering collaborative working, supporting performance management and workforce development, managing staff performance and appraisals, and representing the General Manager at internal and external meetings. The post holder is also expected to use data, audit findings, research and national guidance to drive continuous improvement and support the achievement of Trust objectives.

The post holder will contribute to the long-term strategic planning and development of breast imaging and breast screening services, ensuring alignment with NHS Breast Screening Programme requirements and future service demands. This includes undertaking service reviews, identifying opportunities for improvement, developing business cases, assessing the impact of service changes, and supporting proposals for service expansion, innovation and improvement. The role aims to ensure services remain sustainable, responsive and capable of delivering high-quality patient outcomes.

The post holder is responsible for ensuring robust systems and processes are in place to monitor, manage and improve operational performance. This includes overseeing performance reporting, tracking key performance indicators, managing demand and capacity, supporting delivery of constitutional standards and cancer targets, implementing new technologies and ways of working, and ensuring compliance with internal and external reporting requirements. Working closely with clinical and managerial colleagues, they will identify performance issues, develop corrective action plans, and support the delivery of efficient, high-quality services in line with organisational priorities.

The role plays a key part in maintaining high standards of quality, patient safety and regulatory compliance across breast imaging services. Responsibilities include supporting learning from incidents, complaints and investigations, ensuring compliance with Screening Quality Assurance Service (SQAS) standards, overseeing quality assurance programmes for imaging equipment, and maintaining robust governance and risk management processes. The post holder will support audit activity, continuous quality improvement, risk register management and patient experience initiatives, while also acting as Quality Manager for ISO 9001:2015 accreditation requirements.

The post holder has delegated responsibility for managing budgets within their portfolio and ensuring services operate within agreed financial resources. This includes monitoring expenditure, identifying and delivering efficiency savings and Cost Improvement Programmes (CIPs), supporting annual budget setting, and developing accurate financial plans to support service delivery and development. Working closely with Finance Business Partners, the General Manager and procurement colleagues, the post holder will ensure financial governance, value for money, transparent decision making, and effective management of procurement and capital investment programmes.

Person Specification

Experience

• Significant experience in a radiology healthcare environment.
• Proven track record of achieving set targets.
• Experience and understanding of the modernisation agenda and the opportunities for redesigning services.
• Experience, knowledge and understanding of current issues/themes affecting the NHS locally and nationally.
• Experience of managing organisational change.
• Experience in report writing and delivering presentations.
• Experience of staff management, including the setting of objectives, team and individual appraisal, recruitment and disciplinary issues.
• Budget management experience, including reducing costs/efficiency gains, monitoring and determining corrective action.

Skills

• Full range of IT skills including spreadsheet analysis.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of staff/managers/clinicians and external stakeholders.
• The ability to deal with complex issues in a methodical and logical approach.
• Ability to work pro-actively and cooperatively with senior management and clinical staff.

Knowledge

• Understanding of Information Governance and Confidentiality.

Qualifications

• Degree and/or equivalent experience in a Health Care Related Subject.
• Evidence of continuous professional development.
• Desirable: Master's level degree or equivalent qualification or knowledge/experience.
• Project management experience, Prince 2 or other project management qualification.