Partnerships Project LeadNHS

Job summary

We're looking for an experienced and dynamic lead to help shape how the NHS works alongside communities, the VCSE sector, local authorities, providers and funders to address health inequalities across south east London.

The postholder will act as the NHS system lead for key South East London Integrated Care Board (SEL ICB) partnership programmes, including SEL ICB's partnership with Impact on Urban Health, with a particular focus on our work to reduce inequalities and improve outcomes for underserved communities and building trust.

This is a strategic partnerships role working across organisational boundaries to influence decision-making, build trusted relationships and translate shared priorities into meaningful change. The postholder has a key role in ensuring our work is delivered successfully, and that the changes we make are sustainable and embedded within the system.

Stakeholder panel and interview date and location if shortlisted: Friday 11 September 2026, to be held in-person in central London (venue to be confirmed).

Main duties of the job

The majority of the Partnerships Project Lead time will be spent delivering NHS South East London Integrated Care Board's (SEL ICB) partnership work with Impact on Urban Health (IoUH), which includes our work to address inequalities in Black maternal health and Black mental health care in south east London.

This role is also responsible for ensuring there is alignment with and for managing interdependencies between the IoUH Partnership work and other relevant work ongoing in the local health system and SEL VCSE Alliance's Trust and Health Creation work. The postholder will need to be proactive and develop good working relationships, quickly, in order to fulfil the requirements of the role.

This role would suit someone who enjoys working in complex systems, building partnerships, and driving change through collaboration and influence. This is varied role and will require the postholder to use a range of different skills and capabilities. Therefore, we are looking for someone to fill this post who is dynamic and innovative, adaptable and resilient. Importantly we are looking for someone who is passionate about reducing health inequalities and committed to working alongside communities to improve outcomes.

If you would like to understand more about the role, we will be holding two virtual information sessions on Friday 21 August 10:00-11:00 and Thursday 27th August 13:00-14:00. Please contact [email protected] to sign up for either one of these sessions.

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the NHS system lead for key partnership programmes, providing leadership across organisational boundaries to align stakeholders, maintain momentum and deliver shared objectives.
• Lead the development, mobilisation and delivery of the Impact on Urban Health (IoUH) and wider partnership portfolio, shaping programmes to address health inequalities and deliver measurable improvements in outcomes for South East Londons communities.
• Translate system insight, community priorities and partner feedback into programme development, ensuring work is responsive, credible and aligned with local and system priorities.
• Work with partners to design and implement sustainable approaches to delivery, including supporting the development of participatory funding approaches and contributing to improvements in commissioning practice.
• Work collaboratively with south London, London-wide and national organisations and networks to align activity, share learning and maximise impact.
• Identify and address barriers to improving outcomes and reducing health inequalities, drawing on evidence, insight and partnership working to influence change across the system.
• Lead and coordinate communication of the partnerships work, including supporting community-facing and system communications, sharing learning, and building visibility and trust in the work.
• Ensure appropriate approaches to evaluation are in place, and support learning and continuous improvement across the portfolio.

Partnerships and stakeholder leadership

• Build, maintain and influence relationships across community leaders, VCSE organisations, NHS healthcare providers, borough and NHS system partners, developing shared ownership and securing commitment to collective action.
• Navigate complex organisational, political and relational dynamics, using influence, negotiation and judgement to build consensus and maintain progress where priorities or perspectives differ.
• Ensure that local people and communities are meaningfully involved in shaping and delivering the work.
• Ensure partnership activity translates into measurable improvements for communities experiencing the greatest inequalities, including improvements in outcomes, experience and influence over decisions affecting their lives.

Programme Delivery and Governance

• Maintain oversight of the full partnership portfolio, with a clear line of sight on delivery, risks, interdependencies and performance, and take action to address issues and maintain pace.
• Develop, implement and manage governance arrangements that support effective delivery and timely decision making, including convening programme boards, coordinating inputs across partners, and maintaining robust records and audit trails.
• Ensure that decisions, actions and programme activity are clearly documented, tracked and communicated.
• Ensure programmes are informed by a strong understanding of the structural drivers of health inequalities and are designed in partnership with communities most affected by unequal outcomes.

Insight, Design and System Influence

• Synthesise insight, evidence and intelligence from communities, partners and wider policy developments to shape programme priorities and influence decision-making.
• Translate system priorities, policy and evidence into practical approaches that are credible and deliverable within the South East London context.
• Identify opportunities to align or connect related work across the system to improve impact and reduce duplication.
• Identify opportunities to influence system strategy, commissioning approaches and partnership practice, ensuring learning from delivery informs wider change.
• Influence the development of new commissioning, investment and partnership approaches across South East London, helping to embed more participatory and equitable models of working.

Communication and Engagement

• Communicate complex and sometimes sensitive information clearly to a wide range of stakeholders, supporting shared understanding and enabling decisions.
• Work with Communications and Engagement teams to plan and deliver communications that build visibility, trust and understanding of the partnerships work.

Financial and Resource Management

• Support management of partnership budgets, working with IoUH and ICB colleagues to ensure appropriate use of funding and robust governance.
• Identify resource requirements and contribute to business case development where needed.

Leadership and Ways of Working

• Work collaboratively across organisational boundaries, contributing to an effective matrix approach to delivery.
• Lead and facilitate meetings and forums as required, ensuring discussions are translated into decisions, actions and progress.
• Take ownership of areas of work within the Socioeconomic Development portfolio, contributing to wider team priorities.
• Exercise a high degree of autonomy, judgement and initiative in managing competing priorities within a fast-moving and evolving environment.
• Support the development of the wider team, including management of administrative resource where required.
• Represent the partnership and wider Socioeconomic Development portfolio within senior system forums, influencing discussions and contributing to strategic decision-making across South East London and deputise as appropriate.

About us

The Partnerships Project Lead role is part of the Socioeconomic Development team at NHS South East London ICB. Our work includes the South London Listens Programme, the SEL Creative Health Programme, VCSE Partnership Development work, as well as other partnerships with non-statutory organisations to improve outcomes for our communities like our partnership with Impact on Urban Health.

The team is hosted by various partner organisations in South East London. Line management is provided by the Associate Director of Partnerships and Socioeconomic Development at SEL ICB.

Location:Because the team is spread across south east London, the postholder will work from the NHS SEL ICB Head Office in London Bridge at least one day a week. There will be an expectation for the postholder to travel for meetings across south East London, and they may also need to work from partner sites including from the Maudsley Hospital (South London and Maudsley NHS FT headquarters).