NOTE: Interview window 30th June-10th July.
Programme Director for Mental Health, LD and Neurodiversity Transformation
Provide senior strategic leadership across the ICB to deliver largescale, system wide improvements in mental health, autism, ADHD, learning disability, and neurodiversity pathways. The post holder is accountable for shaping and driving a cohesive transformation portfolio that aligns with national policy, local population needs, and the ICB’s long term strategy.
Working collaboratively with NHS providers, local authorities, VCSE partners and clinical leaders, the Programme Director ensures programmes are co-produced, evidence based, and deliver measurable improvements in outcomes, equity, access, and experience.
Portfolio responsibilities may vary and adapt over time to respond to the needs and strategic priorities of the ICB/ICS. However, the postholder is expected to fulfil the following key functions:
Main Duties & Responsibilities:
Strategic System Leadership and Transformation
Programme Portfolio Management and Assurance
Quality, Safety, Outcomes and Equity
Service Redesign, Commissioning and Operational Integration
Leadership, Workforce, Culture and Stakeholder Engagement
NHS Cheshire and Merseyside serves a population of over 2.7 million people across nine localities, working with 16 NHS provider organisations, 51 Primary Care Networks, local authorities and voluntary sector partners.
We are proud of Cheshire and Merseyside's record of collaborative working and there are countless examples of brilliant care, but there are also examples of variation in service which only serve to exacerbate health inequalities.
Our vision is for everyone in Cheshire and Merseyside to have a great start in life and get the support they need to stay healthy and live longer.
We will do this by working together, as equal partners, to support seamless, person-centred care and tackle health inequalities by improving the lives of the poorest fastest.
Our values are rooted in the NHS Constitution, and we strive to create a compassionate, collaborative and innovative culture where staff can thrive and make a real difference to local communities.
Job Summary
As a Senior ICB Leader, this role will play a pivotal role in navigating and leading the transition to a new organisational model in line with the emerging Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Regional Blueprints, alongside the ambitions of the NHS 10-Year Plan. They will be responsible for steering the organisation through a period of significant transformation, embedding new ways of working across complex system partners, and ensuring safe and effective transition arrangements that maintain
service continuity and quality.
The postholder will be expected to model adaptive and inclusive leadership, fostering a positive culture that enables collaboration, innovation, and accountability, while driving delivery of improved outcomes for local populations across Cheshire & Merseyside. This will include leading cultural change, shaping system-wide governance and performance, and securing alignment with both national policy direction
and local system priorities.
As a senior ICB leader, this role extends beyond local system oversight to active engagement with national colleagues and senior leaders at a regional level, ensuring alignment between local delivery and national priorities. This requires providing clear system leadership on commissioning and performance management, working collaboratively across organisational boundaries to interpret and implement national policy, manage assurance processes, and secure the resources necessary to meet population health needs of Cheshire and Merseyside. The position demands the ability to influence and challenge at the highest levels, balancing accountability to national standards with the flexibility to respond to local circumstances, while fostering effective partnerships across providers, local authorities, and wider regional stakeholders to drive improvement and deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes.
Act as a strategic commissioner, developing long-term population health strategies, managing resources, and driving the transition to neighbourhood models of care through strong system leadership. Lead the development of new ways of working by understanding local needs, promoting population health outcomes, and integrating services to provide better, more efficient care that reflects a whole-person, whole-population health approach.
Job Role
The Programme Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity Transformation provides senior strategic leadership across the ICB to deliver largescale, systemwide improvements in mental health,
autism, ADHD, learning disability, and neurodiversity pathways. The post holder is accountable for shaping and driving a cohesive transformation portfolio that aligns with national policy, local population
needs, and the ICB’s long term strategy. Working collaboratively with NHS providers, local authorities, VCSE partners and clinical leaders, the Programme Director ensures programmes are co-produced, evidence based, and deliver measurable improvements in outcomes, equity, access, and experience.
The post holder will provide robust programme governance, financial oversight, and strategic assurance. They will lead a multidisciplinary team, building capability across the system and ensuring programmes progress from concept to sustainable delivery. Through strong stakeholder engagement, innovation, and data driven improvement, the Programme Director champions a whole system approach to tackling health inequalities, reducing variation, and enabling truly integrated mental health and neurodiversity services. The role requires exceptional leadership, political acumen, and the ability to influence at executive and board level while maintaining a relentless focus on delivering meaningful change for service users and communities.
The Programme Director will work with the Cheshire and Merseyside Mental Health Providers to support the development of an accountable MH system for the residents of Cheshire and Merseyside, promoting delegated commissioning and a new model of integrated delivery and commissioning, working with NHSE NW on Lead Provider Collaboratives as appropriate.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details.
