Programme Lead, Community Estate Development and Partnership

Job summary

Are you a visionary, values-led senior leader with a passion for transforming health estates to support modern, integrated care?

As Programme Lead for Community Estate Development & Partnerships, you will play a pivotal role in reshaping our physical infrastructure across primary, community, and mental health services in Dorset. Working across organisational boundaries, you will drive the expansion of healthcare services out of hospitals and directly into local communities, developing an agile, modern health estate that enables new models of care and delivers maximum value for our population.

This high-profile Band 8c role requires exceptional strategic influence, commercial acumen, and partnership-building skills. You will collaborate closely with Primary Care Networks (PCNs), Local Authorities, the Integrated Care Board (ICB), and acute partners to unlock estate opportunities, optimize assets, and deliver multi-agency capital transformation.

Please note in-person interviews are planned to take place w/c 7th September 2026 - actual date will be confirmed in interview invite - location of interview is being planned to take place at Unit 4, The Omega Centre, Sandford Lane, Wareham, BH20 4DY

Main duties of the job

If you are a dynamic senior leader capable of navigating complexity, inspiring teams, and delivering outstanding care, we would love to hear from you. If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact either;

David Hambridge - Joint Deputy Director of Estates & Facilities

07971 676363

or

David McLaughlin - Director of Estates & Facilities

07385 687120

Strategic System Transformation: Lead the strategic development of our community and primary care estate in alignment with Trust priorities, ICB system plans, and national strategy (including the Fuller Stocktake vision for integrated neighbourhood hubs).

Primary Care & System Partnerships: Act as the strategic link between the Trust and primary care, fostering collaborative relationships with GP practices, PCNs, and local authorities to identify joint estate opportunities and synergies.

Program Leadership & Delivery: Oversee the conversion of strategic estate plans into robust, high-value delivery programmes from initial business case through to operational enablement.

Asset & Value Optimisation: Evaluate and modernise the estate footprint to support new clinical models, ensure best value for public money, and improve accessibility for service users and carers.

Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong, trusted relationships across all organisational levels, ensuring clinical teams, community stakeholders, and system partners are actively engaged in estate design and utilisation

About us

At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost800,000 people.

We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to create healthier lives, empowered citizens and thriving communities.

Job responsibilities

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidates individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact [email protected]

Person specification

Knowledge, Skills and Training

Essential

• Advanced specialist knowledge of healthcare estates or built environment (Masters level or equivalent experience)
• Relevant advanced theoretical (equivalent to Masters level and/or specialist training) knowledge

Job specific experience

Essential

• Extensive experience in the built environment profession relating to healthcare
• Extensive knowledge, relationships and experience of the healthcare commercial sector including primary care/GP surgery buildings
• Significant demonstrable knowledge of Health Building Notes and Health Technical Memoranda relating to healthcare estate, Better Business Case training and the ability to write and review business cases in line with the H M Treasury Green Book methodology
• Extensive knowledge and experience in the wider public sector arena relating to estates including in S106/CIL, One Public Estate decarbonization/NHS Greener agenda
• Proven significant previous experience of working successfully in a senior management role at the same level
• Proven leadership of large, complex programmes and service transformation
• Demonstrable experience of primary care estate partnerships, including leading capital business cases and working in partnership with a range of stakeholders
• Significant previous experience of estate development, capital business case preparation and partnership working

Managerial/Supervisory Experience

Essential

• Significant senior-level managerial and supervisory experience, including accountability for leading multidisciplinary teams, workforce planning, performance management, staff development and the delivery of complex programmes within large, complex organisational environments

Finance/Resources

Essential

• Demonstrable senior-level experience of estate development, including leading the preparation and assurance of capital business cases, navigating NHS capital and planning processes, and working effectively in partnership with primary and secondary care stakeholders to deliver a sustainable Estate in Dorset
• Demonstrable experience of managing and controlling significant budgets and physical resources, including capital and revenue planning, financial governance, prioritisation of investment, and ensuring value for money in the use of public funds

Information Technology/Resources

Essential

• Demonstrable Information Technology and information management experience, including effective use of estates, capital planning and performance management systems, development and interpretation of management information, and confident use of digital tools (e.g. spreadsheets, databases and reporting systems) to support evidence-based decision-making and statutory reporting requirements

Business Travel

Essential

• Subject to the provisions of the equality act, able to travel using own vehicle on trust business