Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Associate Director of Transformation
The closing date is 25 November 2026

Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust at a pivotal point in our improvement journey.

We have recently created a new executive post of Chief Performance, Improvement & Transformation Officer, bringing together our focus on performance, improvement and transformation. Working directly to Phil Horner, our newly appointed Chief Performance, Improvement & Transformation Officer, the Associate Director of Transformation will be one of the key senior appointments supporting this new portfolio.

We are looking for an exceptional transformation leader to help us deliver one of the most significant programmes of change across GMMH.

The ambition is significant. We want to transform how mental health care is delivered so that more people receive high-quality, personalised support closer to home, while maintaining timely access to specialist and crisis care when they need it.

Aligned with the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, our transformation programme will support the three fundamental shifts in health care:

• from sickness to prevention
• from hospital to community
• from analogue to digital.

Main duties of the job
As Associate Director of Transformation, you will provide strategic leadership for the development, mobilisation and delivery of our Mental Health Transformation Programme. You will work alongside Phil and our Executive Leadership Team, as well as clinical and operational leaders, service users and carers, our colleagues and partners across Greater Manchester.

This is not simply a programme management role. We are looking for someone who can lead change at scale, bring people with them and turn ambition into measurable outcomes for patients, colleagues and communities.

You will lead a complex portfolio of transformation, establishing clear governance, delivery plans, benefits realisation and assurance. You will bring together service redesign with workforce, digital, estates, finance and improvement, ensuring we take a genuinely whole-system approach to change.

You will ensure that the voices and experiences of service users, carers and our colleagues shape what we do. You will build strong partnerships with the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board, local authorities, NHS partners, the voluntary and community sector and our wider communities.

About us
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.

We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.

Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.

Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.

Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.

Details
Date posted: 10 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8d
Salary: £94,356 to £108,814 a year per annum pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 437-8402469
Job locations: The Curve, Bury New Road, Manchester, M25 3BL, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification

Staff benefits

• Pay Enhancements
• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
• Excellent pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Salary sacrifice car scheme
• Wellbeing programme
• Blue Light Card Discounts
• fuelGenie Fuel Cards (for applicable roles)

Interview date scheduled for: Friday 4th December 2026
For further information regarding this post, please contact Exec Assistant in the first instance who can arrange a call for you, email: iram.farooq@gmmh.nhs.uk

Person Specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential

• Master's degree or equivalent experience in a health setting.
• Knowledge and understanding of a range of issues across the NHS and NHS patient agenda
• Significant evidence of continued professional development.

Desirable

• Project management qualification (e.g. PRINCE2, MSP).

Experience
Essential

• Experience in community mental health services.
• A proven track record of inspiring and delivery enabling leadership through which teams and partners are encouraged, motivated and supported to deliver against programme expectations.
• Demonstrable credibility of interacting at Board level.
• Extensive experience in leading large-scale transformation programmes in healthcare, with multiple stakeholders.
• Significant experience of working with people with lived experience, carers and staff colleagues to deliver change.

Desirable

• Experience working with ICBs and national NHS bodies.
• Experience of navigating media and political stakeholders.

Knowledge
Essential

• Strong understanding of NHS structures, policies, and digital strategies.
• Experience of delivering service transformation at scale.
• Knowledge and understanding of health data and profiles and ability to interrogate and analyse this data.

Desirable

• Knowledge of research, evaluation, quality improvement methodologies and evidence-based practice, with the ability to apply national guidance, benchmarking and best practice to complex service transformation.

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.

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.

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.

Employer details
Employer name: Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Address: The Curve, Bury New Road, Manchester, M25 3BL, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.gmmh.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Exec Asst, Iram Farooq, iram.farooq@gmmh.nhs.uk, 01619384677

Supporting documents
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