Project Manager - Days Matter Performance Improvement

Are you passionate about improving cancer services and delivering real change for patients?

Help us transform cancer pathways and improve outcomes for patients across the East Midlands. Every day matters – and so does your contribution.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and motivated improvement leader to join the cancer centre as the Project Manager -Days Matter Performance Improvement

Funded through the East Midlands Cancer Alliance (EMCA) and hosted by University Hospitals of Leicester, this 12-month fixed-term or secondment opportunity will play a pivotal role in supporting cancer pathway improvement and performance recovery across the Trust.

Working closely with operational, clinical and executive leaders, the successful candidate will lead a programme of improvement activity designed to reduce delays, improve patient experience and support delivery of national Cancer Waiting Time standards.

This is an excellent opportunity for an individual with strong programme management, operational performance and service improvement experience to make a significant impact on cancer care.

Main duties of the job

The Days Matter Programme focuses on identifying and addressing delays within cancer pathways to ensure patients receive timely diagnosis and treatment.

You will:

Lead the delivery of the Trust’s Days Matter Programme.

Identify opportunities to improve cancer pathway performance.

Work with clinical and operational teams to redesign pathways and remove barriers to timely care.

Support achievement of national Cancer Waiting Time standards including Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), 31-Day and 62-Day targets.

You will be expected to work independently, influence senior stakeholders and deliver sustainable improvements that make a tangible difference to patient outcomes., This role offers a unique opportunity to:

Lead high-profile improvement work that directly benefits patients.

Work alongside clinical, operational and executive leaders.

Collaborate with colleagues across the East Midlands through the East Midlands Cancer Alliance.

Develop your leadership, improvement and programme management skills.

Contribute to a nationally important cancer improvement agenda.

The successful candidate will join a supportive team committed to innovation, collaboration and delivering outstanding care for patients. The role will be based at Leicester General Hospital with a requirement to work flexibly across the Trust sites.

This post is offered as a 12-month fixed-term contract or secondment opportunity. Internal applicants interested in applying on a secondment basis should discuss the opportunity with their current line manager before application

Significant experience of operational management, transformation or service improvement within the NHS.

Experience of leading complex improvement programmes and delivering measurable outcomes.

Knowledge of NHS performance management and governance processes.

Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret and present complex data.

Excellent communication, engagement and influencing skills.

Experience of working effectively with senior clinicians and managers.

Educated to degree level or equivalent experience., * Degree-level education or equivalent senior-level experience.

• Programme/project management qualification (eg PRINCE2, MSP, APM) or equivalent experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Leadership or management training.

Desirable

• Improvement qualification (Lean, Six Sigma, QI Practitioner).
• Advanced IT skills in Excel, PowerPoint and Office

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Service improvement knowledge or equivalent experience.
• Experience of leading large-scale service improvement or transformation programmes
• Experience of performance management within acute healthcare settings.
• Experience of cancer services, and pathway performance
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries
• Experience of presenting complex information to senior stakeholders
• Knowledge of NHS performance frameworks and cancer waiting time standards

Desirable

• Experience of regional or system-wide programmes. oKnowledge of cancer
• Knowledge of cancer transformation programmes
• Experience of working with Cancer Alliances or NHS England

Planning and organisation skills

Essential

• Excellent organisation skills with the ability to co-ordinate and have overall responsibility for a range of projects in multiple areas
• Able to work across divisional and organisational boundaries to identify and achieve ideal patient pathways
• Able to develop and implement short, medium and long-term strategies to deliver benefits for patients, staff, and the health community at large
• Knowledge of and ability to apply project management methodologies to plan and implement service improvements
• Able to achieve flexibility in planning changes and ensure mechanisms are in place to accommodate changes within the changing local and national NHS agendas
• Good time management and the ability to work at pace, to tight deadlines and meet targets
• Able to travel locally across sites and work flexibly within reason to meet service needs eg early starts or late evenings to make meetings/complete project tasks

Communication and relationship skills

Essential

• Demonstrable skills and experience of working closely with Clinicians and project team members to secure service improvements across all levels
• Experience of undertaking stakeholder management, project design and engagement requirements
• Experience of developing and maintaining good working relationships across organisational boundaries
• Experience of high quality report writing, developing and delivering presentations and undertaking staff training

Desirable

• Ability to use trust information systems and IT packages

Analytical and Judgement skills

Essential

• Advanced analytical skills
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Ability to manage competing priorities
• Strategic thinking and problem solving
• Facilitation and workshop leadership

Physical Skills

Essential

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft applications and able to learn quickly in the use of other Trust IT systems and software applications

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Essential

• Able to demonstrate a commitment to and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs.

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Knowledge and understanding of the application of Quality Improvement methodologies and Service redesign techniques
• Understanding of Programme and project management principles, * Degree-level education or equivalent senior-level experience.
• Programme/project management qualification (eg PRINCE2, MSP, APM) or equivalent experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Leadership or management training.

Desirable

• Improvement qualification (Lean, Six Sigma, QI Practitioner).
• Advanced IT skills in Excel, PowerPoint and Office

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Service improvement knowledge or equivalent experience.
• Experience of leading large-scale service improvement or transformation programmes
• Experience of performance management within acute healthcare settings.
• Experience of cancer services, and pathway performance
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries
• Experience of presenting complex information to senior stakeholders
• Knowledge of NHS performance frameworks and cancer waiting time standards

Desirable

• Experience of regional or system-wide programmes. oKnowledge of cancer
• Knowledge of cancer transformation programmes
• Experience of working with Cancer Alliances or NHS England

Planning and organisation skills

Essential

• Excellent organisation skills with the ability to co-ordinate and have overall responsibility for a range of projects in multiple areas
• Able to work across divisional and organisational boundaries to identify and achieve ideal patient pathways
• Able to develop and implement short, medium and long-term strategies to deliver benefits for patients, staff, and the health community at large
• Knowledge of and ability to apply project management methodologies to plan and implement service improvements
• Able to achieve flexibility in planning changes and ensure mechanisms are in place to accommodate changes within the changing local and national NHS agendas
• Good time management and the ability to work at pace, to tight deadlines and meet targets
• Able to travel locally across sites and work flexibly within reason to meet service needs eg early starts or late evenings to make meetings/complete project tasks

Communication and relationship skills

Essential

• Demonstrable skills and experience of working closely with Clinicians and project team members to secure service improvements across all levels
• Experience of undertaking stakeholder management, project design and engagement requirements
• Experience of developing and maintaining good working relationships across organisational boundaries
• Experience of high quality report writing, developing and delivering presentations and undertaking staff training

Desirable

• Ability to use trust information systems and IT packages

Analytical and Judgement skills

Essential

• Advanced analytical skills
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Ability to manage competing priorities
• Strategic thinking and problem solving
• Facilitation and workshop leadership

Physical Skills

Essential

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft applications and able to learn quickly in the use of other Trust IT systems and software applications

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Essential

• Able to demonstrate a commitment to and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs.

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Knowledge and understanding of the application of Quality Improvement methodologies and Service redesign techniques
• Understanding of Programme and project management principles

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.

Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023-2030).

We have four primary goals:

• high-quality care for all,
• being a great place to work,
• partnerships for impact, and
• research and education excellence

And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities.

Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:

• we are compassionate,
• we are proud,
• we are inclusive, and
• we are one team

This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve.

About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:

https://www.uhleicester.nhs.uk