Job overview
Are you an experienced programme leader with a passion for driving strategic change and delivering measurable impact? We’re looking for a confident and capable Programme Manager to join our Corporate Programme Management Office (PMO) at Royal Blackburn Hospital. This is a senior role with responsibility for overseeing a portfolio of critical projects and programmes that support the Trust’s strategic objectives.
Main duties of the job
As Programme Manager, you’ll provide leadership, assurance, and constructive challenge to ensure projects are well-governed, effectively resourced, and delivering against agreed milestones. You’ll work closely with divisional leaders, project sponsors, and corporate teams to embed best practice in project and programme management, while also directly managing high-priority projects where needed. You’ll play a key role in supporting change management, developing capability across the organisation, and ensuring benefits realisation is at the heart of delivery.
Working for our organisation
At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 8,000 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
As the PMO Programme Manager you will:
* Lead and manage a portfolio of strategic projects and programmes, ensuring effective governance, delivery, and benefits realisation.
* Provide direct project management for key initiatives, including planning, risk management, and stakeholder engagement.
* Oversee the PMO’s assurance processes, including gateway reviews and milestone tracking.
* Support and challenge divisional teams to embed best practice in project and programme management.
* Supervise and guide the PMO team, supporting their development and day-to-day operations.
* Work with corporate services (e.g. Finance, Information, HR) to ensure alignment and identify interdependencies and risks.
* Produce high-quality reports and updates for senior stakeholders, including the Executive Team and Board.
* Promote a culture of continuous improvement and lead training and development in project and change management across the Trust.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
* Educated to Master’s degree level or equivalent demonstrable post professional registration experience.
* Project Management and/or Programme Management qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
* Experience of change management techniques, eg. NHS Improvement methodology or Lean.
* Experience of managing and completing complex projects
* Operational experience of service management, including staff and budgets
* Experience of working in a NHS environment
Knowledge and skills
Essential criteria
* Competency in using word processing, presentation and spreadsheet software
* Effective interpersonal, written and presentational communication skills
* Ability to present complex and challenging issues to senior management and clinicians.
* Ability to present complex and challenging issues to senior management and clinicians.
* Ability to communicate thoughts and ideas verbally and in writing to others in a clear, concise and understood manner
* Facilitation skills
* Ability to manage a delegated project budget effectively
* Ability to manage a project team effectively.
* Able to oversee, influence and direct the activities of staff, whom there may not be formal line management authority, to achieve agreed outcomes
* Ability to prioritise and re-prioritise, whilst ensuring delivery
* Ability to negotiate, persuade and influence
* Able to develop long term plans for the delivery of significant projects, identifying risks and issues, developing mitigation strategies, establishing key milestones within an overall trajectory
* Must be able to work to agreed deadlines
* Ability to critically appraise project and business plans to determine coherence and deliverability.
Personal
Essential criteria
* Proven leadership skills.
* Ability to operate and influence at a strategic level, influencing senior managers and clinicians.
* Self-disciplined/motivated to function independently, but also able to motivate others
* Must be able to work independently, manage own workload and use own initiative without close supervision
Other
Desirable criteria
* Access to transport for work purposes