Senior Improvement Manager

The National Patient Safety Team is searching for an exceptional individual who can demonstrate extensive experience in patient safety improvement and outcomes, ideally at regional and national level.

As a member of the team leading the development and implementation of the patient safety incident response framework (PSIRF), you will work on the design, oversight and delivery of national programmes associated with this policy.

Based on a strong understanding of quality improvement science, patient safety in healthcare systems, and programme management expertise, the post holder will have a national role in quality and safety improvement associated with PSIRF and will be required to work with a broad range of stakeholders across the system to support appropriate and aligned improvement strategies.

Support the planning and delivery of Safety Improvement Programmes, together with stakeholders.

Work jointly with our delivery partners the Health Innovation Network's, 15 regionally based Patient Safety Collaboratives, and ensure programme/project management are aligned with the programmes plans and provide coaching, advice and guidance on quality improvement methodologies and approaches, including measurement for improvement.

Work with Patient Safety Collaboratives to ensure that all reporting is accurate, appropriate and timely and demonstrate the impact and value of the programme, through the assurance process.

NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.

Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.

In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.

If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR).This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.

Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.

Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.

We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Some of the skills and experience we are looking for include:

• Experience of working in either a patient safety or quality improvement role
• Understanding of patient safety incident response framework and underpinning principle
• Experience of working to develop programme to support the national delivery of PSIRF
• Expertise in patient safety and Quality Improvement science.
• Excellent qualitative and quantitative analytical skills.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to provide complex information to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to build and nurture key relationships and maintain networks internally and externally, on a local, regional and national level.

For further information, please refer to the attached job description.

There will be occasional travel across England.

The role is initially available until March 2027 as a fixed term secondment with the potential for extension subject to renewal of funding.

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Some of the skills and experience we are looking for include:

• Experience of working in either a patient safety or quality improvement role
• Understanding of patient safety incident response framework and underpinning principle
• Experience of working to develop programme to support the national delivery of PSIRF
• Expertise in patient safety and Quality Improvement science.
• Excellent qualitative and quantitative analytical skills.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to provide complex information to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to build and nurture key relationships and maintain networks internally and externally, on a local, regional and national level.

For further information, please refer to the attached job description.

There will be occasional travel across England.

The role is initially available until March 2027 as a fixed term secondment with the potential for extension subject to renewal of funding.

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

• Educated to degree level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in quality improvement
• A recognised certificate in patient safety and/or quality improvement science, including measurement for improvement (such as the IHI PSO course)

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of working in either a patient safety or quality improvement role
• Experience of having led measurable improvement at scale as part of a spread and adoption strategy
• Understanding of patient safety incident response framework and underpinning principles

Skills Capabilities & Attributes

• Ability to analyse qualitative and quantitative data, present in a clear concise manner, and draw appropriate proposals
• Developed communication skills for delivering key messages to a range of stakeholders both internal and external (including outside the NHS) to the organisation, some at very senior level
• Ability to understand a broad range of complex information quickly and making decisions where opinions differ/no obvious solution

Values and Behaviours

• Able to make a connection between their work and the benefit to patients and the public

Equality, diversity and inclusion

• Values diversity and difference operates with integrity and openness

• Educated to degree level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level in quality improvement
• A recognised certificate in patient safety and/or quality improvement science, including measurement for improvement (such as the IHI PSO course)

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of working in either a patient safety or quality improvement role
• Experience of having led measurable improvement at scale as part of a spread and adoption strategy
• Understanding of patient safety incident response framework and underpinning principles

Skills Capabilities & Attributes

• Ability to analyse qualitative and quantitative data, present in a clear concise manner, and draw appropriate proposals
• Developed communication skills for delivering key messages to a range of stakeholders both internal and external (including outside the NHS) to the organisation, some at very senior level
• Ability to understand a broad range of complex information quickly and making decisions where opinions differ/no obvious solution

Values and Behaviours

• Able to make a connection between their work and the benefit to patients and the public

Equality, diversity and inclusion

• Values diversity and difference operates with integrity and openness

Employer name

NHS England

Address

Any NHSE base

Nationally

SE1 8UG

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer name

NHS England

Address

Any NHSE base

Nationally

SE1 8UG

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/working-for/ (Opens in a new tab)