Service Improvement Lead

Job description

Job summary

Closing Date: 01.09.26 (this may change dependent on response).

Shortlisting to take place in the week following closing date: commencing02.09.26

Interview expected to take place in the week following shortlisting: commencing 08.09.26

We are looking for an experienced and motivatedService Improvement Lead to join the Corporate Operations Team at Bradford Teaching Hospitals.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering some of the Trust's major improvement and transformation priorities. Working across clinical and corporate services, you will help teams understand complex problems, identify opportunities for improvement and turn ideas and evidence into practical changes that deliver measurable benefits for patients, staff and the organisation.

You will work closely with senior clinical and operational leaders across the Trust, supporting key programmes including Outpatient Optimisation and the Airedale & Bradford Collaboration of Acute Services (ABCAS), alongside other emerging improvement priorities.

If you enjoy solving complex problems, working collaboratively with a wide range of people and seeing improvement work through from idea to implementation, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

The Service Improvement Lead will support a portfolio of complex improvement and transformation work across the Trust.

You will:

• Work with clinical and operational teams to identify, design and implement service improvements.
• Lead defined workstreams within major programmes, including Outpatient Optimisation and ABCAS.
• Use quantitative and qualitative data to understand performance, identify opportunities and support evidence-based decision making.
• Apply improvement and programme management approaches from initial diagnosis and planning through to implementation and benefits realisation.
• Build strong relationships with senior clinicians, managers and other stakeholders, using effective facilitation, communication and influencing skills to support change.
• Identify opportunities to improve quality, safety, patient access and experience, productivity and financial sustainability.
• Ensure programmes are well managed, with clear plans, risks, actions, governance and benefits tracking.
• Support and coach colleagues in the practical application of improvement tools and techniques.

About us

Our People Charter outlines the behaviours we can expect from one another and what you can expect from Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust:

• We value people
• We are one team
• We care

We're keen to meet people who share these values and are passionate about delivering the highest quality of care to our patients.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Reporting to the Head of Innovation, the Service Improvement Lead will work as part of the Corporate Operations Team to deliver a portfolio of improvement and innovation priorities across Bradford Teaching Hospitals.

The postholder will work closely with Clinical Service Unit leadership teams, senior clinicians, operational managers, nursing leaders, corporate teams and external partners. They will lead defined improvement workstreams and provide structured programme management and service improvement expertise to help teams translate strategic priorities into practical and sustainable change.

A key part of the role will be understanding complex services and pathways, using data, evidence, benchmarking and stakeholder insight to diagnose problems and identify opportunities for improvement. The postholder will work with teams to develop solutions, facilitate redesign, support implementation and ensure that the impact and benefits of change are clearly defined and measured.

The role will also involve:

• Planning and managing complex programmes and projects, including development and maintenance of appropriate programme documentation.
• Supporting services to redesign pathways, processes and models of care.
• Undertaking and commissioning detailed analysis of activity, performance, productivity, workforce, quality and financial information.
• Presenting complex findings and recommendations clearly to a range of clinical, managerial and senior leadership audiences.
• Facilitating workshops and improvement sessions and supporting teams to overcome barriers to change.
• Managing programme risks, issues, dependencies and delivery plans, escalating where appropriate.
• Developing and tracking benefits plans to ensure improvements deliver measurable outcomes.
• Identifying and scoping new opportunities for innovation, productivity and service improvement.
• Supporting the development of improvement capability across the organisation through coaching, facilitation and sharing of good practice.
• Working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to support sustainable service change.

The successful candidate will be comfortable working in a complex and changing environment, able to operate with a high degree of autonomy and equally comfortable working with data, managing programmes and building relationships with people across different professional groups and levels of seniority.

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details of the role and the essential and desirable requirements.

Job description
Job responsibilities

Reporting to the Head of Innovation, the Service Improvement Lead will work as part of the Corporate Operations Team to deliver a portfolio of improvement and innovation priorities across Bradford Teaching Hospitals.

The postholder will work closely with Clinical Service Unit leadership teams, senior clinicians, operational managers, nursing leaders, corporate teams and external partners. They will lead defined improvement workstreams and provide structured programme management and service improvement expertise to help teams translate strategic priorities into practical and sustainable change.

A key part of the role will be understanding complex services and pathways, using data, evidence, benchmarking and stakeholder insight to diagnose problems and identify opportunities for improvement. The postholder will work with teams to develop solutions, facilitate redesign, support implementation and ensure that the impact and benefits of change are clearly defined and measured.

