Programme Management Office Lead

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start date of employment

For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 29th September 2025.

Interviews are provisionally due to be held on the 6th October and the 8th October 2025.

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to degree level or with demonstrable equivalent experience
• CCAB qualified or demonstrable equivalent experience
• Project Management qualification or equivalent experience e.g. Prince2, Managing Successful Projects or similar
• Evidence of continuous professional development

Desirable

• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Educated to Masters or Post Graduate degree level or equivalent professional qualification
• Improvement methodology qualification, with evidence of training in root cause analysis techniques

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of a programme management function within a public sector environment
• Subject matter expert in project and programme management; analysis of complex project proposals and business case development; understanding of the necessary stages of implementation of innovative projects in a health and social care environment
• Experience of developing and implementing programme governance structures and coordinating multiple complex projects with co-dependencies, where demonstrable benefits were delivered
• Experience in analysing and modelling financial and activity data, data for improvement and the use of statistical process control charts to illustrate performance over time
• Have proven experience of leading on a quality and cost agenda and ensuring service accountability
• Experience of leading and developing a specialist team in a challenging environment involving multiple stakeholders
• Demonstrable evidence and track record of achieving desired clinical and corporate outcomes through robust data analysis and stakeholder management
• Have a demonstrable track record of managing change in a complex organisation
• Have experience of managing improvement and/or assurance projects, particularly with a cost or activity related benefit
• Experience of facilitating and supporting investigations in to risk management issues
• Proven track record of developing policies or procedures and providing high quality reports to senior level stakeholders
• Experience of communicating complex information appropriately to varying levels of the organisation, including to Board and Executive
• Experience of working with clinical and operational colleagues
• Experience of working to tight deadlines

Desirable

• Previous experience of working in an Acute Healthcare environment
• Experience of health and/or social care information systems
• NHS financial background
• Knowledge of the main procurement legislation applicable to NHS and / or social care commissioned services
• Experience of delivering teaching or training to colleagues of varying seniority
• Experience of working with and rolling out cloud-based project management applications

Knowledge

Essential

• Have working knowledge of clinical settings at a senior level in a large hospital organisation
• Understanding of patient pathways and how clinical services are organised
• Have working knowledge of clinical settings at a senior level in a large hospital organisation
• A good understanding of the requirement placed on NHS hospitals to improve quality, safety and costs and of the regulatory and financial environment in which NHS providers operate, including a sound understanding of NHS financial funding mechanisms, and NHS income and expenditure is required
• Working knowledge of health and social care roles, responsibilities, priorities and policy direction
• Thorough understanding of governance and ability to articulate the importance of compliance and risks of non-compliance
• Knowledge of the Trust's strategy and aims

Desirable

• Familiarity with digital health initiatives and data governance
• Knowledge of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System and East of England Region priorities on Productivity
• Knowledge of NHS Performance Assessment Framework

Skills

Essential

• Excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills
• Significant skills in programme planning and can demonstrate a methodical and structured approach to work
• Able to prepare clear, concise and version-controlled reports and documents that are viewed at Executive and divisional levels. Including quality assurance of reports and documents on behalf of the function
• Able to make use of complex numerical data with ease
• Able to provide examples of anticipating and mitigating challenges and risks, and of actions taken to assure delivery
• Able to express subject matter expertise confidently and authoritatively and translate it for others so that it is neither jargon laden nor intimidating
• Verbally confident and able to articulate the rationale for their position
• Numerate, with proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint or equivalents
• Able to demonstrate leadership attributes and competencies, including highly developed negotiating and influencing skills
• Able to coach colleagues at all levels to improve organisational capability around programme management
• Able to identify and resolve resistance and blockages at all levels of the organisation
• Able to analyse complex business processes and procedural issues and to provide create solutions
• Able to demonstrate a high level of self-awareness and a commitment to self-development
• Ability to work flexibly and be adaptable to change. Comfortable with ambiguity and able to see through detail to get to the root cause of a problem
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to work in a matrix structure and directly line manage staff, delegating effectively and holding others to account for delivery in both directly and matrix managed situations
• Able to represent the Trust at regional and local forums

Additional Requirements

Essential

• The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
• A strong commitment to the improvement of patient care and staff experience
• A high level of personal integrity and the confidence to provide critical friend challenge when necessary
• The capacity to be resilient, reliable and calm under pressure
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable to change

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).