Pennine Care NHS FT

Programme Manager

The closing date is 02 January 2026

Job summary

Applications are invited for a full-time experienced Programme Manager with an understanding of improvement methodology within a healthcare setting to join our transformation team. The Programme Manager will provide a lead role within the Trust Crisis Transformation Programme and commercial activities at a locality level, Trust-level and within Greater Manchester.

As this role involves significant time supporting staff within our services, it is particularly suited for individuals with strong interpersonal skills. ideal for someone with substantial prior experience in managing complex projects that bring about changes across NHS services and teams, especially in mental health services.

Main duties of the job

The role will require working at a senior level through a complex range of transformation and service development activity within the transformation and change programme to identify and project plan delivery of service development and improvement schemes.

The role will require engagement with services, commissioners, partners and wider stakeholders. This role will provide specific input in terms of programme management and managing stakeholder relationships for a range of transformational work streams, at a locality level, Trust level and within Greater Manchester.

The individual should be able to provide and receive highly complex information and develop clear and concise reports, communicate, lead and influence at all levels, have strong planning and coordination skills, and be able to grasp critical issues and inform clear management priorities.

The individual should be able to proficiently navigate challenging discussions and support teams in mitigating risks and issues.

The full job description provides an overview of the key responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachments.

About us

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We're really proud of our#PennineCarePeopleand do everything we can to make sure we're a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

Details

Date posted

08 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum

Contract

Secondment

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

311-H859-25

Job locations

Trust HQ

225 Old Street

Ashton under Lyne

OL67SR


Job description

Job responsibilities

See attached Job Description and Personal Specification for a complete breakdown of the roles responsibilities.

Job description

Job responsibilities

See attached Job Description and Personal Specification for a complete breakdown of the roles responsibilities.

Person Specification

Work related circumstances

Essential

  • Able to work flexibly based on the requirements of the job.
  • Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the GM footprint in line with programme needs
  • Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
  • Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of leading and managing complex projects within scope and budget and to time
  • Experience of using project documentation and developing project plans
  • Experience of producing detailed reports and documents
  • Proven experience in managing challenging situations including in a group setting
  • Working in effective partnership with service users, carers, senior leaders, clinicians and other stakeholders
  • Involvement in service redesign and quality improvement projects
  • Experience of developing benefits and measures with proven delivery of benefits following project closure
  • Experience of writing or supporting the development of business cases
  • Knowledge of project and change management methodologies
  • Knowledge of change leadership skills
  • Knowledge of the wider system
  • Knowledge of improvement methodologies, tools and techniques

Desirable

  • Experience within mental health, learning disability or autism services
  • Experience of involvement in NHS financial processes e.g. contracting, procurement, efficiency planning

Knowledge

Essential

  • Knowledge of project and change management methodologies
  • Knowledge of change leadership skills
  • Knowledge of the wider system
  • Knowledge of improvement methodologies, tools and techniques

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Highly effective communication and negotiation skills with a range of stakeholders where opposition and conflict are commonplace
  • Able to lead a programme independently, solving problems and making decisions as appropriate
  • Able to persuade others of own point of view and defend own position with logical and unemotional arguments
  • Ability to establish strong working relationships
  • Critical appraisal skills and highlevel analytic skills with ability to review and develop a range of options for action
  • Able to prepare and present briefing papers and reports to tight deadlines to senior leaders/executives
  • Able to manage and handle sensitive information and difficult messages in an effective and empathic way
  • Able to effectively make use of ICT equipment for the purposes listed above
  • High-level facilitation skills and ability to work with a large group of mixed stakeholders both internal and external to the organisation
  • Flexible and adaptable; able to work in ambiguous situations
  • Resilient and tenacious with a propensity to persevere
  • Able to produce effective presentations, present confidently and in a suitable format depending on the audience including to executives/the board
  • Well-developed IT skills (e.g. Microsoft office package, email systems, Teams, visio)
  • Ability to balance competing demands and work to tight timescales understanding the interdependencies between programmes and impact on strategic delivery

Education / Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree or equivalent
  • Masters level qualification, or working towards, or experience equivalent to Masters level
  • Specialist knowledge or qualification in project management and/or change management methodologies to post graduate level
  • Evidence of continued professional development e.g. leadership/management development

Desirable

  • Improvement qualification or equivalent experience in applying improvement methodologies and tools/techniques
  • Benefits Management qualification (eg APMG managing benefits) or equivalent
Person Specification

Work related circumstances

Essential

  • Able to work flexibly based on the requirements of the job.
  • Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the GM footprint in line with programme needs
  • Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
  • Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of leading and managing complex projects within scope and budget and to time
  • Experience of using project documentation and developing project plans
  • Experience of producing detailed reports and documents
  • Proven experience in managing challenging situations including in a group setting
  • Working in effective partnership with service users, carers, senior leaders, clinicians and other stakeholders
  • Involvement in service redesign and quality improvement projects
  • Experience of developing benefits and measures with proven delivery of benefits following project closure
  • Experience of writing or supporting the development of business cases
  • Knowledge of project and change management methodologies
  • Knowledge of change leadership skills
  • Knowledge of the wider system
  • Knowledge of improvement methodologies, tools and techniques

Desirable

  • Experience within mental health, learning disability or autism services
  • Experience of involvement in NHS financial processes e.g. contracting, procurement, efficiency planning

Knowledge

Essential

  • Knowledge of project and change management methodologies
  • Knowledge of change leadership skills
  • Knowledge of the wider system
  • Knowledge of improvement methodologies, tools and techniques

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Highly effective communication and negotiation skills with a range of stakeholders where opposition and conflict are commonplace
  • Able to lead a programme independently, solving problems and making decisions as appropriate
  • Able to persuade others of own point of view and defend own position with logical and unemotional arguments
  • Ability to establish strong working relationships
  • Critical appraisal skills and highlevel analytic skills with ability to review and develop a range of options for action
  • Able to prepare and present briefing papers and reports to tight deadlines to senior leaders/executives
  • Able to manage and handle sensitive information and difficult messages in an effective and empathic way
  • Able to effectively make use of ICT equipment for the purposes listed above
  • High-level facilitation skills and ability to work with a large group of mixed stakeholders both internal and external to the organisation
  • Flexible and adaptable; able to work in ambiguous situations
  • Resilient and tenacious with a propensity to persevere
  • Able to produce effective presentations, present confidently and in a suitable format depending on the audience including to executives/the board
  • Well-developed IT skills (e.g. Microsoft office package, email systems, Teams, visio)
  • Ability to balance competing demands and work to tight timescales understanding the interdependencies between programmes and impact on strategic delivery

Education / Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree or equivalent
  • Masters level qualification, or working towards, or experience equivalent to Masters level
  • Specialist knowledge or qualification in project management and/or change management methodologies to post graduate level
  • Evidence of continued professional development e.g. leadership/management development

Desirable

  • Improvement qualification or equivalent experience in applying improvement methodologies and tools/techniques
  • Benefits Management qualification (eg APMG managing benefits) or equivalent

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).

Additional information

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Pennine Care NHS FT

Address

Trust HQ

225 Old Street

Ashton under Lyne

OL67SR


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Pennine Care NHS FT

Address

Trust HQ

225 Old Street

Ashton under Lyne

OL67SR


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Senior Programme Manager

Matthew Whitaker

matthew.whitaker1@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

08 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum

Contract

Secondment

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

311-H859-25

Job locations

Trust HQ

225 Old Street

Ashton under Lyne

OL67SR


Supporting documents

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