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Programme Manager

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Chilworth, SO16 7NP £57,528 – £64,750 a year Fixed-Term Posted 28 August 2026 Apply by 13 September 2026

Home Office register entry: University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton

Visa sponsorship

This role is listed by an employer that holds a live Home Office sponsor licence on the Skilled Worker route.

Closest occupation match: SOC 2440, Business and financial project management professionals. Home Office going rate for this occupation: £56,500 a year.

NHS roles fall under the Health and Care Worker route. Public reference figures for that route: the general salary minimum is £25,000 a year, and salaries set by national pay scales (NHS bands) at or above the relevant band rate typically meet the occupation's requirement. Individual eligibility depends on personal circumstances. These figures are public reference information, not advice or a verdict on this job.

Role description

Job summary

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).

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.

About us

With Wessex Health Partners you will have the opportunity to influence some of the most important challenges facing health and care today while helping shape the future of research and innovation across the NHS.

You will join a highly regarded partnership with a national reputation for collaboration, delivery and impact. Wessex Health Partners is a partnership of 15 organisations, including 10 NHS, 4 Universities and Health Innovation Wessex, with staff employed by University Hospital Southampton.

We offer:

A unique opportunity to work at the forefront of healthcare research, innovation, and transformation.

Flexible and hybrid working arrangements - typically a minimum of two days in the office or out visiting partners/stakeholders, with home working aligned to role and business needs.

Commitment to professional development, leadership growth and continuous learning, including supporting talented individuals stepping up into their first major programme leadership role.

A collaborative, ambitious and supportive culture.

An organisation committed to inclusion, diversity and wellbeing, where everyone feels valued, respected and able to thrive.

Modern office facilities at Southampton Science Park in Chilworth, one of the UK's leading centres for science, technology and innovation.

Details

Date posted

28 August 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£57,528 to £64,750 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

23 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

188-HS020826

Job locations

Southampton Science Park

Venture Road

Chilworth

SO16 7NP

United Kingdom


Job description

Job 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 fiveyear plan.

  • Develop and manage project plans, monitoring progress and ensuring delivery within agreed timeframes.

  • Coordinate multiagency stakeholders and support codesign 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 regionallyand nationally

  • Evaluate the impact of initiatives on patient outcomes, workforce, efficiency and system transformation.

  • Uphold WHP values, modelling collaborative, agile and highquality 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.

Person Specification

Qualifications / training required

Essential

  • Professionally qualified or a relevant degree, plus project management experience or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline
  • A Master's degree level or equivalent postgraduate qualification in relevant discipline or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline
  • Knowledge of the specialist work practices and/ or professional guidelines relevant to the Wessex Health Partners
  • Knowledge and experience of the NHS and local health and social service functions

Desirable

  • Project Management training (e.g. PRINCE II)
  • Management experience

Previous or relevant experience necessary

Essential

  • Programme and Project management experience in an NHS or care service setting or equivalent experience in a relevant setting
  • Experience of integrated working across professional boundaries and involving several organisations
  • Experience of organising/ managing events

Desirable

  • Effective leadership and team building skills
  • Experience of quality improvement projects and/or methodology
  • Experience in evaluating projects

Values and behaviours

Essential

  • Able to demonstrate behaviours that meet Wessex Health Partners values and behaviours

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Address

Southampton Science Park

Venture Road

Chilworth

SO16 7NP

United Kingdom


Employer's website

https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx

Apply now

Last verified against our ingestion on 31 August 2026; sponsor register dataset 2026-08-25.