Healthcare Partnerships Lead

Role: Healthcare Partnerships Lead

Hours:  22.5hr hrs per week, (3 days)

Location: Homebased within the UK with a requirement to travel and support in person events, conferences and meetings

Reporting to: Director of Programmes and Partnerships

Benefits: Flexible working arrangements, 28 days of annual leave (FTE) + 1 day for your birthday, pension scheme

Key relationships: Managing external relationships with key healthcare professionals and partners and working closely with our Medical Advisor and Information and Research Manager

Salary: £38,000 per annum (FTE)

Essential: Access to own car and full clean driving licence

About The Role

Do you have experience in working collaboratively, establishing meaningful partnerships within the healthcare sector and are looking to make an impact at the world’s leading multiple sclerosis healthy lifestyle charity?

We’re looking for an experienced Healthcare Partnerships Lead to continue to steer the delivery of our Healthcare Engagement Strategy and build upon our Program expertise. With a strong focus on reducing health inequalities, you’ll lead, develop and deliver activities that meet our strategic ambition to ensure that as many people as possible understand that there is hope after an MS diagnosis.

We need to engage with healthcare professionals as, for many people with MS, this group are the first people they seek credible information from and will potentially have a life-long relationship with, given the incurable nature of the condition.

About Us

Overcoming MS is the world’s leading multiple sclerosis healthy lifestyle charity established in 2012. We are unique in our whole person approach and practical evidence-based focus upon self-management of MS, formulated as a holistic program. At Overcoming MS, we are here for everyone with MS who wants to take control of their health and wellbeing.

Although there is currently no cure for MS, we help people with MS to live well by making informed lifestyle choices. They have clear, practical actions to take, by following an evidence-based self-management program. This program uses substantial scientific evidence of how holistic self-care, alongside medical therapies, benefits people’s physical and mental health. Knowing people can change their risk of deterioration through lifestyle choices gives hope to us all.

Our vision is that people with MS feels empowered to take control of their health, are making informed lifestyle choices and living a full and healthy life.

Overcoming MS Strategy

Our strategy for 2024 to 2026 establishes five key objectives:

Raise awareness within the global MS community of the importance of healthy lifestyle and the Overcoming MS Program. 

Deliver world class information, tools and support to the Overcoming MS community, empowering them with the confidence and knowledge to follow, understand and share the Program, wherever they start.

Build the authority of Overcoming MS through developing team expertise, communicating the existing evidence base, building new evidence, and through influencing and working in partnerships. 

Grow a collaborative, knowledgeable, passionate and sustainable team of staff, facilitators and volunteers. 

Develop financial growth and independence through reducing our cost base, increasing fundraising via diversified activity, and generating income through other sources. 

Job Description

The Healthcare Partnerships Lead will be responsible for the delivery of our Healthcare Engagement Strategy, through the development and delivery of projects and activities which embrace collaboration, raise the profile and credibility of both the Overcoming MS charity and Program, and extend supported self- management of MS within the health and social sector. We want to be the go-to charity for lifestyle and living well with MS and to demonstrate the added value we bring through education, resources, community and partnership working.

The past 12 months have seen the laying of a strong foundation for both increasing credibility and collaboration. This has included identifying barriers to supporting self-management in MS, developing education, piloting projects and resources to overcome some of those barriers in partnership with healthcare professionals. Honing datasets and presenting these meaningfully, has added credibility and demonstrated value. We want to see that foundation built on further, and shared more widely, taken forward by the new Healthcare Partnerships Lead.

Key Responsibilities

·        The successful delivery of the Healthcare Engagement Strategy, identifying and prioritising engagement with our key audiences and stakeholders.

·        Working closely with both our Medical Advisor, Information and Research Manager (new role) and with the existing HCP Advisory Group and wider engaged healthcare partners, to facilitate the development of the relationship, profile and reach between the charity and the health and social care sectors. Around information sharing, service design, and understanding of the role of lifestyle in holistic management of MS.

·        Identifying and attending key healthcare events and conferences, building networks, partnerships and other resources to increase knowledge and awareness of how the charity and Overcoming MS Program, benefits people with MS and maximise opportunities for signposting.

·        Building frameworks for data gathering and evaluation to effectively review benefit of collaborative interventions and report outcomes widely and meaningfully, in partnership with the Information and Research Manager.

·        Maintaining understanding of policy and priorities of healthcare agencies to ensure mutual or aligned priorities from both, in addition to people living with MS, are all factors taken into consideration when developing plans and pathways.

·        Identifying opportunities for collaboration and partnership working through engagement with HCP professionals and organisations.

·        Lead on healthcare education through our existing partnership with the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, marketing the education widely, evaluating its benefit to HCPs and strategically reviewing the format, vehicle and content as appropriate.

·        Providing clear, responsive and consistent educational content around the importance of lifestyle choices and behaviours to healthcare professionals based on the current evidence-base and the Overcoming MS Program, working closely with the Information & Research Manager to ensure up-to-date and validated content.

 Other Responsibilities

·        Creating meaningful engagement with the MS community and healthcare professional partners, widening our reach to support more people with MS.

·        Mapping local assets and services to target and test appropriate resources and support to MS clinics, to help HCPs share information and support their patients to self-manage, tracking success.

·        Empowering people affected by MS and their healthcare professionals to discuss lifestyle modification and the Overcoming MS Program with confidence, improving self-management and health outcomes.

·        Engaging new HCP audiences, reducing barriers and perceptions of lifestyle modification in the treatment of MS. 

·        Leading on the delivery, monitoring and evaluation of key programmes, considering key insight, collecting and analysing data to measure impact against project and charity targets.

·        Supporting the delivery of key products, services and events both in person and online that reach multiple audiences and budgeting accordingly.

·        Identifying opportunities for accessing funding streams, working with Fundraising colleagues to diversify our income base.

·        Raising our profile within the healthcare environment so that they recommend the charity and will advocate on our behalf.

·        As we are a small, busy charity, all staff help with the general running of the organisation in addition to their specific role activities.

About you
Education or experience in a related field e.g. healthcare management, public health, you’ll have a strong understanding of the NHS, Public Health and the UK health care policy landscape. Knowledge of the global health care landscape would be an advantage but not essential.

You’ll have previous experience as a senior healthcare lead or similar role for example within the NHS or similar medical field or will have experience leading community or public health related engagement programmes.

With excellent communication, presentation and influencing skills, including working with stakeholders at very senior and professional levels, you’ll have strategic analytical skills, able to frame problems and solutions in a logical fashion and demonstrate a high degree of empathy and compassion for health-related issues.

You’ll have intellectual flexibility, able to embrace and deal with ambiguity, complexity and to be open to creativity in leading and bringing about effective change.

You are comfortable working remotely and attending events during evenings and weekends, with a full UK driving licence and access to a car.

What can we offer you?
Our staff benefits include:
• 28 days annual leave (FTE) plus a day off for your birthday and bank holidays
• Flexible working
• Remote working
• Pension
• Employee Assistance Programme

How to apply  

Please send your CV and a covering letter by midnight on Sunday 8th June.

In your covering letter, please let us know:  

• Your motivation for applying for the role

• Why you feel your skills are suitable for the role 

• Your notice period  

• Your current location.  

Please respond ASAP, as we will start screening candidates as soon as we receive applications.  

First stage interviews will be held online on Tuesday 17th June.

Second stage interviews will be held online on Friday 20th June.

We are an equal opportunities employer, committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We make hiring decisions based on merit. If you fill most or all the requirements, please apply.  

No agency contact, please.