Senior Strategic Improvement Coach - School of Social Policy and Society - 106950 - Grade 8 in Birmingham

Position Details

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £47,389 to £56,535 with potential progression once in post to £63,606.

Grade: 8

Part Time (18.75 hours per week)

Fixed Term contract up to August 2027

Closing date: 13th April 2026

Interviews will likely be held between 6th and 21st May 2026.

UK travel may be required for this role.

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do. The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector‐leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state‐of‐the‐art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Role Summary

IMPACT is the UK centre for implementing evidence in adult social care, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Health Foundation. IMPACT draws on knowledge from different types of research, the lived experience of people who draw on care and support and carers, and the practice knowledge of social care staff.

IMPACT Demonstrators focus on a large, strategic issue in a host organisation or local system, helping to get evidence of what works used in practice to make a difference to services and to people's lives. They involve using change management, organisational development and leadership skills to bring about evidence‐informed change, in partnership with people who draw on care and support, families, social care services and policy makers.

Each Demonstrator is typically supported by two Senior Strategic Improvement Coaches. In each pair of coaches, one appointee often has a background in strategy / improvement and experience of applied research, organisational development or behavioural science. The other may well have experience of drawing on care, being a carer or working in front‐line roles. We recognise that we all have multiple aspects to our identity, and that some candidates may bring a combination of these different backgrounds and experiences.

Positions are offered at 50% FTE for 12 months, and will be based primarily in the Demonstrator site/host organisation. While successful candidates are often employed by the lead University in each nation (Stirling, Ulster, Cardiff, Birmingham, or Sheffield), the nature of our Coach roles also make them ideal for possible secondments from policy, practice, applied research or citizen‐led organisations. This can help people build on current skills and experiences while also developing new ones, supporting the longer‐term development of more 'hybrid' research‐practice roles.

As part of IMPACT's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion throughout our practice we are particularly keen to receive applications from people from black and minority ethnic communities, and will be operating the 'Rooney' rule (i.e. at least one person from a black and minority ethnic community background will be shortlisted where they meet the essential criteria for the role). We are also keen to receive applications from people who have lived experience of drawing on care and support, are carers or are front‐line practitioners, as well as from people who have experience of working with groups whose voices are seldom heard.

Details of the recruiting Universities, host locations and the areas of adult social care are on IMPACT's website. The coaches appointed for each project are typically based on site within the relevant host organisation.

Main Duties

• Supported by IMPACT's national Demonstrator lead, lead negotiation with the Demonstrator site regarding what support will be provided by IMPACT and how this will complement the local site's responsibilities (the 'contracting' process).
• Supported by other members of IMPACT staff, support the implementation of insights from the evidence.
• Work with local stakeholders to design the change project and articulate a local 'theory of change' to help structure the project.
• Facilitate the change project on the ground, bringing together key stakeholders from across the local site to design, deliver and sustain local change.
• Ensure that the local site/service commits to the active and meaningful involvement of people whose voices are seldom heard and to co‐production at all stages of the project.
• Work with the local site to develop a joint approach to formative evaluation of developments related to the Demonstrator project based on the theory of change.
• Work with national policy and practice partners to embed lessons learned nationally (across all four nations of the UK).
• Be the main point of contact for IMPACT's work with the Demonstrator site.
• Have overall responsibility for co‐ordinating the activity of IMPACT within the Demonstrator site, representing IMPACT and its values locally and nationally.
• Act as a coach and role model in strategic improvement projects in adult social care through demonstrating excellent practice and, where appropriate, mentoring colleagues.
• Contribute to the overall success of IMPACT through engaging with its wider activities and participating in sharing of learning and development opportunities.

Person Specification

• Senior experience as a manager or practitioner, or as an applied researcher, management consultant or improvement coach in relevant fields.
• Extensive experience of leading and designing strategic improvement projects within adult social care or in a field relevant to adult social care.
• Demonstrable commitment to the values of co‐production and knowledge of how to embed these values in practice.
• First degree OR equivalent professional qualification OR sufficient practical experience to demonstrate relevant knowledge and skills.
• An understanding of the factors that enable or prevent change in adult social care and how evidence can be used to increase likelihood of success.
• Excellent presentation skills, both verbal and written, with an ability to communicate effectively with social care stakeholders.
• High level of personal organisation and motivation.
• Collaborative and flexible approach to work and excellent inter‐personal skills.
• An awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses in leading projects and an ability to work reflexively.
• Ability to assess and organise resources effectively.
• Experience of championing co‐production, equality, diversity and inclusion in own work area.

To apply, you must:

• Send a CV and cover letter to impactcentre@contacts.bham.ac.uk, clearly detailing the role, project and location you are applying for in the subject of the email.
• Complete our mandatory additional information form: https://forms.office.com/e/4LxzkV2r8W. Applicants that do not complete the form will not be considered.
• Informal enquiries to Sheena Robertson, email: s.a.robertson@bham.ac.uk.

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy.