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Job requirements
Requirements from the employer’s person specification. These describe the role, not your personal match.
Essential
8 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Values and behaviours
Able to demonstrate behaviours that meet Wessex Health Partners values and behaviours
- Qualifications / training required
Professionally qualified or a relevant degree, plus project management experience or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline
- Qualifications / training required
A Master’s degree level or equivalent postgraduate qualification in relevant discipline or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline
- Qualifications / training required
Knowledge of the specialist work practices and/ or professional guidelines relevant to the Wessex Health Partners
- Qualifications / training required
Knowledge and experience of the NHS and local health and social service functions
- Previous or relevant experience necessary
Programme and Project management experience in an NHS or care service setting or equivalent experience in a relevant setting
- Previous or relevant experience necessary
Experience of integrated working across professional boundaries and involving several organisations
- Previous or relevant experience necessary
Experience of organising/ managing events
Desirable
5 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Qualifications / training required
Project Management training (e.g. PRINCE II)
- Qualifications / training required
Management experience
- Previous or relevant experience necessary
Effective leadership and team building skills
- Previous or relevant experience necessary
Experience of quality improvement projects and/or methodology
- Previous or relevant experience necessary
Experience in evaluating projects
Job overview
Wessex Health Partners, the Academic Health Science Partnership for Wessex, is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us at one of England’s leading regional innovation partnerships as Programme Manager at a pivotal moment for the NHS, life sciences sector and the wider health and care system.
This is a 23‑month fixed-term vacancy (secondment will be considered for existing NHS employees).
Contract Type: Fixed Term
Contract Length: 23 Months
Purpose for Fixed Term: Limited Term Project
Main duties of the job
We are seeking a proactive, strategic and highly capable Programme Manager to lead one or more Wessex Health Partners driver initiatives and support delivery of our ambitious annual and five‑year plan.
You may already be an experienced Programme Manager, or you may be someone ready to take the next step into a more senior, complex and outward‑facing role. If you have strong project or programme management experience, excellent stakeholder skills and a passion for innovation and transformation, we will support you to grow into the full breadth of this role.
As part of our team, you will be responsible for developing and managing project plans, coordinating multi‑disciplinary stakeholders, evaluating impact, preparing reports and promotional materials, and ensuring effective dissemination of project outcomes. You will gather and analyse data, assess feasibility of plans, support funding applications, and contribute to the development of Wessex Health Partners’ research and innovation pathway.
You will have experience of managing delegated budgets. You will demonstrate strong judgement, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work autonomously while contributing to a collaborative, agile and high‑performing team.
This role requires resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to improving health outcomes, accelerating innovation and supporting large‑scale transformation across Wessex.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Opportunity
Wessex Health Partners bring together 15 NHS and University partners and Health Innovation Wessex with stakeholders including local authorities, industry and national funders to accelerate research, innovation and transformation across Wessex and wider society. As Programme Manager, you will lead one or more Wessex Health Partners driver initiatives, establishing programme structures, coordinating stakeholders, securing funding and supporting the spread and adoption of innovation across the region.
In this role, your key responsibilities will include -
You will:
- Lead and manage WHP programmes and projects to deliver the WHP annual and five‑year plan.
- Develop and manage project plans, monitoring progress and ensuring delivery within agreed timeframes.
- Coordinate multi‑agency stakeholders and support co‑design with clinicians, academics, industry and service users.
- Prepare project reports, evaluation outputs and promotional materials for a range of platforms.
- Support funding applications and income generation opportunities.
- Manage delegated budgets and ensure compliance with WHP financial processes.
- Contribute to WHP strategy, policy development and the design of the Wessex research and innovation pathway.
- Build strong relationships across NHS, academia, industry and national bodies, representing WHP regionally and nationally
- Evaluate the impact of initiatives on patient outcomes, workforce, efficiency and system transformation.
- Uphold WHP values, modelling collaborative, agile and high‑quality delivery.
Join Us
This is an exceptional opportunity for a skilled Programme Manager, or someone ready to take the next step into programme leadership, who wants to make a lasting difference to health outcomes, healthcare transformation and economic growth.
If you are passionate about research and innovation, inspired by the future of the NHS and excited by the opportunity to shape the next chapter of Wessex Health Partners, we would love to hear from you.
Together, we can accelerate innovation, improve lives and create a healthier future for Wessex and beyond.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Programme Manager with University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust in Southampton, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Programme manager role. The advertised salary is £57,528 - £64,750 - Per Annum, Pro Rata. The contract type is 23 months (Fixed-term, 23 months (secondment considered)). The application deadline is 13 Sep 2026.
Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (28 Aug 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHSjob search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.
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