St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Continuous Improvement, Senior Programme Manager

The closing date is 18 January 2026

Job summary

The post holder will support and help build GESH a shared purpose and vision for improvement. The post holder will support the development, implementation and application of a group-wide improvement culture and quality management system. This will support the group to deliver its key strategic priorities, enhancing the capability and capacity of our staff, investing in our people to continually improve clinical care, financial and operational efficiency, and effectiveness across each core business. Building improvement capability for the long-term whist delivering essential a purposeful improvement to support current challenges.

Main duties of the job

Ensure all improvement work is focused on the shared purpose and vision and question any work which does not align to these. Focusing on the current GESH and NHS priorities

Support the creation of a powerful, purpose-driven context and narrative for improvement work so that people are more likely to engage, based on commitment to the purpose rather than compliance with a process.

Understand the world in which frontline staff are working, their challenges, their successes, and the improvement they'd like to see to guide this vision and shared purpose, and support new innovative methods of co-design and collaboration or engagement events.

Design, develop & implement a group-wide system of working which enables and sustains a culture of continuous improvement Support teams(TM) capabilities to improve safety, reduce unwarranted variation and adopt operational best practices by using improvement skills. Ensure all improvement work is focused on the shared purpose and vision and question any work which does not align to these. Focusing on the current GESH and NHS priorities

About us

St George's, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey.Our sites include St George's Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC).

After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.

Details

Date posted

05 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£85,431 to £97,148 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

200-NN-7462882-A&C-Z

Job locations

St Georges Hospital

Blackshaw road. Tooting London

London

SW17 0QT


Job description

Job responsibilities

Promote a culture of safety, high-reliability, patient and staff engagement and performance excellence though the adoption and use of improvement skills

Develop, evaluate and maintain metrics to demonstrate delivery

Support business transformation & improvement within the group and the wider southwest London networks.

Lead through a principle of co-production in the development of solutions and improvement

Work with other senior leaders and functions to ensure a coherent and aligned approach covering culture, continuous improvement & leadership development activities helping to develop improvement leadership behaviours

Support identification of improvement priorities aligned to group strategy, quality & performance priorities

Design ways to celebrate and share good practice

Develop leadership behaviours for improvement

Provide subject matter expertise and lead the implementation of the GESH approach to embedding the leadership practices and behaviours that enable a continuous improvement culture and high performing teams

Work with senior leaders to embed a coaching leadership style, people-orientated approach to change and a continuous improvement approach in their day-to-day work

Identify the behaviours, skills and competencies required by leaders to implement and sustain a consistent approach to leadership that enables continuous improvement. Support leaders embed new ways of working and adopt new habits

Develop excellent relationships with staff at all levels, including the Executive team and corporate colleagues, care group clinical and management teams and service leads.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Promote a culture of safety, high-reliability, patient and staff engagement and performance excellence though the adoption and use of improvement skills

Develop, evaluate and maintain metrics to demonstrate delivery

Support business transformation & improvement within the group and the wider southwest London networks.

Lead through a principle of co-production in the development of solutions and improvement

Work with other senior leaders and functions to ensure a coherent and aligned approach covering culture, continuous improvement & leadership development activities helping to develop improvement leadership behaviours

Support identification of improvement priorities aligned to group strategy, quality & performance priorities

Design ways to celebrate and share good practice

Develop leadership behaviours for improvement

Provide subject matter expertise and lead the implementation of the GESH approach to embedding the leadership practices and behaviours that enable a continuous improvement culture and high performing teams

Work with senior leaders to embed a coaching leadership style, people-orientated approach to change and a continuous improvement approach in their day-to-day work

Identify the behaviours, skills and competencies required by leaders to implement and sustain a consistent approach to leadership that enables continuous improvement. Support leaders embed new ways of working and adopt new habits

Develop excellent relationships with staff at all levels, including the Executive team and corporate colleagues, care group clinical and management teams and service leads.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Formal training in Improvement or change management

Desirable

  • Formal qualification in Lean or other relevant improvement methodology

Knowledge

Essential

  • Significant experience, and a successful track record, leading and working at a senior level in an improvement function
  • Experience coaching teams to improve performance and deliver objectives using a human-orientated approach
  • Designing and facilitating workshops or team interventions towards an agreed outcome

Skills

Essential

  • Able to influence and engage people in different settings
  • Proven conceptual and analytical skills
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Formal training in Improvement or change management

Desirable

  • Formal qualification in Lean or other relevant improvement methodology

Knowledge

Essential

  • Significant experience, and a successful track record, leading and working at a senior level in an improvement function
  • Experience coaching teams to improve performance and deliver objectives using a human-orientated approach
  • Designing and facilitating workshops or team interventions towards an agreed outcome

Skills

Essential

  • Able to influence and engage people in different settings
  • Proven conceptual and analytical skills

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.

Employer details

Employer name

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St Georges Hospital

Blackshaw road. Tooting London

London

SW17 0QT


Employer's website

https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St Georges Hospital

Blackshaw road. Tooting London

London

SW17 0QT


Employer's website

https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Programme Director Continuous Improvement

Edward Jebson

edward.jebson@stgeorges.nhs.uk

07710296304

Details

Date posted

05 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£85,431 to £97,148 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

200-NN-7462882-A&C-Z

Job locations

St Georges Hospital

Blackshaw road. Tooting London

London

SW17 0QT


Supporting documents

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