Job overview
Are you passionate about creating an inclusive, supportive and equitable workplace where all colleagues can thrive? At The Christie, we know that an inclusive culture is essential to delivering outstanding care and we are committed to building an environment where everyone feels valued, respected and able to contribute fully.
We are looking for a collaborative, people‑focused and evidence-based Inclusive Culture Project Lead (EDI & OD) to join Team. You will use your EDI expertise to build trusted relationships, support colleagues to embed inclusive behaviours, complex EDI frameworks and legislation into clear, accessible guidance, and help identify and address the barriers that can get in the way of an inclusive culture.
You'll work closely with managers, teams and subject‑matter experts to co‑design evidence‑based actions that make a meaningful difference to staff experience. You will draw on research, best practice and data insights to shape and implement improvements and guide colleagues through cultural challenges with clarity and compassion.
This role offers an exciting blend of advising and influencing others and hands‑on project management. If you enjoy guiding others, facilitating positive change and helping to shape a culture where every colleague can thrive, we would be delighted to receive your application.
The role is hybrid between our Withington site and home working, with occasional satellite site working at Oldham, Macclesfield and Salford (minimal).
Advert
In this role, you will:
* Work collaboratively with stakeholders to co‑design initiatives that strengthen inclusion and staff experience, ensuring alignment with the Inclusive Culture Strategy.
* Use an organisational development mindset to provide advanced EDI advice, guidance, coaching and constructive challenge to support inclusive behaviours and informed decision‑making.
* Lead and coordinate multiple projects and workstreams, tracking progress, anticipating obstacles and supporting teams to move actions forward.
* Facilitate diagnostic conversations to explore underlying challenges, using evidence, research and best practice to shape and implement meaningful solutions.
* Translate complex frameworks, legislation and national standards into clear, accessible guidance for colleagues to work within.
* Produce high‑quality reports and evaluations that demonstrate progress, inform policy updates and support organisational learning.
* Coordinate statutory and organisational EDI reporting (including WRES, WDES and EDS 2022) and contribute to accreditations and determine pay gap action plans.
* Work closely with staff networks, trade union colleagues and subject‑matter experts to develop resources, training and tools that support culture change.
* Build strong relationships across the Trust and wider system to support joined‑up working on key inclusion and OD priorities.
Working for our organisation
The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.
We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.
We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
You will join a supportive, values‑driven team committed to creating a positive culture where colleagues feel a sense of belonging and are empowered to be themselves. The Engagement & Organisational Development Team works collaboratively, embraces curiosity and continuous learning, and is passionate about enabling meaningful change across the Trust.
You'll work closely with colleagues across multiple teams and senior leaders, with opportunities to shape new approaches and influence cultural development at scale. We value creativity, compassion and evidence‑informed practice, and we welcome new ideas and perspectives.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Lead on projects and programmes of work that advance cultural practice and organisational development within the Trust, working collaboratively with stakeholders to co-design approaches that support a more inclusive staff experience. Ensure these align to the ambitions, themes, legal duties, contractual requirements and national standards set out in our Inclusive Culture Strategy.
2. Promote and support a culture where Trust policies, decision-making and day-to-day activities are inclusive, collaborative and considerate of diverse needs. Provide coaching and guidance to colleagues to help implement change sensitively and sustainably, recognising diverse needs across the workforce.
3. Develop and maintain an effective approach for tracking multiple projects and progress against NHS EDI performance frameworks and plans. Produce clear project and communication plans, regular highlight reports and other project documentation. This includes production of reports for stakeholders and committees, and the presentation of these as required.
4. Prepare accurate and insightful reports that evaluate progress against the Inclusive Culture Strategy and wider organisational priorities, using findings to inform and write workforce policies linked to the area of work, and influence Trust wide policies, so that they fully reflect inclusive and evidence-based practice.
5. Lead projects to achieve staff diversity accreditations (or advance these to the next level), e.g. disability confident scheme, anti-racist framework, veteran aware accreditation. Drive forward action plans linked to pay gaps (gender, disability, ethnicity) and demonstrate progress.
