NHS Blood and Transplant

Programme Director

The closing date is 29 June 2025

Job summary

NHSBT has a vision to ensure that every patient gets the donation that they need. Having a resilient donor base is a crucial enabler for that and we are seeking a Programme Director with a track record of leading customer centric supply chain improvement programmes to sustainably increase the size of the donor base. You will join the organisation at a time of great opportunity, taking decisions and implementing major changes that will further improve the life-saving services we provide. You will be responsible for leading the delivery of a number of initiatives to increase the size of the donor base, addressing targeted acquisition, retention and operational aspects. Working with operational leads, you will ensure that the benefits from existing projects are delivered whilst using a programmatic agile approach to modify approaches so that the overall programme objectives are delivered. You will be accountable to the programme senior responsible owner who is a Director and sits on the Executive Team and Board.

Main duties of the job

In this role, you will be responsible for leading a large-scale change programme, to improve the resilience of our Blood Donor Bases. Key responsibilities include:

1. Reviewing and delivering programme outcomes and benefits.

2. Overseeing the design and implementation of change impact plans to minimise disruption, ensure high adoption, and sustain changes.

3. Ensuring timely and on-budget delivery in line with the business case and programme plans.

4. Managing programme governance, addressing risks and issues, maintaining change controls, and identifying broader impacts.

5. Supporting the SRO by guiding programme development and resolving any issues within the Programme

6. Building a high-performing, accountable team focused on delivery.

7. Continuously aligning resource capacity and capability to programme needs, managing competing demands for shared resources.

8. Leading stakeholder relationships to gain buy-in for programme objectives and outcomes, and communicating these effectively.

9. Maintaining relationships with all levels of stakeholders, including the Board. Identifying opportunities for quality and service improvements.

10. Collaborating with external organisations, including suppliers, to create a conducive environment for meeting programme requirements.

11. Managing the programme budget while seeking opportunities for efficiency and value for money.

This role will require travel, irregular working hours, and overnight stays, with prior notice.

About us

It takes all types of people to deliver the kind of service that saves and improves lives. At NHS Blood and Transplant, youll join a team of more than 6,000 people who are making a genuine difference to communities, families, friends, relatives and more across the UK. We play a unique and special role in the NHS by helping people do something extraordinary- donate blood, blood products, organs, tissues, or stem cells to save someone in need. Our three core values are what set us apart. They guide and inspire everything we do. By being caring, expertly meeting the needs of our patients and our people, and accepting nothing less than the best quality, we can do extraordinary work and help our people to do something extraordinary in their career, too. Three small words, one big difference - Caring, Expert and Quality. Together we'll save and improve more lives than ever. You will join us on our journey to create an inclusive workplace and aim to reflect the diverse communities we work with, and we positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

Details

Date posted

16 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8d

Salary

£91,342 to £105,337 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

18 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

006737

Job locations

NHSBT

Charcot Road

Colindale

London

NW9 5BG


NHSBT

Vincent Drive

Edgbaston

Birmingham

B15 2SG


NHSBT

75 Cranmer Terrace

Tooting

London

SW17 0RB


NHSBT

500 North Bristol Park, Northway

Filton, Bristol

BS34 7QH


NHSBT

Plymouth Grove

Manchester

M13 9LL


NHSBT

Unit D, Capitol Way

Dodworth, Barnsley

South Yorkshire

S75 3FG


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please view the attached recruitment profile which is a summary of the detailed Job Description and Person Specification.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please view the attached recruitment profile which is a summary of the detailed Job Description and Person Specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to a masters degree Level or equivalent qualification.
  • Postgraduate study in leadership and management or equivalent experience at a senior level.
  • Recognised qualifications in project and programme management methodology e.g., Agile, PRINCE2, MSP.
  • Post-graduate study in Finance management or equivalent knowledge and experience.
  • Demonstrates commitment to own continued professional development (CPD)

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of operational supply chain management improvement programmes with a customer first mindset
  • Extensive experience of leading, influencing and motivating multiple senior stakeholders to work together to successfully deliver programme outcomes
  • Experience providing escalation and resolution points for programme risks and issue and monitoring risks and issues across large complex programmes and portfolios
  • Extensive experience of creating outline and detailed mandates, business cases and programme / project briefs for Board / Executive level scrutiny and approval
  • Proven knowledge and experience of planning and implementing robust benefits tracking regimes with a track record of attainment
  • Experience in maximising opportunities to realise measurable benefits from investment
  • Knowledge and experience of managing project and programme budgets, contributing to financial budget forecasts, and driving initiatives
  • Significant experience of applying project and programme practices, tools and techniques and using effective quality, risk & issue management, and planning strategies
  • Experience of designing and implementing fit for purpose governance with clear roles and responsibilities for the programme team
  • Experience of planning and managing reviews at appropriate assurance points during all stages of the project life cycle to provide evaluations of progress against time, cost, quality, compliance, and ongoing viability
  • Ensures that lessons learned are captured throughout the lifecycle; identifies and applies previous lessons learned (including those from other projects and programmes) to ensure continuous improvement
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to a masters degree Level or equivalent qualification.
  • Postgraduate study in leadership and management or equivalent experience at a senior level.
  • Recognised qualifications in project and programme management methodology e.g., Agile, PRINCE2, MSP.
  • Post-graduate study in Finance management or equivalent knowledge and experience.
  • Demonstrates commitment to own continued professional development (CPD)

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of operational supply chain management improvement programmes with a customer first mindset
  • Extensive experience of leading, influencing and motivating multiple senior stakeholders to work together to successfully deliver programme outcomes
  • Experience providing escalation and resolution points for programme risks and issue and monitoring risks and issues across large complex programmes and portfolios
  • Extensive experience of creating outline and detailed mandates, business cases and programme / project briefs for Board / Executive level scrutiny and approval
  • Proven knowledge and experience of planning and implementing robust benefits tracking regimes with a track record of attainment
  • Experience in maximising opportunities to realise measurable benefits from investment
  • Knowledge and experience of managing project and programme budgets, contributing to financial budget forecasts, and driving initiatives
  • Significant experience of applying project and programme practices, tools and techniques and using effective quality, risk & issue management, and planning strategies
  • Experience of designing and implementing fit for purpose governance with clear roles and responsibilities for the programme team
  • Experience of planning and managing reviews at appropriate assurance points during all stages of the project life cycle to provide evaluations of progress against time, cost, quality, compliance, and ongoing viability
  • Ensures that lessons learned are captured throughout the lifecycle; identifies and applies previous lessons learned (including those from other projects and programmes) to ensure continuous improvement

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

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

NHS Blood and Transplant

Address

NHSBT

Charcot Road

Colindale

London

NW9 5BG


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Blood and Transplant

Address

NHSBT

Charcot Road

Colindale

London

NW9 5BG


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Executive Assistant Director of Donor Experience

Shirley Lynch on behalf of Mark Chambers

Shirley.Lynch@nhsbt.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

16 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8d

Salary

£91,342 to £105,337 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

18 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

006737

Job locations

NHSBT

Charcot Road

Colindale

London

NW9 5BG


NHSBT

Vincent Drive

Edgbaston

Birmingham

B15 2SG


NHSBT

75 Cranmer Terrace

Tooting

London

SW17 0RB


NHSBT

500 North Bristol Park, Northway

Filton, Bristol

BS34 7QH


NHSBT

Plymouth Grove

Manchester

M13 9LL


NHSBT

Unit D, Capitol Way

Dodworth, Barnsley

South Yorkshire

S75 3FG


Supporting documents

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