Quality Improvement Lead - Strategy & QI
At Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, our vision is Outstanding Care for One+All. We're building a learning organisation where improvement is part of everyday work—so colleagues feel empowered to make changes that matter, and patients experience safer, higher-quality care closer to home.
Opportunity
This is a high-profile leadership role for an experienced improvement practitioner who can inspire, coach and challenge. You'll lead the development and delivery of our Trust-wide Quality Improvement (QI) culture programme, supporting teams across the organisation to build capability, remove barriers and deliver measurable change.
What You'll Do
* Lead a team of Improvement Practitioners to deliver tailored training, coaching and support across clinical and corporate services.
* Co‑create a shared purpose and vision for improvement with Trust Board, senior leaders and front‑line teams—so everyone feels able to improve where they work.
* Develop and deliver the Trust's Improvement Strategy, embedding improvement into how services are managed and delivered now and in the future.
* Build a robust improvement governance and reporting approach, providing clear insight and assurance through high‑quality reporting (including to Trust Board).
* Strengthen collaboration across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (CIOS) and the wider peninsula—developing shared approaches and networks for improvement.
Main Duties of the Job
You will be responsible for shaping and embedding a high‑impact QI culture within the Trust, working closely with senior leaders and frontline staff to translate improvement theory into practice across diverse settings.
Who We're Looking For
You bring deep expertise in improvement science and a track record of leading culture change in large, complex organisations. You'll be comfortable working with senior leaders and engaging large groups of clinical staff—turning ambition into practical, sustainable improvement. You will have:
* A passion for Quality Improvement, with extensive experience designing and delivering QI culture programmes and capability‑building at scale.
* Strong leadership experience and experience of working across organisations to develop an Improvement culture.
* Master's degree (or equivalent experience) and recognised QI methodology qualification (e.g., Model for Improvement, Lean, QSIR, Six Sigma) or significant practical experience.
* Make a visible difference to quality and safety for patients across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
* Lead a Trust‑wide programme with senior sponsorship and real scope to shape culture and capability.
* Join an organisation committed to supporting and valuing our people, ensuring QI is at the core of who we are.
Ready to Lead Improvement at Scale?
If you're excited by the challenge of embedding continuous improvement across a busy acute Trust—and you can bring people with you—we'd love to hear from you. We may offer flexible working; please discuss at interview.
Employment Requirements
To be an employee of the NHS you need to successfully complete the following:
* Identity Checks
* Professional registration and qualification checks
* Employment history and reference checks
* Occupational Health clearance
* Satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check
* Right to work in the UK
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Model for Improvement, Lean, QSIR, Six Sigma or other continuous/quality improvement qualification or significant experience in applying relevant methodologies
* Evidence of CPD
Experience
* Extensive specialist knowledge, expertise and experience in Improvement methodologies and leading QI culture programmes across large, complex organisations
* Significant experience of engaging and influencing senior leaders
* Experience of engaging with large groups of clinical staff
* Evidence of budget management
* Understanding of management and good governance
* Experienced in reporting at Trust Board level with the ability to present complex and detailed data sets to set out key pieces of programme information that effectively communicate performance and assurance information to a range of stakeholders, including Trust Board
* Senior management experience within the NHS
* Experience of QI strategy development and delivery
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
* Significant expertise in improvement science and methodology
* Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office applications and able to demonstrate high level of computer‑literacy
* Working with a high degree of accuracy and expertise, ability to create and use spreadsheets, databases, charts, reports and data analysis in formats that will enable informed strategic level decision‑making
* In‑depth knowledge of managerial procedures including Project management, Budget management, People management, Information management
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Qualities
* Able to work under pressure to tight deadlines
* Confident to communicate with internal and external contacts including at Trust Board level
* Ability to work autonomously and able to make sound decisions in the absence of a Director
* Able to handle confidential and sensitive issues in an appropriate manner
* Maintain a professional appearance and attitude in all circumstances
* High level of integrity
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.
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