Main area Health Innovation West of England Grade Band 8a Contract 12 months (Post is a fixed term contract for 12 months) Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
- Home or remote working
- Compressed hours
- Term time hours
- Annualised hours
37.5 hours per week (30 – 37.5 hours per week) Job ref 427-8333926
Employer Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Health Innovation West of England Town Bristol Salary £57,528 – £64,750 Per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 13/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 23/10/2026
Band 8a
Job overview
We are looking for an experienced Programme Manager to lead our work with voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations and communities across the West of England.
This is a senior, purpose-driven role with the opportunity to build influential partnerships and lead complex programmes that tackle inequalities and improve people’s lives.
You do not need to have worked in the NHS. We welcome applicants with senior programme leadership experience from voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, local government, social care, public health, housing, education or other purpose-led settings.
We welcome applications from candidates seeking to work between 0.6 whole-time equivalent and full-time hours; please state clearly in your application the hours or working pattern you are seeking.
Main duties of the job
You will lead a developing portfolio focused on community partnership, equity and co-production. You will ensure communities and people with lived experience are equal partners in designing and delivering our work.
A significant part of the role will be providing strategic leadership for our Black Maternity Matters programme. You will work with communities, maternity and neonatal (perinatal) services, local authorities and voluntary and community organisations to support anti-racist improvement and reduce inequalities.
You will also work closely with the Associate Director for Strategic Partnerships & Delivery, and other members of Leadership Team, to explore further opportunities for our organisation to understand and meet the innovation needs of the VCSE sector working in health & care. This will include joining and convening collaborative discussions with VCSE sector leadership and working closely with front-line organisations to scope collaborative projects for HIWE , informing future business planning .
You will:
Lead complex, high-profile programmes from strategy through to delivery and evaluation working with colleagues across Health Innovation West of England .
Develop trusted partnerships across communities, voluntary organisations and wider health and care services.
Turn community insight, evidence and data into clear recommendations and action.
Influence senior leaders, executives, boards and national partners.
Embed equity, co-production and anti-racist practice across our work.
Manage programme budgets, risks, outcomes and reporting.
Lead, support and manage colleagues.
Represent Health Innovation West of England locally, regionally and nationally.
About you
You will bring:
Significant experience of leading complex programmes, partnerships or portfolios.
A strong understanding of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector or community-led approaches.
Experience of working alongside communities and people with lived experience.
The ability to influence senior decision-makers and work across organisational boundaries.
Strong programme, financial and people management skills.
Excellent communication, facilitation and relationship-building skills.
A clear commitment to equity, inclusion, co-production and anti-racist practice.
Experience relating to health inequalities, maternity, public health or anti-racist practice would be valuable. However, we recognise that relevant expertise can come from many sectors and career paths.
Working for our organisation
At Health Innovation West of England, you will have the autonomy to shape an evolving area of work and build partnerships that create lasting change.
We particularly welcome applicants whose experience has been developed outside traditional NHS career pathways.
Health Innovation West of England embraces a hybrid working model, offering the flexibility to work from home and in our office in Bristol. However, this role requires a firm expectation to attend regular meetings in our Bristol offices, and to be able to work from the office on a regular basis. You would also be required to travel occasionally to other locations within our geography and nationally for in-person meetings and events.
Before applying, please make sure you would be able to meet these requirements if successful in the role.
Working for your organisation
The Health Innovation West of England is one of 15 organisations within the Health Innovation Network, established and commissioned by NHS England and the Office of Life Sciences.
Our role is to deliver positive health and care outcomes in the West of England and nationally by supporting the discovery and development of promising innovations and the deployment of proven innovations. We achieve this by first understanding and then responding to local system priorities, placing a strong emphasis on reducing health inequalities. In this way we can make sure that innovations benefit more patients more quickly, enabling people to play an increasing role in their own care and prevention of ill health.
Our work programme aligns with the UK governments 3 shifts for healthcare:
Hospital to community
Treatment to prevention
We are an NHS organisation and employment with Health Innovation West of England is through the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, and as an NHS organisation we value diverse backgrounds and experiences to foster innovation and reflect the population we serve.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please find attached a detailed person specification and job description for further information about this role.
Person specification
1. Qualifications and Training
- Meets essential criteria for the role (Educated to Masters level or appropriate professional qualification or significant equivalent experience at a senior level. Evidence of continuous professional development.)
- Meets desirable criteria for the role (Postgraduate qualification in public health or equivalent. Project or programme management, quality improvement or change management training.)
2. Knowledge and experience
- Meets essential criteria for the role around practical experience delivering programmes focused on health inequalities, maternity, public health or community engagement.
- Meets essential criteria for the role around sound knowledge of the NHS, VCSE, social care, current government policies and change / innovation programmes.
- Meets essential criteria for the role around strategic stakeholder engagement across complex
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