Chief Operating Officer

NHS; City Of London; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to oversee service delivery and enhance performance. The ideal candidate will have a Masters level qualification and significant board-level experience in an NHS or similar environment. The role involves leading organizational change and ensuring high standards of care. Competitive benefits and a commitment to equal opportunities are offered.

Benefits

Career development

Flexible working

Wellbeing initiatives

Staff recognition scheme

Qualifications

• Successful experience of working at board level within an acute NHS environment.
• Proven record of leading complex change and modernisation programmes.
• Experience of developing and implementing corporate strategies.

Responsibilities

• Ensure service and performance delivery.
• Lead the positive culture within the organisation.
• Deliver the highest standards of treatment and care.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Ability to build high performing multidisciplinary teams

Ability to organise services meeting quality and financial targets

Education

Masters level qualification or professional qualification

Job description

Job Summary

We are one of the largest NHS trusts in the country - providing acute and specialist care to over 1.3 million people each year in central and north London and beyond. With a global reputation for ground‑breaking research and innovation as well as excellence in education, we offer huge expertise across a wide range of clinical specialties. We employ almost 16,000 staff and have income of £1.7bn.

Together with Imperial College London and two other NHS trusts, we form one of six academic health science centres in the UK – focused on translating research into better patient care. We also host one of 20 National Institute for Health Research biomedical research centres in partnership with Imperial College London.

We are proud of our achievements, which include one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS, maintaining our ‘outstanding’ rating for both our maternity units following a re‑inspection by the CQC, meeting the majority of our operational targets, improving our NHS staff survey results for the third year in a row and progress on a range of major development programmes.

Our mission is to be a key partner in our local health system and to drive health and healthcare innovation, delivering outstanding care, education and research with local, national and worldwide impact.

Main Duties of the job

This is a vitally important leadership role at the heart of the trust, working with executive colleagues to ensure service and performance delivery.

The Chief Operating Officer will ensure we continue to deliver the highest standards of treatment and care effectively and safely. Our new Chief Operating Officer will play a visible role in leading our positive culture. Our values – to be kind, aspirational, expert and collaborative – are central to the way in which we all operate and we are committed to building a genuinely fair and inclusive organisation for our staff, patients and communities.

About us

At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.

Become part of a vibrant team living our values – expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You’ll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.

Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.

How to Apply

The preferred method of application is online at www.odgers.com/93899. If you are unable to apply online please email [e-mail].

Any postal applications should be sent direct to Donna Fendick at Odgers, 20 Cannon Street, London, EC4M 6XD. Please email: [e-mail]

Details

• Date posted: 14 October 2025
• Pay scheme: Very senior manager (VSM)
• Salary: Depending on experience
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full‑time
• Reference number: 290-CR-958
• Job locations: Trustwide, London, W2 1NY

Job Description

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 overviews, please view the candidate brief and job description attached.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications Essential

• Masters level qualification or professional qualification or similar experience

Experience Essential

• Successful experience of working at board level within an acute NHS or comparable hospital environment
• Proven record of leading complex, change and modernisation programmes aimed at improving organisational performance across whole healthcare systems.
• Experience of developing and implementing corporate strategies with a track record of successes in delivering against national and local targets.
• A track record of driving up service standards and efficiencies, and value for money
• Demonstrable experience of working collaboratively across systems
• A track record of encouraging progression for diverse staff groups and addressing inequity in healthcare provision

Skills/knowledge/abilities Essential

• The ability to organise services which comply with required quality, access and financial targets
• The ability to build high performing multidisciplinary teams with the capability and motivation to deliver against the trust's objectives

Communication skills Essential

• Strong communication skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).