Northern Cancer Alliance Delivery Lead

Job responsibilities

Are you experienced at overseeing and coordinating projects across several partners both within and outside the NHS to achieve agreed outcomes?

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) and the Northern Cancer Alliance (NCA) are looking for 2 fixed term Delivery Leads (until end of March 2025) to join our Team. The Delivery Leads will support the Cancer Alliances business in driving transformation in planning, commissioning, and cancer service provision. The post holders will work with partners in service design and improvement with a particular focus on:

Addressing Treatment Variation via implementation of; speciality audit, Get It Right First Time (GIRFT) findings and/or implementation of Best Practice Timed Pathways. As well as implementing the Faster Diagnostic Framework and improving faster diagnostic cancer performance across primary, secondary and community services, with a particular emphasis on support to our clinically led Pathway Boards

The base for the role is between Newcastle (Water Front 4) and University Hospital of North Durham and covers healthcare settings across the North East and North Cumbria. However the majority of the time the role will be supported for flexible home working.

The post holders will work as part of a dynamic NCA team, working collaboratively with CDDFT and clinical leads for primary and secondary care, in delivering the long-term plan for cancer. Leading on specific priorities and supporting managers and staff across the Cancer Alliance ensuring that projects are planned and managed effectively and will take the lead in assisting in their successful delivery. Specifically, the post holder will:

Demonstrate significant experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment as well as being an effective organizer, influencer, and networker.

Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and frameworks of successful project management

Demonstrate how their work can help and support clinicians, frontline staff, charities, and volunteers to deliver better outcomes for patients.

Be able to demonstrate a good understanding of the key strategic issues for Cancer.

This role is a chance for you to play a key role in NCAs response to national, local, and regional policy, ensuring we diagnose cancers earlier, and improve the outcomes for cancer patients by delivering high-quality patient experience outcomes

Interviews will be held virtually (via Teams) on the 4th July 2023.

For Informal Enquiries Contact: Andrew Copland, NCA Programme Manager, andrewcopland@nhs.net 07702425689 or Denise Inskip, Cancer Services Manager CDDFT 07990136316 denise.inskip@nhs.net

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to post-graduate degree level in relevant area e.g., Management Studies or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area.
• Proven project management knowledge/experience to post graduate diploma level equivalent.
• Evidence of continued professional development.

Desirable

• Further training or significant experience in, financial management or supporting change management processes.

Special Requirements

Essential

• Commitment to and focus on quality, promotes high standards in all they do.
• Able to make a connection between their work and the benefit to patients and the public
• Consistently thinks about how their work can help and support clinicians and frontline staff deliver better outcomes for patients.
• Values diversity and difference, operates with integrity and openness.
• Works well with others, is positive and helpful, listens, involves, respects and learns from the contribution of others.
• Consistently looks to improve what they do, look for successful tried and tested ways of working, and also seeks out innovation
• Actively develops themselves and supports others to do the same
• Ability to input data for significant periods of time using a VDU
• Ability to transport files and laptops using appropriate equipment
• Ability to concentrate on tasks whilst managing frequent interruptions
• Ability to cope with exposure to details regarding patients that may be distressing
• An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust.
• Ability and willingness to travel independently across Trust and NENC sites as required
• Professional appearance and demeanour
• Positive attitude towards change
• Flexible and adaptable

Special Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of the principles and frameworks of successful project management from a support perspective
• Understanding of project delivery and acceptance processes within a fast-paced business environment
• Demonstrated capability for problem solving, decision making, sound judgment, assertiveness
• Clear communicator with excellent written and presentation skills; capable of constructing and delivering ideas and concepts concisely and accurately to a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders, sometimes in large groups.
• Strong relationship building and interpersonal skills
• Ability to analyse complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources
• Demonstrated capability to act upon incomplete information, using experience to make inferences and decision making
• Numerate and able to understand complex financial issues combined with deep analytical skills.
• Knowledge of financial systems e.g., monitoring budget management and procurement
• Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly.

Desirable

• Experience of monitoring budgets and business planning processes.
• Understanding of the public sector.
• Understanding of the impact of health inequalities on cancer
• Demonstrated experience in a healthcare environment.
• Comprehensive knowledge of project principles, techniques and tools, such as Prince 2 Foundation and Microsoft Project.

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrated experience of co-ordinating projects in complex and challenging environments.
• Experience of managing risks and reporting.
• Experience of drafting briefing papers and correspondence at senior management team level
• Experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment
• Experience of working in a health related operational or commissioning/contracting environment.
• Experience of working with staff on many levels
• Proven experience in providing service to internal stakeholders to achieve successful project outcomes.
• Experienced user of MS Project and MS Office toolset (Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
• Experience of staff management
• Experience of budgetary management

Desirable

• Experience in financial management or supporting change management processes
• Experience of monitoring budgets and business planning processes
• Previous experience of working in the NHS
• Possess a sound working knowledge of data collection, validation and reporting

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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 (Opens in a new tab).