Job Description

Interim Project Manager – Independent Healthcare Provider

Salary: c.£65,000 FTE / £350 per day (FTC )

Location: Hybrid with occasional travel to Bolton (2x/month)

Full-Time, Interim (6-month initial term)

PLEASE NOTE: Only candidates with demonstrable experience delivering complex transformation initiatives in healthcare settings will be considered. Must be available to start within 1–2 weeks.

Remit

Compass Corporate Services are delighted to be partnering exclusively with a leading independent healthcare organisation to appoint an Interim Project Manager. This is a six-month assignment, with potential to extend to 12 months, designed to support strategic transformation initiatives across a large multisite provider with over 60 hospitals and a referral network.

The successful candidate will work directly with the Head of Policy and Value Proposition and senior leadership, supporting cross-functional delivery across operations, commercial, and contractual workstreams.

This opportunity is ideally suited to an experienced interim with a strong background in healthcare project delivery, transformation programmes and stakeholder engagement at executive level.

The Role

Working at the heart of a fast-paced, PE-backed organisation, the Project Manager will be embedded into the business to:

• Structure, coordinate and oversee multiple interdependent workstreams.
• Build clarity across scope, dependencies, timelines, and stakeholder ownership.
• Support the organisation’s repositioning with 40+ ICBs across England.
• Lead on the development of project artefacts including RAID logs, RACIs, and risk registers.
• Establish a governance cadence with weekly steering groups and subgroup calls.
• Collaborate with senior teams in legal, commercial, sales, operations and marketing.
• Provide structured updates and reporting to the executive board.
• Enable clarity and delivery without an existing PMO structure in place.

Key Workstreams

Contractual Transformation

• Coordinate retendering and strategic alignment across 40+ ICB contracts.
• Collaborate with the commercial team to support board-level reporting and decision-making.

Operational Implementation

• Drive effective rollout across 63+ hospital sites.
• Ensure alignment across patient booking, referral comms, staffing, and sales functions.

External Communications

• Support MP, NHSE, and wider stakeholder engagement.
• Shape and deliver a clear messaging strategy across channels.

Programme Governance

• Develop governance frameworks from scratch including RAID, RACI, and steering group oversight.
• Build cadence, structure, and documentation to ensure consistent progress tracking.

Location

This is a hybrid role with flexible working, requiring occasional in-person meetings in Bolton approximately twice per month, or as required by project needs. Candidates must be based within a reasonable commuting distance and able to attend site when needed. The wider team operates remotely, with collaboration facilitated through virtual platforms.

Essential Criteria

• Proven experience delivering large-scale transformation or change programmes in healthcare.
• Confident managing multiple workstreams and building PMO structure from scratch.
• Strong understanding of NHS contractual processes, operational rollout and governance.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Track record of delivery in fast-paced, PE-backed or high-urgency environments.
• Ability to structure and lead without formal templates or frameworks in place.
• Strong working knowledge of RAID, RACI, risk management and project reporting.
• Available to start within 1–2 weeks of offer.

The Candidate

This role would suit a seasoned project or programme manager with extensive healthcare experience and strong commercial acumen. You will be confident working without pre-set frameworks and able to create structure where none exists.

A background in NHS or independent healthcare delivery is essential, with an ability to influence senior stakeholders and bring together legal, operational and strategic delivery teams. You will be collaborative, proactive and driven by results.

Benefits

• Salary: c.£65,000 FTE / Day rate: £350/day
• Contract: Fixed-Term Contract (outside IR35 models considered)
• Initial term: 6 months (scope to extend up to 12 months)
• All necessary IT equipment provided

Interview Process

This is a multi-stage process:

• Initial screening call with consultant Isobel Johnson.
• First Stage Interview with Head of Talent and Head of Policy and Value Proposition.
• Second Stage Interview: TBC during process.

Contact Details

If you would like to be considered for this exciting opportunity, please contact Isobel Johnson directly on 0161 507 5060. Alternatively email an updated CV to ijohnson@compassltd.co.uk

Recommendations

Compass Associates Ltd is acting as a Recruitment Consultancy for this permanent vacancy; we offer a £200 John Lewis voucher for a successful recommendation following the completion of probation/rebate.

Compass Associates, established in 2009, is an award-winning, UK specialist Health and Social Care Recruitment Consultancy providing tailored, high quality recruitment solutions for all permanent assignments.