Associate Director- Programme Delivery
Associate Director – Programme Delivery
Base: The Beehive, Crawley/Gatwick, West Sussex
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Direct reports: Heads of Portfolio, Programme Managers
Budgetary responsibilities: Up to £500k per project: Up to £1\.5m in total
Income generation ambition: To be agreed as part of annual objective setting and in relation to business need.
Salary Banding: up to £88k per annum
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date \- 3rd August 2026
Job purpose
The Associate Director(s) will have full managerial responsibility for the development and delivery of a portfolio of projects. This includes team and project performance, client satisfaction, the quality of work delivered and financial oversight of projects. This role exists to specifically influence, lead and deliver successfully in a complex, multi\-organisational and multi\-professional networked context.
The postholder will be responsible for leading engagement, planning and delivery of work related to all of the KSS Integrated Care System (ICS) This will include:
- Facilitating the development, agreement and execution of agreed ICS delivery plans, overseeing that local business planning priorities are agreed and executed to the highest possible standard within agreed governance and reporting frameworks, based on strong engagement with communities and key stakeholders across the system.
- Working in partnership with the wider SLT as appropriate to individual roles and responsibilities, ensuring that resources are aligned.
As well as innovation project leadership, development and delivery, the postholder is responsible for complex and broad\-ranging stakeholder management, income generation and will make a significant contribution to internal management through being part of the senior leadership team of Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex (Health Innovation KSS).
In line with the Health Innovation KSS matrix management approach to agile working, the role requires the flexibility to work with more than one executive lead delivering outcomes and through leading flexible project teams.
The range and purpose of projects are wide\-ranging, covering health, social care as well as working with the third sector, industry and other statutory bodies in line with Health Innovation KSS’s business plan and wider strategic ambitions. We aim to make a greater impact for the communities we serve, include addressing health inequity and inequality through our work as well as driving economic growth.
The specific area of responsibility and portfolio of the role holder is outlined at Appendix A. This is subject to change, according to future delivery requirements.
Key responsibilities
Stakeholder leadership
Supports the COO, with ICS relationships on behalf of Health Innovation KSS, as well as national stakeholder relationships, building support for and commitment to the networks portfolio of programmes and projects.
Builds long term networks \& relationships in localities. Significant contribution to developing and delivering the content of locality support plans and our organisation’s business plan.
To succeed the postholder will use their highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in stakeholder engagement, management and leadership, with highly advanced skills in persuading, influencing in a complex, multi\-organisational and multi\-professional networked context which can be highly un\-cooperative and/or contentious.
Income generation
This is a senior post and as part of the senior leadership team, the postholder is expected to make a significant contribution to income generation for the organisation. This includes income generation and growing the ICS localities accounts, so the organisation does more high impact work in localities, year on year in line with it’s refreshed strategy.
The postholder is expected to use their insights into localities and subject matter expertise to identify new opportunities as part of the organisation’s income generation and business growth effort.
The postholder will use their highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in innovation, programme and project management and delivery, achieving sales and growth through business development, stakeholder engagement and leadership, and public relations.
Development and delivery of innovation projects
Full managerial responsibility for the development and delivery of a portfolio of projects. This includes financial responsibility and responsibility for team and project performance, including client satisfaction and the quality of work delivered and the ability to persuade and influence and deliver successfully in a complex, multi\-organisational and multi\-professional networked context.
Responds with confidence to changing customer needs across the systems we operate within.
The postholder will achieve this through highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in programme and project management and delivery, performance management, stakeholder engagement and leadership, financial management, public relations, team leadership and highly advanced skills in persuading, influencing and delivery in a complex, multi\-organisational and multi\-professional networked context.
Team leadership and development
Professional lead and line manager of multiple project teams. Manages high performing teams, ensuring strong, positive culture. Deals with staff problems and performance management. This includes:
- Line management of Heads of Portfolio and Programme Managers, supporting them in delivering project outcomes and in contributing to professional and personal development.
- Team management: getting the best out of multi\-disciplinary, flexible and networked part\-time teams.
- Professional lead: contributing to the transfer of professional knowledge to others in the Health Innovation Network; maximising potential through professional and personal development; contributing to the growth in the organisation’s professional capability.
- Contributing more widely to the Health Innovation Network by supporting the development of the organisation and its culture (such as proposing new ideas and organising key events).
- Using highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in programme and project management and delivery, performance management, financial management, public relations, team leadership and highly advanced skills in persuading, influencing and delivery to achieve the above.
1\. Leadership, ambassadorial function and capability building
- Delegated authority as Health Innovation KSS representative for the work theme across all member and other client organisations across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, promoting the work of the organisation, and using high level persuasion, influencing and negotiating skills to secure commitment, input and resources from members and other clients to support the activities of the work theme and the Health Innovation Network more broadly.
- To identify areas where there may be tensions with member and other client organisations and the organisation, or a lack of engagement, and identify and seek resolution of these tensions on behalf of Health Innovation KSS.
- Represent Health Innovation KSS at regional or national level, as required.
- Work with a collaborative and influencing management style by negotiating with others to achieve the best outcomes.
- As a highly motivated individual, demonstrate a transformational leadership style and adopt a flexible approach to meet the competing demands of the role.
- Take a clear leadership role for a defined function within the organisation; for example, the practical spread and adoption of new innovations beyond networks currently within the post holder's portfolio.
- Demonstrate enablement of others to successfully deliver, where not specifically line managed by the post holder.
- Make a significant contribution to the organisation’s leadership, for example at core team and/or executive team meetings.
- Forge positive working relationships, to support an effective matrix approach to achieve organisational objectives.
- Work effectively across project, programme and organisational boundaries and to foster close working relations with those within the organisation and all Health Innovation members, client organisations and other stakeholders across Kent, Surrey and Sussex and beyond. Lead discussion and dialogue with Integrated Care Systems, Boards and relevant sub\-committees to ensure that the projects and interventions identified for the work theme are prioritised and supported. This will be achieved through using highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in programme and project management and delivery, a robust approach to needs articulation from local communities, financial management, public relations, team leadership and highly advanced skills in persuading, influencing and delivery in a complex, multi\-organisational and multi\-professional networked context.
- To turn possible opportunities for business development into new business/increased revenue and concrete project work.
- Operates independently, using personal capability and leadership skills to set up new projects from scratch and oversee or enable others to undertake delivery requirements to succeed. Plans
This listing is from indeed. View original listing ↗