Chief Executive Officer

Great Ormond Street Hospital; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

An esteemed children's hospital in London seeks a Chief Executive Officer to lead during a transformative period. The ideal candidate will have a proven leadership track record at the Board level, focusing on strategic management and navigating complex challenges in child healthcare. Responsibilities involve driving quality service and governance while fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. This position offers an opportunity to make a significant impact in children's health, ensuring access to essential healthcare services.

Qualifications

• Demonstrable successful track record of leadership at Board level in a complex organization.
• Experience of managing resources and budgets effectively.
• High degree of political sensitivity and understanding of health inequalities.

Responsibilities

• Lead Great Ormond Street Hospital at a pivotal moment.
• Develop and implement strategy in a large complex organization.
• Communicate with clarity and impact within various stakeholder environments.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic management

Communication

Political sensitivity

Resource management

Job description

Job overview

Chief Executive Officer - Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust

World class care requires world class leadership.

This is an exceptional opportunity to lead Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) at a pivotal moment in our history.

GOSH is an international centre of excellence in child healthcare. GOSH is an acute specialist paediatric hospital with a mission to provide world‑class care to children and young people with rare, complex and difficult‑to‑treat conditions.

Every day we work to ensure that the latest advances in research and innovation make their way into treatment as quickly as possible. Our new Children’s Cancer Centre, due to open in 2029, will provide us with an opportunity to deliver a step change in our cancer services with bigger, better environments for theatres, imaging, critical care and our hospital school. We stand on the cusp of a genomics revolution which will see 50% of all healthcare journeys involving genomic testing by 2035. And Artificial Intelligence is helping us to accelerate the practical application of these scientific advancements and is changing how we plan for, provide and deliver care.

But these opportunities come at a time of constrained resources and a focus on community care that doesn’t immediately align with our position as a specialist tertiary hospital. We need an exceptional leader to help us to navigate these challenges, build on our successes and help us realise our ambitious plans.

Main duties of the job

The Opportunity

Our new five‑year strategy clearly articulates our vision for the future, and how we intend to continue to make a difference to the children and families who need us. We are seeking a Chief Executive with a passion for public service and the difference that timely access to healthcare can make, especially when interventions are made early.

As our new Chief Executive, you will be a fresh thinker, unafraid to challenge convention, and able to bring our committed senior leadership team and dedicated workforce with you as we drive improvement and change. You will be politically astute, able to influence nationally and collaborate internationally, and have the ability to accelerate our commercial ambitions.

The GOSH name, brand and reputation brings with it significant prestige, but also responsibility and scrutiny. You will therefore be a skilled communicator, comfortable in the spotlight and understand the responsibilities that come with the position that GOSH occupies in the hearts and minds of our patients and their families, as well as in the hearts and minds of the public in the UK and beyond.

In return you will lead a workforce that believes passionately in GOSH’s ability to make a difference to the children we are treating now and in the future.

GOSH is unique, and as our new Chief Executive, you will have a unique opportunity to help us write our next chapter.

Working for our organisation

GOSH is committed to recruiting the best person for the job, based solely on their ability and individual merit as measured against the criteria for the role; through a process that is fair, open, consistent and free from bias and discrimination.

We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer and foster a culture where all staff are valued, respected and acknowledged. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, disability status or length of time spent unemployed.

We particularly welcome applications from BAME communities, people with disabilities and / or long‑term health conditions and LGBT+ community members.

We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants and employees are treated fairly and consistently. We are proud to be accredited as a Disability Confident Employer, a member of Business Disability Forum and a Stonewall Diversity Champion.

We have active and Executive supported BAME, LGBT+ and Allies, Disability and Long‑Term Health Conditions and Women’s staff networks. Staff networks are employee‑led groups formed around interests, issues and a common bond or background. Staff network members create a positive and inclusive work environment at Great Ormond Street Hospital by actively contributing to the Trust’s mission, values and efforts specific to inclusion. All of our staff networks are open to any employee.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. For both documents please view the attachment(s) below.

For further information, please refer to the attached candidate pack.

The closing date for applications is Monday 19th January 2026.

For more information, please see the candidate brief below or please email Vicky Graham at V to arrange a further discussion in confidence about this opportunity.

Person specification

GOSH Culture and Values

Essential criteria

• Always welcoming
• Always helpful
• Always expert
• Always one team
• Demonstrable commitment to, and evidence of, promoting and championing equality, diversity and inclusion, supported by tangible examples of impact
• Demonstrates and promotes accountability and integrity, and leads by example

Experience & Knowledge

Essential criteria

• A demonstrably successful track record of leadership and strategic management at Board level, in a complex NHS, public or commercial organisation.
• Demonstrable experience of running an organisation with a focus on quality of service, governance, productivity and engagement.
• Experience of effectively managing considerable resources and budgets with a track record of delivering long‑term financial sustainability.
• High degree of political sensitivity and experience of dealing with a range of complex issues within a political or demanding stakeholder environment.
• Experience of developing and implementing strategy and service development in a large complex organisation, exploring and implementing new service opportunities.
• Experience of successful initiation and facilitation of strategic partnership working and alliances.
• A clear understanding of, and passion for, improving health outcomes and reducing health inequalities with a demonstrable commitment to advancing the interests of patients.

Skills and abilities

Essential criteria

• Commitment and passion for patient and family focused service with the ability to lead an approach which embeds this ethos at all levels of the organisation.
• Ability to communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact, ensuring messages resonate and inspire action.
• Ability to act as a credible and influential advocate for children and young people, both internally and across the system.
• Ability to think and act strategically and to articulate a clear sense of direction and vision to a wide audience.
• Innovative with strong quality focused approach, exceptional communication, listening, interpersonal, negotiating and influencing skills.