Assistant Directorate Manager

Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust; Dudley; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced senior operational manager for the Women & Children’s Directorate in Dudley on a fixed-term/secondment basis for 6 months. The role focuses on delivering national and local standards, improving waiting times, and managing budgets within the specialty.

You will work with the Directorate Management Team to implement policy, drive service development, and ensure KPIs are met, including 18-week RTT and cancer targets, while supporting staff

Qualifications

• Degree level education or equivalent management experience.
• Change management / service improvement.
• Proven operational or clinical managerial experience.
• Evidence of successful operational leadership.
• In depth understanding of RTT targets for 18 weeks.
• Experience of managing RTT pathways.
• Budgetary management experience.
• Knowledge of capacity and patient flow management.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of a range of national and locally agreed operational standards, including 18 weeks access and Cancer targets.
• Responsible for day-to-day operational management of the specialty and optimise capacity to keep waiting times low.
• Budgetary responsibility for a defined group of medical secretaries and ensure KPIs are achieved, including 18-week targets.

Skills

Operational leadership

Budget management

Change management

Capacity & patient flow

Education

Degree level education

Management experience

Tools

NHS policy awareness

Job description

Site First Floor Clinical Offices, Russells Hall Hospital Town Dudley Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 10/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

This is an exciting opportunity to become part of the operational management team for the Children's Services department in Dudley on a fixed term or secondment basis for 6 months.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will have responsibility for an agreed set of specialties within the Women & Children’s Directorate, and will assist the Directorate Management Team with the delivery of corporate policy, business planning and service development in line with the Trust’s vision, values and strategic goals.

The post holder will have responsibility for leading the delivery of a range of national and locally agreed operational standards, including 18 weeks access and Cancer targets across their designated specialities.

The post holder will be responsible for the day to day operational management of the specialty and will optimise capacity to ensure waiting times are kept low.

The post holder will have specific budgetary responsibility for a defined group of medical secretaries and will work in close conjunction with them to ensure that all pertinent key performance indicators (KPIs) are achieved, in particular the 18-week targets.

Working for our organisation

At the Dudley Group our patients and staff are at the heart of all that we do and that is to provide a world class service that aligns with our vision of “excellent health care, improved health for all”. We are seeking to recruit staff who share our vision and values of making Dudley Group an incredible workplace.

As part of the NHS People Promise, your wellbeing is our priority, and we are committed to ensuring our employees achieve a healthy work-life balance supported by our flexible working options and by making reasonable adjustments where possible. We believe no-one should have to sacrifice family, friends, or their personal interests for work. We are a modern employer able to attract and retain high quality staff through our commitment to the NHS People Promise.

As an employer, we foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to contribute their best. We want to ensure that our workforce is representative of the population we serve. More information - inclusive practice people promise.

Dudley Group offer many opportunities for our staff to develop and grow within their roles through our Learning & OD Team. These include topics such as communication, wellbeing, team development, cultural competency, and values.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification for more information on the role and responsibilities.

Education

• Degree level education or equivalent management experience
• Change management / service improvement

Experience

• Proven operational or clinical managerial experience
• Evidence of successful operational leadership
• In depth understanding of RTT targets for 18 weeks
• Experience of managing RTT pathways
• Effective involvement in service development and identifying change
• Evidence of successful implementation of change
• Proven HR management capability shown from previously managing a team
• Evidence of budgetary management
• Knowledge of capacity and patient flow management
• Evidence of working with senior doctors to achieve key service outcomes
• Evidence of successful involvement of production of business cases

Knowledge and Training

• Awareness of NHS national policy and guidance appropriate to the role
• Awareness of Trust vision, values and priorities and your role in delivering them

Planning and Organisational skills

• Able to work to competing priorities
• Able to organise and deliver projects or workstreams
• Able to plan the operational delivery of services

Physical Skills

• High degree of emotional intelligence
• Able to work in an emotionally challenging environment

