Senior Programme Manager – NIHR HealthTech Research Centre

at  Sheffield Childrens NHS Foundation Trust

This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in transforming children’s healthcare through innovation. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is the nation’s largest funder of health and care research and innovation. The NIHR has established 14 HealthTech Research Centres (HRCs) across England to accelerate the development and adoption of new technologies into the NHS. ( HealthTech Research Centres - support for industry | NIHR )
As one of these centres, The NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Paediatrics and Child Health (NIHR HRCPCH) (hosted by Sheffield Children’s) is unique as it is the only one dedicated to advancing technology solutions specifically for children and young people. As Senior Programme Manager, you will drive the strategic and operational delivery of this programme.
Working closely with our Director and national team, you will be responsible for strategic and operational delivery overseeing a consortium of leading children’s hospitals, universities and industry partners working toward accelerating technology development for children and young people. You’ll oversee our comprehensive research and innovation portfolio spanning early life, long-term conditions, healthcare transition, mental health integration and artificial intelligence.

You’ll be joining at an exciting time as we align with the new £22m National Centre for Child Health Technology, creating an unparalleled ecosystem for paediatric innovation.

• Provide expert project and programme management leadership to partners / projects.
• To work with existing programmes and system partners to implement programme objectives.
• Produce clear visual materials, project documentation, and data for use in reports, local briefings, workshops and meetings for both internal and external presentations.
• To line manage members of the NIHR HRC PCH team with responsibility for their wellbeing and ensuring they are developed and supported.
• With support of the NIHR and other stakeholders, to develop and undertake modelling and in-depth analysis to support the large programme.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant NIHR and contractual requirements.
• Ensure benefits realisation, objectives worked toward, and wide stakeholder buy in undertaken.
• Produce high-level reports, briefings and presentations for NIHR, the Department of Health and Social Care, and other key stakeholders.
• Work with project and programme leads to ensure tracking of progress, delivery of objectives and NIHR reporting is undertaken.

At Sheffield Children’s, our purpose is clear: to provide healthier futures for children and young people. Our three strategic aims are:
Outstanding Patient Care
Brilliant Place to work
Leaders in Children’s Health
We work successfully with local, regional, and national partners to provide physical and mental healthcare across acute and community settings. Many of our clinicians are amongst the best in their field, recognised nationally and internationally for their expertise.
As well as having enormous pride in what we do, we are a friendly, welcoming, and motivated NHS Trust who are guided by our CARE values: Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence. Our nearly 4000 colleagues live these values, ensuring kind and compassionate care that makes patients and their families feel safe and at home.
As we approach our 150th anniversary in 2026, we remain committed to enhancing our reputation in children’s health leadership, improving the experiences of both patient and colleagues, and focusing on our communities and population health.
Please refer to the job description and person specification for full details of the role.
Inclusive Recruitment & Selection
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and accurate data capture is an important part of that to ensure we are supportive and representative. Our aim is to ensure that all applicants can see themselves in the available categories on our application form, but we recognise that some of our data capture fields are not inclusive. We have flagged this with our system provider to ask for change.
We offer encouragement and active support to applicants with additional needs, including those from ethnic minorities, with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community. If you wish to adjust any aspect of the recruitment process or wish to find out more about our recruitment & selection processes, please get in touch with our Recruitment Manager: Catherine.Gilbert7@nhs.net
We are continually reviewing our recruitment & selection process to support the long-term aim of Sheffield Children’s being a champion of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. If you have any ideas for improvement, please get in touch with Catherine Gilbert at Catherine.Gilbert7@nhs.net
Trust Values
The Trust is committed to providing great quality patient care and keep children, young people and families at the heart of what we do by following our CARE values:
Compassion – leading by kindness and showing empathy, understanding and respect
Accountability – striving to do the right thing and owning responsibility
Respect – value differences, tackling inequality and fostering a culture of inclusion
Excellence – delivering a high-quality standard of car

Please refer the Job description for details