6. Act with initiative to diagnose issues, develop and implement solutions, and support teams to get the work completed.
7. Facilitate diagnostic conversations to explore underlying challenges, using evidence, research and best practice to shape and implement meaningful solutions.
8. Coordinate NHS data reports/returns, ensuring these are accurate and submitted on time, including the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES), Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES), and the Equality Delivery System (EDS 2022 scheme). Work in a planned and agile way with stakeholders to achieve this, including members of the Executive Team.
9. Coordinate and publish an annual report on equality and diversity achievements, and progress against the Inclusive Culture Strategy.
10. Develop and maintain effective and lasting stakeholder relationships internally, regionally and nationally to support project workstreams. Communicate clearly, persuasively, compellingly and compassionately to generate buy-in, build confidence and support teams through advice, coaching and constructive challenge. Anticipate how information might be received and adopt tailored communication approaches for each stakeholder.
11. Make recommendations to stakeholders on how to create inclusive cultures and systems and support continuous improvements regarding equality and human rights.
12. Read, understand and cross-check complex national frameworks, legislation, policies and guidance. Provide accurate, easy-to-understand information on these to senior managers and project stakeholders.
13. Analyse and interpret complex information to support project delivery and compliance. Includes analysing workforce data by protected characteristics, socioeconomic and health inequality categories to inform annual NHS submissions.
14. Where projects reveal further challenges or improvement needs, facilitate diagnostic discussions with stakeholders, drawing on best practice to inform understanding and co-create organisational responses. Act independently to progress and resolve issues where appropriate.
15. Develop policy, guidance, toolkits and resources related to the work of the Inclusive Culture Strategy, working in partnership with trade union colleagues, staff networks and subject matter experts.
16. Develop and deliver training to support the promotion of an inclusive culture, as required.
17. Liaise with the workforce information team and relevant systems/data owners across the Trust to support the production of reports and information, and inform systems improvement linked to policy application, and diversity, equity and inclusion principles.
18. Liaise with education colleagues to ensure joined up working on development workstreams elements linked to diversity improvement, initiatives and new educational programmes.
19. Work pragmatically and flexibly, using evidence to inform interventions. Use technologies alongside conversations to support efficient and transparent stakeholder collaboration and to assure quality.
20. Proactively navigate and overcome organisational barriers related to EDI. Drive sustainable changes that improves processes and ways of working across the Trust for everyone.
21. Advanced user of IT packages, office 365 and collaborative technologies to create reports, documents, spreadsheets and Gantt charts. Use Trust systems effectively and proactively. Drive own learning and access training, ensuring skills and knowledge remain current and are applied effectively, requiring minimal guidance or document editing input day-to-day.
22. Actively engage in personal and professional development to support effectiveness at work. Keep abreast of emerging EDI and culture thinking, and foster conversations about these to aid collective learning and develop Trust practice. Contribute to updates of relevant policies.
23. Act as a role model for The Christie Value and Behaviours Framework and collaborate with colleagues across the Trust to ensure an effective and positive working environment.
24. Any other duties as may be required from time to time and which are commensurate with the grade and scope of the post.
The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.
Application Information - If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.
Sponsorship Information - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.
Pre-Employment Checks - To confirm your suitability for the role, we will carry out pre-employment checks in line with NHS Employment Check Standards. These include:
* Identity verification
* Right to work check
* Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role, payment of this will be the applicants responsibility)
* Professional registration and/or qualification check
* Occupational health assessment
* Employment history and reference validation
All applicants external to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust will be required to provide their HMRC employment history to cover the most recent three years employment. This information will used to validate employment history and references.
If you require sponsorship, we will assess your eligibility based on current government guidance. If the role is not eligible and you cannot demonstrate your right to work, your conditional offer may be withdrawn.
If You're Offered the Role - you will be agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.
Sponsorship Information - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.
No Smoking Policy - You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.
Additional Information - We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.
We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all our activities. We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery in any of its forms, including slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and human trafficking. We are fully committed to acting ethically and with transparency in all our business dealings and relationships, and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure modern slavery is not taking place anywhere in our organisation or supply chains.