Experts at Hands Operational Transformation Lead (Internal MPFT Only)

Job overview

Do you have the passion, drive and expertise to lead transformational change that will improve outcomes for children and young people?

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and motivated Transformation Lead to play a key role in the mobilisation and delivery of Experts at Hand – an innovative new service launching in September 2026 across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Experts at Hand is transforming the way children and young people access support by bringing health and education professionals directly into mainstream education settings. The programme focuses on identifying needs earlier, providing support based on need rather than diagnosis, and enabling children to thrive in their everyday learning environments.

As Transformation Lead, you will work across health, education and local authority services to lead the operational implementation of this ambitious programme. You will coordinate transformation activities, develop new ways of working, build strong partnerships and support the delivery of innovative therapy and SEND models that make a lasting difference for children, families and professionals.

If you are an experienced programme or transformation professional with excellent stakeholder management skills, a passion for service improvement and the ability to deliver change across complex organisations, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

As the Transformation Lead, you will lead the operational delivery of the Experts at Hand programme, supporting the implementation of new pathways, workforce models and innovative ways of working across Children's Services.

Working with operational managers, clinical and professional leads, education providers, local authorities and system partners, you will drive service improvement using quality improvement methodology to deliver sustainable change and better outcomes for children and young people. You will develop implementation plans, support workforce development, contribute to business cases and reports, analyse service performance, manage programme risks and help shape future models of care.

We are looking for someone with experience of leading complex transformation or service improvement programmes within healthcare, education or the public sector. You will have excellent programme and project management skills, strong partnership working and stakeholder engagement experience, and the ability to influence and communicate effectively across organisations. You'll also bring strong analytical and problem-solving skills, experience of using data and quality improvement to drive change, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a complex environment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This vacancy is only open at this stage to internal employees of the following organisations within the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System:

• Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
• North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust
• University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, inclusive of Black Country Procurement Group and North Midlands and Cheshire Pathology Service.
• Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board

The Transformation Lead will provide operational leadership for the implementation of the Experts at Hand programme and wider Children and Families transformation initiatives.

Key responsibilities include leading programme mobilisation and implementation; coordinating transformation plans; developing innovative therapy and SEND support models; monitoring programme performance and benefits realisation; supporting workforce development; producing business cases, reports and evaluations; and ensuring robust governance, quality assurance and risk management processes are in place.

The post holder will work collaboratively with operational managers, clinicians, professional leads, education settings, local authorities, commissioners and wider system partners to deliver integrated models of care. They will support the development of policies, standard operating procedures and new service pathways, ensuring services remain safe, effective, evidence-based and responsive to the needs of children, young people and families.

The role requires an experienced change leader who can influence across organisational boundaries, manage complex stakeholder relationships, analyse performance information and deliver sustainable improvements that support the successful implementation of the Experts at Hand model.