Band 8d - Deputy Director of Operations, Medicine

The Methodist Church in Britain; England; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Staff wellbeing and development focus

Job summary

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust seeks a senior operational leader to own delivery across specialist medicine, older people''s frailty care and interventional pathways, spanning three hospital sites and the Virtual Hospital.

You will lead performance, finance and service improvement, turning strategy into action through governance, workforce planning and close collaboration with clinical and nursing leaders, patients and community partners.

Qualifications

• Substantial senior operational management experience in a complex healthcare environment.
• Track record of delivering performance improvement, managing resources and leading change.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational running of the division with accountability and performance oversight.
• Drive delivery of national and local access standards across planned care, diagnostics and cancer pathways.
• Manage waiting lists and referral-to-treatment performance.
• Improve capacity, patient flow and discharge pathways across divisional boundaries.
• Lead business, capacity and workforce planning, aligning services with demand.
• Deliver sound financial management and sustainable productivity gains.
• Lead service transformation using data, clinical insight and patient feedback.
• Develop operational leaders and foster a collaborative culture.
• Maintain governance and risk management with clinical and nursing colleagues.
• Build relationships with community providers and wider system partners.

Skills

Senior ops management

Performance improvement

Leadership

Governance & risk

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

This senior operational post sits in the Medicine Division of West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, alongside the Divisional Director and senior nursing leadership. The postholder would own operational delivery, performance, finances and service improvement across specialist medicine, older people's frailty care and interventional specialties, spanning three hospital sites and the Virtual Hospital. The post is distinct for its breadth of portfolio and its focus on inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic pathways and on developing care closer to home.

What the job involves

• Lead the operational running of the division, with clear accountability and performance oversight
• Drive delivery of national and local access standards across planned care, diagnostics and cancer pathways
• Manage waiting lists and referral-to-treatment performance
• Improve capacity, patient flow and discharge pathways across divisional boundaries
• Lead business, capacity and workforce planning, aligning services and resources with demand
• Deliver sound financial management, productivity gains and sustainable efficiency programmes
• Lead service transformation and continuous improvement using data, clinical insight and patient feedback
• Develop and support operational leaders and build a collaborative culture
• Maintain operational governance, risk management and escalation with clinical and nursing colleagues
• Build relationships with community providers, primary care and wider system partners

What’s required

Experience

• Substantial senior operational management experience in a complex healthcare environment
• Track record of delivering performance improvement, managing resources and leading change

Skills & knowledge

• Turning strategy into action and sustaining improvement through teams, governance and clinical relationships
• Credible, collaborative and confident in making decisions
• Able to challenge constructively, navigate competing priorities and stay focused under pressure
• Visible, approachable leadership that develops others and listens to patients and colleagues

What’s offered

• Flexible working options
• Focus on staff wellbeing and development