Job overview
About the Role
This is a senior Trust wide leadership role, operating at executive level, with accountability for shaping and leading the organisation’s continuous improvement agenda.
As Director of Improvement, you will provide enterprise level leadership for how continuous improvement is developed and sustained across the Trust. You will act as the Trust’s senior professional expert in continuous improvement, ensuring this agenda is fully integrated into corporate strategy, decision making and delivery.
Working as part of the Trust’s senior leadership community, you will advise, influence and support the Executive Team and Board, ensuring Patient First is positioned as a critical enabler of quality, safety, workforce sustainability and performance. You will also act as a senior system leader, representing UHD with authority at regional and national level and contributing to wider system leadership for improvement and collaboration.
The role provides senior leadership to the Improvement Team and will deputise for the Chief Medical Officer within the portfolio as required.
Relocation expenses will be considered for this role in line with Trust policies and subject to internal review.
Our closing date for applications is 12 midnight on 29th July 2026.
Shortlisting will take place from 30th and 31st July 2026.
We will be contacting applicants from 3rd August 2026.
The interview selection process will take place on 11th and/ or 12th August 2026.
Main duties of the job
Key Responsibilities
- Further shape the Trust's approach to improvement, continuing to build a compelling vision for Patient First that inspires staff at every level.
- Build improvement capacity, capability and culture across the organisation so that every member of staff can contribute to improvement, supported by coaching, training and systematic methodologies.
- Collaborate closely with care groups and clinical directors to ensure improvement is embedded into clinical leadership and service (re)design.
- Work with senior leaders to ensure alignment with national priorities (NHS Long Term Plan, NHS People Plan) and external regulatory requirements (CQC, DHSC, ICS).
- Act as a senior system leader, representing UHD at local, regional and national levels - influencing policy and practice, contributing to academic research and professional networks, and ensuring the voices of patients and communities are central to improvement.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Lead the design, delivery and continuous evolution of Patient First, ensuring alignment with the Trust's strategic objectives, NHS Long Term Plan and ICS priorities.
- Work with the Executive Team to ensure improvement activity supports delivery of strategic themes, breakthrough objectives and statutory duties.
- Provide visible senior leadership, acting as a role model for values-led, inclusive leadership and championing a culture of continuous improvement.
- Lead the Trust's improvement function, ensuring clear objectives, accountability and professional development to maximise team effectiveness and impact within the organisation.
- Promote a culture of innovation, questioning the status quo and encouraging evidence-based practice.
- Develop and maintain a strong external profile, positioning UHD as a national exemplar in continuous improvement.
- Provide expert advice and horizon scanning to the Board and senior leaders on improvement, emerging trends and innovation opportunities (e.g digital, AI, sustainability).
Improvement Delivery
- ensure the Patient First programme is underpinned by clear objectives, metrics, governance and benefits realisation.
- Evaluate the Patient First annual improvement programme plan and outcomes, ensuring systematic learning and embedding best practice across the organisation.
- Work closely with transformation, digital, workforce and organisational development leads, using structured improvement methodology to spread and scale new technologies, redesign clinical pathways and workforce roles in clinical and non-clinical services to deliver sustainable improvements for patients and staff.
- Continue the implementation of UHD's improvement strategy, ensuring measurable and sustainable improvements in patient care, operational efficiency and staff experience.
Person specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Significant experience in working close to or at Board level, influencing strategy, and leading large-scale improvement programmes with measurable impact within merged or complex multi-site organisation(s).
- extensive, successful track record in leading large scale continuous improvement (CI) strategies and interventions, embedding an improvement culture.
- Substantial senior CI experience operating at a very senior level in a complex organisation, including working closely with and influencing executive team members.
- Experience of chairing and reporting to Trust Board and Committees.
- In-depth knowledge of improvement science and application in healthcare.
- Understanding of NHS policy context including long term plan, NHS People Plan and CQC regulation.
- Experience of working across organisational and system boundaries with diverse stakeholders.
- Significant experience of operating effectively in a political environment with cultural sensitivity.
- Experience of coaching, mentoring and developing leadership capability.
Desirable
- Experience of working within an NHS integrated care system (ICS).
- Understanding and professional knowledge in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Education & Qualifications
Essential
- Masters degree or equivalent senior level qualification in a relevant discipline
- Evidence of ongoing personal and professional development
Desirable
- Formal training and certification in recognised improvement methodologies e.g Lean, Model for Improvement, Six Sigma
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Director of Improvement with University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust in Poole, South West, England. It is listed as a Band 9 Manager and corporate role. The advertised salary is £112,782 - £129,783 per annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 29 Jul 2026.
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