HIEM Deputy Head of Programme Delivery in Nottingham

Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) is the biggest employer in Nottingham with over 19,000 staff

Site Sir Colin Campbell Building, University of Nottingham Innovation Park Town Nottingham Salary £66,582 - £77,368 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 19/10/2026 23:59

Job overview

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, permanentposition 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

Working for our organisation

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

Detailed job description and main 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, permanentposition 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.

Training & Qualifications

• 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)
• Change management training/qualification

Experience

• 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

• 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

• 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

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

Planning and organisation skills

• 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

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

Personal Qualities

• 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

We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH.

Salary: The quoted salary will be on a pro rata basis for part time workers.

Disability Confidence: All applicants who have declared a disability and who meet the essential criteria for the post will be shortlisted.

At Risk of redundancy: NHS employees within the East Midlands who are ‘at risk’ of redundancy will be given a preferential interview where they meet the essential criteria of the person specification.

ID and Right to work checks : NUH authenticate ID and right to work documentation including passports and driving licenses through a system called Trust ID. NUH will scan your ID and right to work documentation in to the Trust ID system at your face to face ID appointment. The system will run a check against the key security features within your documentation. The system will provide us with an outcome of your check which will be stored securely on your personal file along with all other pre-employment check documentation.

Consent:

• Transfer of information: If I have previous NHS service - I consent to the Occupational Health Department confidentially accessing my occupational health records from my current or previous employer in order to check the status of my vaccinations, immunisations s and screening tests as relevant to the post. I understand this is an automated process and the information will only be used for these purposes prior to me taking up the position at NUH.
• Disclosure and Barring Service: Your post maybe subject to a DBS check which incur a cost dependent on the level of check required (£49.50 for enhanced and £21.50 for standard). I agree to reimburse Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust the cost of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if it is required (by deduction from first month’s pay). Should I decide to withdraw from my job offer, I agree to reimburse Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust the cost of the DBS check undertaken by cheque or other agreed method.

For more information about our organisation and the career opportunities available, please visit our website and/or follow us on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook

#J-18808-Ljbffr