Job title: Programme Manager

Base: Health Innovation KSSs primary place of business is The Beehive, located in Gatwick/Crawley, West Sussex.

Hours: 1.0 WTE / Full-time, 37.5 hrs per week

Salary: £54,000 - £57,000

Contract: 12 month FTC (Maternity Cover)

Location:  Health Innovation KSS work on a hybrid basis. Post holders are expected to be based in, or be able to attend meetings in the Kent, Surrey, Sussex geography.

Reports to: Senior Programme Manager

Direct reports: Project delivery resource and access to a pool of team members if required.

** SUBSTANTIVE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR HEALTH INNOVATION KSS PROGRAMME MANAGER ROLE **

Job Purpose

• Working as part of the programme and project resource team within Health Innovation, taking a leadership role for a portfolio of programme areas.

• The specific area of responsibility for the role (at appointment and/or as appropriate for individual role holders) will be outlined at Appendix A. Please note that any specific area of responsibility is subject to change, according to future programme delivery requirements.

• Managing a programme which may include some Senior Programme/Innovation Manager or Associate Director involvement.

• Taking a lead responsibility for the organisation and delivery of collaborative learning events in conjunction with Clinical Leads.

• Supporting innovation focused colleagues in the delivery of tailored packages of support to industry.

• Supporting innovation focused colleagues in having a range of conversations with organisations to help deliver the spread and adoption of innovation into practice, developing the innovation eco-system and pipeline.

Making a contribution to income and the income generation pipeline to generate income for Health Innovation KSS to ensure long-term sustainability by:

• contributing to bids or grant applications for funding to support services offered by Health Innovation KSS.

• working closely with innovation focused colleagues in the identification and securing of contracts of tailored packages, in support of industry

• delivering tailored packages of support to industry according to the agreed contract and reporting via ‘consultancy timesheet approach’

• working closely with the appropriate Senior Programme/Innovation Managers and Associate Directors to support and facilitate:

• the development of new service offerings for our stakeholders and ensuring that a clear customer focus is maintained

• the cultivation of existing customer demand through the marketing of existing service provision

• the cultivation of new customers through service development opportunities.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• To work closely with the relevant Associate Director(s), Senior Programme Manager(s) and where appropriate, Clinical Leads in the management and delivery of an assigned portfolio, which may include both local and national commissioned programmes of work.

• To create good working relationships with teams in organisations participating in those projects and programmes. Building expertise, trust and commitment to the goals of the projects and programmes.

• To create and exploit links between clinical teams, industry and academia wherever it supports delivery of project and programme goals.

• To horizon scan for examples of innovation within the project areas that can be spread and adopted.

• To make a contribution to income and the income generation pipeline through projects and programmes to generate income for Health Innovation KSS to ensure long-term sustainability.

• To support organisations to adopt NICE Technology Appraisals relevant to the project areas.

• To ensure that any risks relating to the delivery of programmes within an assigned portfolio (including risks to the programme delivering within budget) are managed wherever possible and/or proactively alerted to the appropriate Senior Programme Manager, Associate Director and/or Chief Operating Officer.

• To lead and facilitate meetings with clinical practitioners within and across health, social care, independent and voluntary sector organisations within Kent Surrey and Sussex.

• To identify and make recommendations on developmental needs across teams.

• To identify examples of best practice and solutions that can be shared and networked.

• To participate in data quality assurance audits and peer reviews in provider organisations.

• To work closely with external partners to ensure the provision of appropriate and timely analysis to support the implementation of programmes.

• To support and facilitate providers in the development of metrics and impact measures.

• To prepare reports, briefings and presentations as required and present at meetings and conferences.

• To interpret relevant national policy with regard to service and productivity improvement and ensure appropriate implementation.

• To represent Health Innovation KSS at meetings with NHSI/NHSE and other national bodies as appropriate.

• To work closely with commissioners to support the implementation of Health Innovation KSS objectives.

General responsibilities

• To act as part of 'one team'.

• To promote the values of Health Innovation KSS.

• To ensure effective communications within and between project teams, be involved in and participate in meetings, team briefings, development days, corporate events etc.

• To engage with line manager in regular performance and development reviews against agreed objectives. To be responsible for actively identifying own development needs and committing to a personal development plan based on continuous learning.

Values and Behaviours

Health Innovation KSS has developed a clear vision for the direction of the company. A set of values and behaviours have also been developed and agreed to underpin this vision. Our values and behaviours framework can be found on our Careers site. Applicants and employees will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to these values and behaviours, which will be assessed through the recruitment, selection and appraisal processes.

Diversity and Equal Opportunities

It is the desire of KSS AHSN Ltd (Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex) to broaden diversity within its workforce.

KSS AHSN is an equal opportunities employer and ensures that all new, existing and prospective employees are treated fairly through the principles of equal treatment and promotion of diversity.

This includes:

• ensuring that all individuals who come into contact with the organisation, whether as employees, stakeholders or in any other capacity are treated with dignity and respect;

• ensuring that the opportunities we provide for learning, personal development and employment are made available on a non-discriminatory basis and;

• providing a safe, supportive and welcoming environment for employees, stakeholders, visitors and others.

Along with the other 14 companies within the Innovation Network, we are committed to a series of pledges to further support the diversity and innovation agenda.

Programme Manager: Person Specification

Education, Qualifications & Training

Essential:

• Educated to degree standard or equivalent in a relevant discipline

• Project or portfolio management qualification or equivalent experience

• Evidence of continuous professional development; record of CPD shows strong self-development ethos and learning

Desirable:

• An appropriate professional qualification or Master's degree
  

Knowledge & Experience

Essential:

• Significant recent management experience in the NHS or other organisation in a relevant sector

• Evidence of effective partnership working

• Proven experience of managing large scale projects or programmes in the public sector

• Managing resources to support the delivery of projects / programmes.

• Financial and performance management experience.

• Experience of working with a range of staff at all levels, including clinicians.

• Experience of clinical transformation projects

• Significant knowledge of the health and/or social care sectors

Desirable

• Experience of undertaking reviews of national policy.

• Experience of providing advice to senior managers and consultants.

Skills & Abilities

Essential:

• Sound knowledge of the NHS, social care, current government policies and change / innovation programmes

• Able to think strategically and analytically

• Ability to develop strong working relationships

• Analysis and synthesis of complex information

• Able to make a contribution to Health Innovation KSS income generation pipeline through innovation programmes

• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiating skills.

• Advanced IT skills and good working knowledge of IT systems e.g. Excel and Access.

• Drive, energy, enthusiasm and determination.

• Creative and lateral thinker

• Facilitation skills to direct and support teams to achieve change through measurable outcomes

Desirable

• Sound knowledge of the NHS, social care, current government policies and change / innovation programmes.

• Bid writing skills.

Personal Style & Behaviours

Essential:

• Takes a visible lead

• Has a flexible and adaptable approach to work

• Helps others to develop themselves

• Values diversity and looks for opportunities to improve equality

• Acts with integrity and presents themselves as a good role model

• Smart, professional appearance and outlook

• Constructively challenges current practice

Other requirements:

Essential:

• Reliable work record

• Travel, as required, within the KSS patch.

Desirable:

• Possesses a driving licence

APPENDIX A

Specific responsibilities of this role

In addition to the main Programme Manager Job Description, set out below are specific tasks and information related to our Cardiovascular Renal Metabolic (CVRM) and Respiratory workstreams.  Upon appointment, these are the initial responsibilities and areas of focus for this role.  These are for guidance only and are subject to change, according to Health Innovation KSS programme delivery requirements.

Location and skills preference:

·         Will cover the whole Kent, Surrey, Sussex geography. 

·         Due to the delivery requirements associated with the CVRM / Respiratory workstream, the postholder will be working across a range of related projects with a wide variety of stakeholders, including, for example, primary care, community teams, acute teams, commissioners, voluntary sector and public health. 

·         The post holder will be required, at times, to travel in and around the geography of Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

·         The post holder may have a background of clinical experience, or significant interaction with clinicians and health & social care systems.  This is highly desirable for this role, due to the specific focus on CVRM and/ or respiratory related conditions, clinical innovations and clinical engagement.

Additional responsibilities:

You will provide robust, pragmatic programme management to the KSS HIN CVRM /Respiratory programmes, working closely with clinical leads, clinicians and other colleagues, including partners from Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.   Whilst not an exhaustive list, areas of focus for this workstream might include supporting:  

·         local delivery of the national Health Innovation Network Heart Failure programme, which aims to support the early identification of heart failure in primary care, reduce the number of hospital admissions and improve the quality and quantity of life for people living with heart failure.

·         local delivery of the national Health Innovation Network Respiratory Transformation Partnership.  Focused on Asthma and COPD, this programme aims to reduce premature mortality, respiratory-related hospital admissions and bed-days through large-scale system and pathway transformation

·         the development and delivery of new CVRM related programmes, including innovations in the support and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD), innovation and transformation of diabetes treatment and pathways, and innovation programmes to support patients living with obesity.   

• be responsible for contributing to the production of and input to monthly informal and quarterly formal performance reports.

• build strong relationships with colleagues, including clinicians, across Kent, Surrey and Sussex to support achievement of priorities 

• support building capacity and capability across Kent, Surrey and Sussex for improvement in clinical pathways

• have oversight of programme budgets and where appropriate, processing expenditure and liaising between the programme team and management teams

• work closely with other Health Innovation staff, including other Programme Managers, Project Managers, Innovation Managers and Co-ordinators to support successful programme delivery. 

To apply for this role, you must do so by following the application process (click on the apply button below). You will answer some eligibility questions as well as some which are related to your day-to-day job. After the job closes, our selection panel will review your application answers and CV. It is our aim to manage our recruitment processes in a fair, consistent and unbiased way. Please be assured that your application and CV will be entirely anonymised, until shortlisting has taken place.

The closing date for applications is 12:00 pm on 2nd February 2026

If you are shortlisted, we’ll invite you to the next step, which will be a first formal interview. Initial interviews are expected to be conducted remotely, via Teams, on 10/11th February 2026.

We love giving feedback, so if you do attend for interview, we will share how well you performed at the end of the selection process.

No Agencies, thank you.