About this role
Job summary
Programme Manager - NHS People Portal
Joint role across Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust andSouth West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation TrustContract: Fixed term for 12 months initially; secondment applications welcomed, subject to agreement.
Location: Working across both Trusts, with attendance at Trust sites asrequired. Contractual base: BDCFT, New Mill, Saltaire and SWYPFT, Fieldhead, Wakefield
Help shape the future of NHS people services
Are you an experienced programme manager who can turn complex change into practical delivery? Do you enjoy bringing people, processes and technology together to improve the experience of staff and managers? We are seeking a Programme Manager to lead the delivery of our NHS People Portal implementation across two partner Trusts.
This is an opportunity to contribute to the early implementation of the NHS People Portal, the replacement for the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). Working across Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust and South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, you will bring structure, pace and a collaborative approach to a significant workforce transformation programme. This is more than a technology implementation: it is an opportunity to improve ways of working and help colleagues adopt change successfully.
Main duties of the job
You will provide programme leadership from planning through to implementation and evaluation, working closely with People teams, Digital Services, programme sponsors, national programme colleagues and external suppliers. Combining strategic oversight with a hands-on delivery approach, you will coordinate interdependent workstreams, resolve barriers and ensure that progress is supported by clear governance and assurance.
- Lead and maintain an integrated programme plan, with clear milestones, responsibilities and dependencies across both Trusts.
- Apply robust programme management methods to manage scope, timescales, risks, issues and interdependencies.
- Build effective relationships across organisational boundaries, aligning local delivery with national programme requirements.
- Coordinate multidisciplinary colleagues and suppliers, supporting shared priorities and timely delivery.
- Establish effective governance and produce clear progress reports, assurance documentation and escalations for senior decision-makers.
- Support staff engagement, communication and adoption of new processes and digital ways of working.
- Evaluate delivery and benefits, embedding learning and continuous improvement throughout the programme.
Closing date: 3 November 2026Interview date: 19 November 2026
About us
Everything we do is underpinned by our core values: -
We Care- We act with respect and empathy, and always value difference
We Listen- We understand people's views and respond to their individual needs
We Deliver- We develop and provide excellent services and support our partners
We will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements to enable staff to balance their work and home lives and support staff by offering a fantastic range of benefits including :
Increase mileage rates for > 4500
A wide range of health and wellbeing support packages
A range of internal and external development and learning opportunities
Plus many more.
We are also proud to pledge our support to the Armed Forces and hold a Bronze Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
BDCFT is dedicated to environmental and social sustainability by delivering on the commitments within our Green Plan. All staff are actively encouraged and supported to participate in training and to identify and implement sustainable quality improvement across all service areas and activities.
Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received. It is in the candidate's best interest to apply as soon as possible
Job description
Job responsibilities
Working with us
This joint post offers the opportunity to work across two NHS organisations, contribute to an early implementer programme and help shape how digital change is translated into better workforce services. You will work alongside People and Digital colleagues and national programme partners, bringing teams together around a shared commitment to improving staff experience and operational efficiency.
About you
You will bring a strong programme management approach, an understanding of digital and workforce transformation, and the ability to build credible relationships with colleagues at all levels. You will be comfortable navigating complexity, balancing competing priorities and translating strategic objectives into achievable delivery plans.
The person specification includes masters-level education or equivalent experience in a relevant field, together with a programme or project management qualification such as PRINCE2, MSP, Agile or equivalent. You will combine clear communication and analytical skills with a collaborative, improvement-focused approach.
If you are ready to bring people together and turn an ambitious transformation programme into meaningful change, we would like to hear from you. Please use your supporting statement to demonstrate how you meet the criteria in the person specification, drawing on examples of programme delivery, partnership working and change implementation.
Please read the attached Job description and person specification for more details about this role.
Right to Work in the UK
Applicants should be aware that for any individual who requires a visa to work in the UK, the Trust provides sponsorship for registered healthcare practitioner roles only. This is an essential requirement of the role, and the Trust is unable to offer you a role if you are unable to meet Trust requirements for sponsorship and Home Office requirements for a visa.
Prior to your appointment you will be asked to provide confirmation of your right to work and reside in the UK. During your continued employment with the Trust, you have a personal responsibility to notify your manager as soon as possible should there be any changes to your right to work status.
Regrettably, if the role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Trusts eligibility criteria, the Trust are unable to extend your employment beyond the expiration of your current visa. The Trust is not responsible or liable for ensuring that your employment continues after this period.
As a condition of continuous employment, it essential you maintain the legal right to work in the United Kingdom throughout the duration of your employment with Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCFT). Any change in your right-to-work status, including but not limited to visa expiration, revocation, or denial of renewal, may impact your eligibility for employment with the Trust. It is your responsibility to promptly inform your Line Manager of any changes in your right-to-work status immediately and to provide necessary documentation for verification purposes. Failure to obtain or renew your visa in a timely manner is a breach of employment conditions and will result in termination of your employment. We appreciate your attention to this matter and your commitment to fulfilling this requirement promptly.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Master's level (or equivalent experience) in a relevant field such as digital health, Workforce Systems, information technology, business management, or healthcare management.
- Programme or project management qualification (e.g., PRINCE2, MSP, Agile, or equivalent).
Desirable
- Further education or certification in healthcare informatics, digital transformation, or healthcare management
Training
Essential
- Leadership and management training (e.g., NHS Leadership Academy, Project Leadership, or related courses), training in digital employee staff records systems.
Desirable
- Trained in application and of ESR (Electronic Staff Record) Information Governance and Data Protection training to ensure compliance with NHS policies and statutory requirements
Experience
Essential
- Proven experience in delivering complex digital programmes within health or social care settings, ensuring outcomes align with strategic objectives and deliver measurable value for money.
- Successful track record of system implementation, including deployment of digital solutions across healthcare and workforce environments and leading cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration, adoption, and sustainability.
- Skilled in overcoming barriers to change, with the ability to work collaboratively with clinical, operational, and technical teams to address resistance and embed digital transformation.
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with experience working across organisational boundaries and maintaining alignment with strategic goals through clear, consistent communication.
Skills
Essential
- Proven ability to lead large-scale, complex digital transformation programmes within healthcare, applying recognised methodologies (e.g. Agile, PRINCE2, MSP) to deliver outcomes that meet time, quality, and financial targets in line with NHS governance requirements.
- Highly developed stakeholder management skills, with experience engaging and influencing a broad range of internal and external stakeholders-- including senior leadership, clinicians, operational teams, suppliers, and system partners--to align priorities and ensure programme success.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical or programme information into accessible formats tailored to different audiences, including executive boards, clinical users, and external bodies.
- Experienced in leading and embedding organisational change within a healthcare context, supporting cultural shift, digital capability-building, and realisation of measurable benefits through sustained adoption of new technologies.
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of NHS Workforce and People policies and frameworks, digital policies, frameworks, and strategies
- Extensive knowledge of formal programme and project management methodologies, such as PRINCE2, Agile, and MSP, and their application to complex digital portfolios.
- In-depth knowledge of Employee Service Record (ESRR) or similar systems used in health and their service delivery and interoperability.
- Knowledge of system pathways, service redesign, clinical safety and patient-centred care principles, with the ability to align digital solutions with these objectives.
- Knowledge of emerging technologies in health and care, including artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and robotics, and their potential application in improving service delivery and outcomes.
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 District Care NHS Foundation Trust
Address
BDCFT and SWYPFT Headquarters in Saltaire and Wakefield
Bradford & Wakefield
BD18 3LD
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.bdct.nhs.uk/current-vacancies/ (Opens in a new tab)