Chief Operating Officer

North Bristol NHS Trust; Bristol; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to oversee day-to-day operations and drive improvement in patient care at their Bristol location. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong leadership qualities, operational management experience, and the ability to foster an inclusive culture. This position offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to lead a large multi-disciplinary team in a dynamic healthcare environment.

Qualifications

• Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience.
• Demonstrable track record of operational performance improvement.
• Ability to operate effectively in clinical and operational environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, management, and direction for the effective operation and flow of the hospital.
• Lead clinical divisions ensuring services are delivered safely.
• Develop relationships with external partners and stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership skills

Operational performance improvement

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Masters level education or equivalent experience

Job description

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Job Overview

An exceptional opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and inspiring leader to join North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) as our new Chief Operating Officer (COO). NBT is a leading NHS Trust dedicated to providing exceptional healthcare for the population of Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG). We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced senior director to drive the effective operational delivery of our business on a day-to-day basis, ensuring the highest levels of safety, quality, and performance.

The post holder will be a visible leader who can inspire staff, manage risks effectively, and drive the transformation of patient care. Core to the role is the demonstration of leadership qualities that promote inclusion, diversity, and collaborative working across all levels of the organisation and with system partners.

Main duties of the job

As COO, you will play a pivotal role in the Trust Management Team, providing leadership, management, and direction to secure the effective and clinical operation and flow of the hospital.

Key Responsibilities Will Include

• Make a significant contribution to the development and delivery of system-wide strategies, including playing a key part in the development of, and transition towards, the Group Model between UHBW and NBT.
• Lead and manage the clinical divisions, ensuring all services are delivered safely, efficiently, and within the agreed resource envelope, meeting all national and local performance standards.
• Develop and maintain productive strategic and operational relationships with external partners, regulators, and stakeholders within the BNSSG Integrated Care System.
• Work with the Director of Finance to deliver annual quality and cost improvement programmes and identify new commercial opportunities to secure the Trust’s financial sustainability.
• Role model inclusive leadership behaviours consistent with NHS guidelines and Trust values, fostering an environment of innovation, continuous improvement, and an exceptional, engaged workforce.

Working for our organisation

North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities. Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.

North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Interview date: 8th January 2026.

Person specification

Ecucation & Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience
• Evidence of management leadership/training and continuous professional development

Skills, Knowledge And Abilities

Essential criteria

• Demonstrable track record of operational performance improvement with proven ability of leading and embedding service improvement and/or transformational change
• Ability to operate effectively in clinical, academic, and operational environments with multiple stakeholders
• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills

Desirable criteria

• Demonstrable track record of leadership, strategic management at Board level

Experience

Essential criteria

• Proven successful leadership and management of large multi-disciplined teams: establishing key performance indicators and raising performance levels developing critical capabilities; leading through organisational changes-effectively dealing with uncertainty and areas of conflict to ensure current and future success.
• Experience of leading service and/​or transformational change

If you apply for this vacancy and have not received a communication from North Bristol NHS Trust within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.

Please note that North Bristol NHS Trust does not reimburse travel expenses relating to interview attendance.

If you feel you meet the requirements of the Disability Act / Two Ticks scheme and require further support/advice, please contact us on tel [phone].

North Bristol NHS Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.

At North Bristol Trust (NBT), we know diverse and inclusive environments lead to happier and healthier teams and improved patient care and outcomes. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently underrepresented in NBT’s workforce at Band 8a and above. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people.

Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.