The role will also involve:

• Planning and managing complex programmes and projects, including development and maintenance of appropriate programme documentation.
• Supporting services to redesign pathways, processes and models of care.
• Undertaking and commissioning detailed analysis of activity, performance, productivity, workforce, quality and financial information.
• Presenting complex findings and recommendations clearly to a range of clinical, managerial and senior leadership audiences.
• Facilitating workshops and improvement sessions and supporting teams to overcome barriers to change.
• Managing programme risks, issues, dependencies and delivery plans, escalating where appropriate.
• Developing and tracking benefits plans to ensure improvements deliver measurable outcomes.
• Identifying and scoping new opportunities for innovation, productivity and service improvement.
• Supporting the development of improvement capability across the organisation through coaching, facilitation and sharing of good practice.
• Working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to support sustainable service change.

The successful candidate will be comfortable working in a complex and changing environment, able to operate with a high degree of autonomy and equally comfortable working with data, managing programmes and building relationships with people across different professional groups and levels of seniority.

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details of the role and the essential and desirable requirements.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of leading change in an organisation, including the application of improvement methods to deliver tangible benefits to quality and productivity.
• Working with people at all levels, including senior management and the wider system to influence and lead change.
• Experience of running programmes, projects, and services.
• Evidence of measuring impact of your programme/s and project/s.
• Operational management in a complex environment.
• Experience of managing and influencing conflicting and competing priorities.
• Managing multiple projects/programmes at the same time.

Desirable

• Experience of working in healthcare or similar.
• Clinical experience.
• Private sector / commercial experience.
• Experience of producing and developing project documentation and presenting on a tight timeline.
• Experience of using project management methodologies and Service Improvement tools.

Skills

Essential

• Ability to successfully manage complex change programmes through to delivery of benefits.
• Systems and process thinking.
• Interpersonal / build trust: Able to build trusting relationships with staff, colleagues, and stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, listening, negotiating, and influencing skills.
• Able to present information and communicate to both clinical and non-clinical / technical and non-technical users.
• Flexible leadership style.
• Commercial awareness and the skill to identify and develop potential service improvement opportunities.
• Ability to collect, manipulate and analyse complex data to identify trends and opportunities, and communicate these back to stakeholders.
• Able to work on own initiative within a clear framework of accountability.
• Effective people management.
• Confident using key IT packages, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Knowledge

Essential

• Excellent understanding of the principles of service and continuous improvement tools and techniques.
• Evidence of effective staff and patient engagement in service improvement/development.
• Understanding of Information Governance and Confidentiality

Desirable

• Programme Management

Qualifications

Essential

• Master's level or equivalent experience.

Desirable

• Formal training in improvement methods/approaches.
• Formal programme/project management qualification.
• Qualified facilitator in team development tools.

Person Specification
Experience

Essential

• Experience of leading change in an organisation, including the application of improvement methods to deliver tangible benefits to quality and productivity.
• Working with people at all levels, including senior management and the wider system to influence and lead change.
• Experience of running programmes, projects, and services.
• Evidence of measuring impact of your programme/s and project/s.
• Operational management in a complex environment.
• Experience of managing and influencing conflicting and competing priorities.
• Managing multiple projects/programmes at the same time.

Desirable

• Experience of working in healthcare or similar.
• Clinical experience.
• Private sector / commercial experience.
• Experience of producing and developing project documentation and presenting on a tight timeline.
• Experience of using project management methodologies and Service Improvement tools.

Skills

Essential

• Ability to successfully manage complex change programmes through to delivery of benefits.
• Systems and process thinking.
• Interpersonal / build trust: Able to build trusting relationships with staff, colleagues, and stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, listening, negotiating, and influencing skills.
• Able to present information and communicate to both clinical and non-clinical / technical and non-technical users.
• Flexible leadership style.
• Commercial awareness and the skill to identify and develop potential service improvement opportunities.
• Ability to collect, manipulate and analyse complex data to identify trends and opportunities, and communicate these back to stakeholders.
• Able to work on own initiative within a clear framework of accountability.
• Effective people management.
• Confident using key IT packages, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Knowledge

Essential

• Excellent understanding of the principles of service and continuous improvement tools and techniques.
• Evidence of effective staff and patient engagement in service improvement/development.
• Understanding of Information Governance and Confidentiality

Desirable

• Programme Management

Qualifications

Essential

• Master's level or equivalent experience.

Desirable

• Formal training in improvement methods/approaches.
• Formal programme/project management qualification.
• Qualified facilitator in team development tools.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address

Bradford Royal Infirmary

Smith Lane

Bradford

BD9 6DA

United Kingdom

Employer's website