Programme Director- Cell, Apheresis and Gene Therapies - Operations

Programme Director - Cell, Apheresis and Gene Therapies - Operations

Job Summary

NHSBT has a vision to ensure that every patient gets the donation that they need. Our people are at the heart of delivering that vision and we are looking for a Programme Director to join our Cell, Apheresis and Gene Therapies Directorate (CAGT).

You will join the organisation at a time of great opportunity, taking decisions and implementing major changes that will further improve the life-saving services we provide within CAGT.

Your key focus will be to deliver a transformational program to increase commercialisation of our Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) service offering which includes apheresis provision, cell and gene therapy manufacturing and logistics. This is an ambitious program to set up a new operational unit and expand capacity and capability in our commercialisation activities, driving patient benefit and increased revenue.

Main duties of the job

The Programme Director is responsible for leading a large and diverse team, a set of interdependent projects and strategic transformational change activities. They have responsibility for the successful delivery of the business case, including the establishment of appropriate governance and assurance, implementation strategy, monitoring progress, managing risks and issues, and business readiness for change. It is vital that this responsibility is delivered in collaboration with key stakeholders and by creating a sense of ownership and buy-in from the those involved in the delivery.

This role is a critical leadership role in realising NHSBT’s corporate strategy and service strategies.

The programme director will ensure programmes are delivered within agreed time and cost for the required business outcomes. They will also ensure that the programme quality is at the agreed standards within risk limits and be responsible for the enabling the delivery of business benefits associated with it.

The programme director will engage at a senior level with a wide range of senior internal stakeholders across NHSBT and external stakeholders including suppliers, providers, commissioners, clinicians, external bodies as well as ministers, Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England and Improvement. The programme director will demonstrate credibility with these key senior stakeholders and partners, ensuring stakeholder interests are identified and addressed. They will build consensus across a large and often diverse group of stakeholders and develop strategic relationships with suppliers and enable effective transition to business owners. They will work closely with the SRO to co-manage senior stakeholders.

The programme director will have strong influencing and negotiating skills and be able to work across organisational boundaries to lead and deliver in a dynamic environment.

The programme director will have strong leadership and excellent communication skills, with experience of delivering in multi-agency partnerships and in highly complex environments. The programme director will have the ability to think strategically; problem solve and deliver operational and transformational change.

About You

Experience of planning and managing reviews at appropriate assurance points during all stages of the project life cycle to provide evaluations of progress against time, cost, quality, compliance and ongoing viability.

Experience of identifying and acting on positive and negative trends from assurance reviews.

Ensures that lessons learned are captured throughout the lifecycle; identifies and applies previous lessons learned (including those from other projects and programmes) to ensure continuous improvement.

Qualifications And Training

• Educated to a master’s degree Level or equivalent qualification.
• Postgraduate study in leadership and management or equivalent experience at a senior level.
• Recognised qualifications in project and programme management methodology e.g., Agile, PRINCE2, MSP.
• Post-graduate study in Finance management or equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Demonstrates commitment to own continued professional development (CPD)
  
  
  

About Us

It takes all types of people to deliver the kind of service that saves and improves lives. At NHS Blood and Transplant, you’ll join a team of more than 6,000 people who are making a genuine difference to communities, families, friends, relatives and more across the UK. We play a unique and special role in the NHS by helping people do something extraordinary- donate blood, blood products, organs, tissues, or stem cells to save someone in need.

Our three core values are what set us apart. They guide and inspire everything we do.

By being caring, expertly meeting the needs of our patients and our people, and accepting nothing less than the best quality, we can do extraordinary work – and help our people to do something extraordinary in their career, too. Three small words, one big difference - Caring, Expert and Quality. Together we'll save and improve more lives than ever.

You will join us on our journey to create an inclusive workplace and aim to reflect the diverse communities we work with, and we positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

What We Offer

• Hybrid working arrangements – because NHSBT works nationally, we’re able to offer hybrid working options that give you more flexibility to balance work with life.
• Flexible working options – we promote flexible working where the role allows. We’re happy to discuss what flexibility might look like for you.
• Generous annual leave - 27 days annual leave (pro rata for part-time) plus Bank Holidays, increasing to 29 days after 5 years’ service and to 33 days after 10 years.
• Inclusive pension scheme - the NHS Pension Scheme is a defined benefit scheme (not dependent on investment returns). Further details and outline of benefits can be found at: http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/information-about-nhs-pensions‎
• Supportive learning culture - we’ve fostered a culture of continuous learning where colleagues are well-led, engaged, and encouraged to grow. We support you in reaching your full potential, both in your current role and future career. Our Thrive program embodies our commitment to learning and development, offering a wide range of activities to support your personal and professional growth. It’s open to everyone at NHSBT, ensuring you have the resources to succeed and shine in your role.
• Health and wellbeing support – we offer confidential services including occupational health, employee assistance programme, and wellbeing resources. Our support is available to all colleagues and we endeavour to provide tailored workplace adjustments where possible.
  
  
  

As a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applications from disabled candidates. We will talk with you to explore any adjustments that may help you during the recruitment process.

You can find more information about accessibility, our culture, and how we support applicants on the NHSBT Careers website:

• Read about our application process
• Learn more about our culture at NHSBT
  
  
  

To learn more, please see the job description and person specification. These can be accessed via the link below, or by clicking ‘Apply’ if you are viewing this advert on another site.

Next steps

This vacancy will close at 23:59 on Monday 4th May.

The assessment process for this role will be multistage, involving an initial stage video presentation, which if you are successful, you will be invited to a final stage panel interview. Dates for each stage is to be confirmed, and we will let you know confirmed dates at our earliest opportunity.

For informal enquiries please contact –

Name: Ella Smith

Job Title: Recruiter

Contact Details: Ella.Smith@nhsbt.nhs.uk