Director of Improvement
The closing date is 25 January 2026
Job summary
If you are at your best when ambition meets delivery, when culture change is matched by measurable outcomes, then this is a rare opportunity to shape improvement at genuine scale.
Bristol NHS Group is seeking a Director of Improvement to lead Patient First, our strategy for embedding continuous improvement as the way we work: alongside patients, with colleagues, and across our system partners. This is a dual role - strategic leadership and operational delivery - setting direction, culture and ambition for improvement, while ensuring programmes deliver tangible impact in quality, safety, workforce, performance and patient experience.
You will step into a well-established, engaged improvement function, with the mandate to build momentum, strengthen infrastructure, and accelerate outcomes. We are looking for someone who brings creativity, curiosity, and strategic rigour - someone who can challenge convention, champion evidence-informed practice, and bring digital and technology-enabled transformation (including analytics, AI and future systems) into the heart of Patient First.
Main duties of the job
This is a role for a senior leader who can inspire a movement and run a disciplined portfolio - creating the conditions for improvement to spread, stick, and deliver benefits that colleagues and patients can feel.
What you'll be responsible for:
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Lead Patient First across the Group
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Deliver a portfolio with measurable impact
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Build capability so everyone can improve
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Lead culture and engagement that sticks
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System leadership, partnerships and sustainability
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Governance, assurance and corporate contribution
You will work as part of a unified, integrated leadership community, partnering closely with Directors, Hospital leadership teams and clinical leaders to deliver collective impact and shared accountability across all sites.
About us
North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) form the Bristol NHS Group.
As two major NHS providers, we have come together to deliver seamless, high-quality, equitable and sustainable care for every person across Bristol, Weston, South Gloucestershire, and the wider South West.
With 28,000 staff and a combined turnover of over £2.2 billion, this partnership gives us the scale, influence and expertise to transform the way healthcare is delivered locally.
OurJoint Clinical Strategy(JCS) sets out our vision to deliver seamless, high-quality, equitable and sustainable care for everyone who needs it. Developed by clinicians from across both Trusts, it sets out how we will combine our collective strengths to make a bigger difference for ourpatients, ourpeople, thepopulationwe serve, and thepublic purse (the Four Ps).
Details
Date posted
02 January 2026
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 9
Salary
£109,179 to £125,637 a year per annum
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
387-TS1964-HS
Job locations
Across NBT and UHBW as required
Bristol
BS1 3NU
Employer details
Employer name
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)
Address
Across NBT and UHBW as required
Bristol
BS1 3NU
Employer's website
https://www.uhbw.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