Communication and Relationship skills

• Ability to empathise with patients and famillies during the management of complaints and concerns
• Treats all people with dignity and respect
• Able to work as part of a triumvirate/multi-disciplinary team

Analytical and judgement skills

• Has self-confidence and uses this to lead, involve and challenge others as appropriate
• Displays a strong motivation and commitment to success
• Ensures personal and professional behaviours shows integrity at all times

Using AI for jobs applications:

Whilst we encourage the use of technology to help manage time and support innovation. However, it is your responsibility to ensure your application is personalised and clearly reflects your own skills and experiences. While AI can assist with drafting, it should only be used as a support tool. The content must be your own work and accurately represent your knowledge, abilities, and values. Over-reliance on AI-generated content may result in your application being rejected. A common issue arises when we receive multiple applications with identical or overly generic language.

The use of AI during assessments, including interviews, is not permitted unless it has been pre-approved as part of a reasonable adjustment. For digital interviews, you may be asked to provide a 360-degree view of your surroundings on camera and confirm that no additional devices are present. If we suspect AI is being used during an interview, we may pause the process to clarify or adjust our approach to questioning.

Caring for patients demands integrity, honesty, and accountability. We expect your application and participation to be authentic and a genuine reflection of your own experiences and values.

In line with UK Home Office rules, Band 2 clinical and non‑clinical roles, and Band 3 non‑clinical roles, are not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Non‑clinical roles at Agenda for Change Bands 7–9 that meet the required skill level (RQF 6) and salary threshold are eligible for sponsorship.

The Trust will also accept applications from candidates who can evidence their existing right to work in the UK or who hold an alternative eligible visa.

RECRUITMENT EQUALITY STATEMENT

We are committed to equal opportunities and want to ensure our workforce is representative of the population we serve. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and diverse groups. It is essential we understand our demographics, in order that we can monitor our performance as an equal opportunity employer, as well as continuing to embed a culture of inclusivity across the organisation, which supports the active participation and contribution of our diverse staff groups in the Trusts decision making processes . On application the shortlisting manager will not see this criterion and therefore it cannot be part of their decision making. Please ensure you complete your equal opportunities questions for us and help us to make sure everyone is welcome.

The Trust is committed to employing and supporting people with disabilities. It is the Trust’s policy to interview all candidates with a disability who meet the minimum ‘essential’ criteria as identified on the person specification. To ensure we know you have a disability, please inform us under the appropriate section on the application form. We welcome applications from the LGBTQ+ community and openly encourage people with different sexual orientation, gender identity and expression to apply to join our team. We promise to respect and encourage the use of all pronouns and will not purposefully mis-gender anyone.

We are governed by the public sector equality duties and by our values of Care, Respect and Responsibility to ensure we eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other behaviour that is unlawful, undermines our core values and/or falls short of our Behaviour Framework. We want all of our staff to ‘call out’ any behaviour from colleagues, patients or visitors that constitutes the above and appropriate action be taken.

We will, at every opportunity, advance equality and inclusivity for all staff, at all levels within the organisation, by removing or minimising disadvantage, encouraging participation and taking all relevant steps to meet the needs of anyone who shares a protected characteristic. We will also foster good relations between persons who share a protected characteristic by tackling prejudice and promoting understanding at every opportunity.

We have staff Networks in place to help support staff experience of diverse staff groups and inform us on the actions, interventions and support what we need to put in place to improve the working lives and daily experiences of all colleagues and all teams. Anyone can join the networks and we take pride in having Allies as part of every network within the organisation.

By submitting an application for a position with this organisation, you are declaring that the information given is true and complete, any deliberate omission, falsification or misrepresentation will be grounds for rejecting the application or subsequent dismissal, and where applicable, for positions that requires registration with a professional body, you authorise us to make the required employer checks on your professional registration status.

Name Rebecca Ward Job title Directorate Manager Children's Services Email address [e-mail] Telephone number extension 2034 Additional information For more information or any questions please contact Rebecca Ward, Directorate Manager.