Chief Operating Officer

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS trust is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to drive performance and quality across clinical services. This role necessitates a deep understanding of the NHS landscape and proven leadership experience in large, complex organizations. The successful candidate will engage with clinical teams to ensure high-quality patient services and contribute to strategic objectives aimed at improving healthcare delivery. A Master's degree along with significant board-level experience in the NHS is essential for this role.

Qualifications

• Proven, substantial executive Board-level leadership experience within a large NHS healthcare organisation.
• Significant experience leading complex clinical quality improvement initiatives.
• Substantial experience managing large budgets (£500m+) within the NHS.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Clinical Service Unit teams to ensure high performance.
• Engender a culture of learning and improvement within the organization.
• Ensure effective performance and organization of clinical and operational services.

Skills

Strategic Leadership

NHS Acute Sector Expertise

Clinical Quality & Performance

Financial Acumen

Education

Master's degree or senior executive leadership qualification

Job description

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Chief Operating Officer

The closing date is 25 January 2026

This is a key leadership role in University Hospitals Tees (UHT), with responsibility in conjunction with other executive director colleagues to lead teams to support UHT to deliver improved quality, productivity and performance for the Tees Valley and north Yorkshire population, in line with our strategic objectives and ICB priorities.

The Chief Operating officer has shared corporate responsibility or the overall strategic direction, performance and success of UHT and will share overall responsibility for ensuring effective performance and organisation of all clinical and operational services.

The primary focus will be to ensure that that the trusts provide high quality, safe patient services that meet the needs of our patients.

This will be achieved through the engagement, influence, development, support and performance management of the Clinical Service Units and to ensure the strategic requirements will result in the sustainability of UHT along with the development and implementation of integrated health and social care provision for the population of the Tees Valley and North East and Cumbria region.

Main duties of the job

As required, attend and chair meetings and lead strategic programmes on behalf of the Chief Delivery Officer, representing UHT as appropriate.

Support the Chief Delivery Officer to lead and develop the Clinical Service Unit triumvirate/quadrumvirate teams to be effective and productive, ensuring that each member is held to account, and that collectively it is a high performing team.

The Chief Operating Officer will ensure high calibre, professional leadership in the Clinical Service Units, working with the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nurse, Chief Delivery Officer and Accountable Clinical Leads and their Deputies to develop and implement strategic and operational plans aligned to the overall UHT strategy.

A strong communicator and change agent the Chief Operating Officer will be very present and will demonstrate strong personal leadership and direction whilst at the same timing building an effective leadership and management team to ensure organisation sustainability.

Engender a culture of learning and improvement from inquiries including positive encouragement of staff to raise concerns and welcoming constructive challenge at all levels in the organisation.

Ensure that effective information systems and controls are in place through oversight of business planning and budgeting processes, to assure the Board that all agreed performance and operational standards and targets will be met.

About us

Ensure that effective monitoring systems are in place to detect and address any sub-optimal performance, including participation in leadership walkabouts to engage with patients and staff.

Play an active role in contributing to the overall development and implementation of UHT's Trust's long-term vision, strategic direction and governance arrangements.

Ensure the Clinical Service Units are developing a clear workforce plan and people plan which will provide clear leadership to all staff in the Clinical Service Units and ensure proactive performance management of our people.

Ensure the Clinical Service Units are developing responsive cost plans for pay and non pay budget management and monitoring and reviewing implementation to ensure cost improvement plans are achieved.

Please refer to the Candidate Information Pack attached to this vacancy.

Job responsibilities

Please see the full Candidate Information Pack document(s) attached for main responsibilities of the role.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Professional Registration

• Educated to Master's degree level or senior executive leadership qualification
• Substantial, demonstrable evidence of continuous professional and personal development at Board level.
• Proven, substantial executive Board-level leadership experience within a large, complex NHS acute healthcare organisation (e.g., Chief Executive, Chief Delivery Officer, or equivalent accountable role).
• Extensive experience operating at system level (e.g., within an Integrated Care System (ICS) or Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP)), demonstrating deep understanding of integrated care and partnership working.

Knowledge and Experience

• Substantial Strategic Leadership: Proven track record of successfully developing, gaining Board approval for, and delivering major strategic transformation programmes across multiple complex organisations or systems within the NHS
• NHS Acute Sector Expertise: Deep understanding of the policy context, operational challenges, financial frameworks, regulatory requirements (CQC, NHS England), and cultural dynamics specific to NHS acute trusts.
• Clinical Quality & Performance: Significant experience leading complex clinical quality improvement initiatives and performance delivery at scale, including setting high standards for patient safety and experience, and utilising data for assurance and improvement.
• Financial Acumen: Proven experience managing very large, complex budgets (£500m+) within the NHS, developing long-term financial strategies, and ensuring transformation delivers efficiency and sustainability.

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.

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust