Associate Director of Operations - Surgery

www.healthjobsuk.com - jobboard; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 91,000 - 106,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS organization in Liverpool is seeking an Associate Director of Operations for Surgery. The role involves overseeing operational performance and ensuring high-quality patient care. Candidates should have significant leadership experience in healthcare settings and a strong background in performance management. The position offers an opportunity to shape strategic initiatives within an established healthcare framework.

Benefits

Access to leadership and team development

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in a senior management role within an acute hospital setting.
• Successful management of change within a large complex health care setting.
• Proven track record of performance management of services and delivery.

Responsibilities

• Ensure high-quality patient care and operational performance.
• Provide operational leadership to Care Groups Leads.
• Support development of an engaging culture for patients and staff.

Skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Education

Degree

Masters degree in leadership or management

Job description

Associate Director of Operations - Surgery

Main area Division of Surgery Grade Band 8D Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (On call) Job ref 287-RSUR-48-25

Employer Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Liverpool Hospital Town Liverpool Salary £91,342 - £105,337 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 28/10/2025 23:59

Band 8D

Job overview

This post is open to employees of the five LAASP organisations. As part of your application, you will be asked to confirm that you are a current employee of The Clatterbridge Centre, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool University Hospitals, Liverpool Women’s Hospital or, The Walton Centre.

A new and exciting opportunity has arisen for substantive recruitment as Associate Director of Operations. Reporting to the Divisional Director of Operations for Surgery, the postholder will have the opportunity to work closely with both the Divisional and Hospital Leadership Teams on the Royal site to shape strategic direction and improvements in key workstreams related to improving operational performance. The portfolio associated with this post is Elective and Cancer.

You will work alongside multiple Divisions, HLT, Corporate Directors and external partners in order to achieve Trust objectives. Although based within the Division of Surgery, the role will have cross-Divisional responsibilities and will work closely with the Site Director of Operations to deliver key objectives.

They will have extensive experience in a leadership role within an Acute Hospital setting, including a proven track record of performance management of services and delivery, preferable with a background in Surgical Specialties. They will be required to demonstrate experience of successful management of change and have experience of developing teams, using appraisal and accountability frameworks.

Main duties of the job

You will be responsible for the effective and efficient delivery of the day-to-day operational performance in his / her portfolio ensuring sustainable delivery of high-quality patient care, safety processes, operational standards and quality / service improvement programmes. The post holder will work closely with the Divisional Director of Operations and Site Director of Operations in monitoring performance against objectives and in ensuring high standards of corporate governance are adhered to.

You will provide operational leadership to Care Groups Leads to ensure consistent and high-quality services are delivered across their respective area of responsibility. The post holder will support the development of an open and engaging culture for patients and staff that encourages excellence in clinical practice, facilitates team working and multi professional care delivery. They will also ensure teams adhere to Trust values and behaviours.

We want our operational teams to support delivery of high quality care to patients accessing our services and in turn we want to make this the “Best Place to Work” for our staff, investing continually in their development. Liverpool University NHS FT can offer you access to leadership and team development, coaching, and flexible working.

Working for our organisation

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts a number of regional services including an award‑winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital is home to elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Service Delivery & Performance Management

• Delivery of all national and local performance standards through the establishment of divisional and site performance objectives and appropriate infrastructure to support the level of performance required and ensure regulatory requirements are achieved.
• Support Clinical Leads and Lead Nurses to ensure excellent and reliable patient care is delivered through continuous improvement in quality of care and monitoring of high standards of service delivery.
• Ensure divisional teams utilise performance information to facilitate the monitoring of performance and develop recovery to improve efficiency and quality.
• Develop an effective and transparent performance management framework which ensures clear accountability for delivery across care groups, prompt recovery of under performance and recognising success.
• Delegated budget responsibility for the division or delegated team ensuring that the division meets its financial targets and delivers agreed cost improvement programmes with the Trust’s corporate financial obligations.
• Participate in the Trust’s on call arrangements out of hours ensuring that internal and external escalation procedures are clear and followed at all times.
• Provide regular performance, project plans and exception reports to divisions, HLT, Executive Leads and Trust board committees.
• Lead on projects which may be necessary to deliver operational performance and cost and service improvement plans.
• Develop policies and procedures and maintain awareness of relevant regulatory and government policies in relation to all aspects of the organisation.

Planning and Commissioning

• Play a key role in engaging staff in the development and implementation of service reconfigurations, particularly in relation to proposed changes ensuring benefits identified are realised.
• Lead on the division and site quality improvement and transformation programme in collaboration with the Trust’s quality improvement and transformation teams. This will include identifying, developing and delivering appropriate service improvements and reconfigurations.
• Lead on the division and site contribution where required to the annual planning process ensuring realistic and achievable plans are developed to deliver division and Trust objectives.
• Ensure that operational plans are based on an understanding of expected demand and required capacity to meet short and medium term objectives and include long term and innovative workforce planning to ensure the ongoing sustainability of clinical services.
• In conjunction with the contracts team, contribute towards the contracting process with commissioners to ensure clinical and operational priorities are considered.
• Take a lead role with regards to the division’s planning and implementation of the Trust’s estates strategy and capital programme.
• Lead the division and site with external developments and service reconfigurations.
• In collaboration with the divisional director of operations, site director of operations and the Trust’s director of strategy, oversee and support the production and assessment of plans and business cases for approval by the executive team.
• Work with all health and social partners in demand and capacity planning (including winter planning) and in developing and changing services accordingly to meet future needs.

Leadership

• Develop and sustain an organisational culture that supports distributed leadership for the delivery of high quality services and budgetary and cost efficiency targets and empowers local decision making.
• Lead and promote a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and high performance through the development of a shared vision and teamwork.
• Develop effective relationships to ensure the clinical and operational teams have an opportunity to influence the management, planning and development of services within the site.
• Develop effective partnerships with divisions, corporate functions, health and social care partners and patients in the planning, improvement and evaluation of services.
• To contribute fully to the Trust’s overall strategy and promote strong partnerships internally and within the broader health community.

Management

• Provide operational leadership to the division operational team in partnership with the divisional triumvirate to deliver the division and Trust priorities where required.
• Support in developing workforce plans for the division and site ensuring that professional and non professional workforce requirements are planned to ensure that the division has the right people in the right place at the right time.
• Fully encourage and participate in organisational and management development activities designed to enhance Trust, site, division team and individual capacity and capability.

Corporate Governance

• Support the divisional director of operations and the site director of operations in ensuring that the Trust meets all statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Adhere to all Trust HRM policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with employment legislation and regulation.
• Ensure operational delivery and performance is achieved within the Trust’s standing orders, standing financial instructions and scheme of delegation.
• Supporting the divisional director of operations to ensure an effective management structure is in place across the division and that all staff have clear roles, responsibilities and understand priorities and expectations.
• Adhere to the standards set out in the NHS Code of Conduct for Managers and at all times act in a manner consistent with the values of the Trust.

On Call

• Participate in the tactical on call rota.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level.
• Masters degree or qualification in leadership or management.
• Evidence of professional and personal development within the last two years.

Experience

• Professional specialist knowledge covering more than one relevant discipline including clinical services, finance and HR gained through Masters degree or significant proven experience.

Knowledge

• Extensive experience in a senior management role within an acute hospital setting.
• Extensive resource management experience within an operational environment including clinical service provision, finance, HR, change management and service improvements.
• Successful management of change within a large complex health care setting.
• Understanding of operational services.
• Experience of developing business plans which support and deliver corporate and divisional objectives.
• Proven track record of performance management of services and delivery.
• Knowledge of key performance indicators and compliance.
• Understanding of governance and risk.
• Experience of developing teams, using appraisal and accountability frameworks to support this.
• Demonstrate thorough knowledge of the NHS and the modernisation agenda particularly in relation to quality improvement projects.

Skills

• Well developed leadership and motivational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Patient focused approach.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills.
• Political awareness.
• Judgement and analytical skills.
• Ability to influence, persuade and negotiate at all levels.
• Highly motivated, energetic and enthusiastic.
• Ability to prioritise own and others workloads effectively to meet tight deadlines whilst managing conflicting priorities.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Capacity to build and develop teams and maintain positive working relationships at all levels.

LAASP Employee

• Current employee of a LAASP organisation.

Only those applicants who demonstrate clearly how they meet our person specification will be shortlisted for interview.

We reserve the right to close any vacancies from further applications when we have received a minimum number of applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

The Trust is committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance and achieving fair, equitable and consistent practice. We welcome flexible working requests and will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements from day one of your employment.

The Trust is committed to promoting equality and diversity; we value the contribution of individual talent, skills, knowledge and experience and aim for a workforce demography representative of the local community. We encourage applicants from the following groups that are currently under-represented in our workforce black, Asian and minority ethnic, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+), disabled, male and age 16‑24.

Trust policy requires that the cost of submitting and processing the successful applicant’s DBS application be recovered via salary deduction following start in post. The amount of £23 standard disclosure or £43 enhanced disclosure will be deducted from salary, in manageable monthly instalments for up to 3 months following commencement of employment. Bank posts require upfront payment. DBS applications submitted from 2 November 2021 will be subject to new DBS fee.

Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website.

From April 2017, skilled visa applicants and their adult dependant(s) will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from each country they have lived in consecutive for twelve months or more in the past ten years.

Applicants may wish to contact a recruitment service for personal reasons to enable your application.

Please note: new entrants to the NHS will commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

As the postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of normal duties this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Name Sandra Davey Job title Divisional Director of Operations Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 0151 706 4746 Additional information

For further information or to organise an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Bethany Bolitho-Pearn, PA to the Surgery Divisional Leadership Team on 0151 706 4746 or via e‑mail at [e-mail].