Do you want to help the NHS find and adopt innovations that improve lives, while also supporting cutting-edge companies to bring the right solutions into health and care? We are looking for an Innovation Programme Manager to work at the interface of the NHS and industry across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, helping turn real health and care challenges into practical opportunities for innovation, adoption and impact.

You will work closely with NHS organisations, clinicians and system partners to understand priorities, unmet needs and adoption barriers, while also supporting health technology companies, SMEs and innovators to navigate the NHS and develop strong routes to market. You will build partnerships, review and triage innovations, provide advice on commercialisation and real-world validation, and help design programmes and workshops that support both system needs and business growth.

We are looking for someone with commercial insight, strong stakeholder skills and the confidence to work across both NHS and industry environments. You may have experience supporting SMEs, working with clinicians or healthcare partners, or helping organisations adopt innovation in complex systems. You may have worked in the healthcare sector and are now looking for an opportunity to use your skills to make improvements. If you are energised by collaboration, passionate about improving outcomes for patients and communities, and excited by the opportunity to connect NHS need with industry capability, we would love to hear from you.

This role is initially available as a 12 month fixed term contract.

Key responsibilities:

· Build and manage strong relationships with NHS organisations, clinicians, industry partners, academic institutions and funding bodies.

· Work with NHS partners to understand service priorities, unmet needs and opportunities where innovation can improve care, experience and efficiency.

· Support companies and innovators with NHS access, market access, commercialisation, regulation and growth.

· Identify, assess and triage promising innovations that can address regional health and care challenges.

· Design and deliver programmes, workshops and events for innovators, industry and NHS stakeholders.

· Prepare reports, briefings and presentations, and contribute to performance tracking and impact reporting.

· Travel across Kent, Surrey and Sussex as required.

Candidate profile: You will be confident operating at the interface between NHS priorities and industry capability, able to work independently and collaboratively, and motivated by the opportunity to improve health outcomes through innovation. You will either bring commercial experience, ideally including support for SMEs, or have worked in the healthcare sector, and have demonstrated skills in delivering results in one of these sectors. You must have sufficient experience to have the credibility to work effectively with NHS leaders, clinicians and service teams. Experience of working with innovators, healthcare partners or health and social care systems would be highly desirable, as would knowledge of investment routes, stakeholder engagement and project delivery.

General responsibilities

• To act as 'one team'.
• To promote the values of Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex.
• To share knowledge and work collegiately to mutual benefit with national and local voluntary sector organisations particularly relevant to the work theme
• Facilitate and support colleagues working on other Health Innovation KSS programmes as required.
• To ensure effective communications within and between teams, be involved in and participate in meetings, team briefings, development days, corporate events etc.
• To engage in regular performance reviews against agreed objectives. To be responsible for actively identifying own development needs and committing to a personal development plan based on continuous learning.

Diversity and Equal Opportunities

It is the desire of Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex to broaden diversity within its workforce.

Health Innovation KSS 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.

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 Friday, 3rd July 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.