Deputy Chief Executive

NHS; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare institution in Cambridge is seeking a Deputy Chief Executive to provide senior leadership and contribute to strategic direction. The ideal candidate will possess substantial NHS leadership experience, a track record of driving change, and strong collaborative skills. This role offers a unique opportunity to influence future strategies in patient care while aligning with the Trust's values of compassion, excellence, and collaboration.

Qualifications

• Substantial senior leadership experience in the NHS at Board or senior management level.
• Track record of leading significant change programmes.
• Experience building strategic partnerships in healthcare.

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of the new five-year strategy.
• Oversee hospital's day-to-day operations.
• Manage key external stakeholder relationships.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Education

Postgraduate qualification in management or healthcare leadership

Job description

Overview

Go back Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Deputy Chief Executive

The closing date is 30 September 2025

This is a new, high-profile leadership role at one of the NHS's most prestigious hospitals. The Deputy Chief Executive will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the future of Royal Papworth Hospital and the lives of the patients we serve. We are seeking an outstanding skilled and compassionate leader who can uphold our tradition of excellence while guiding the Trust through its next phase of innovation and growth. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating at the most senior levels, formulating strategic direction and making decisions that shape the organisation's future. They will bring expertise in working across organisational boundaries and a track record of innovation and change.

We are interested, not just in your technical skills, but also your ability to be a visible, optimistic, and inclusive leader.

This role provides a wonderful opportunity for a high-performing individual who is an aspiring Chief Executive. We are looking for someone with the vision, ambition and leadership qualities that indicate future CEO potential.

We are actively seeking candidates from a range of diverse and inclusive backgrounds who offer the leadership skills required. Whilst welcoming applications from all suitably experienced candidates, we wish to encourage applications from ethnic minority, disabled and LGBTQ+ people. Applications will be considered on their merits.

Main duties of the job

As a member of the Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Board, the Deputy Chief Officer will be responsible for providing senior leadership and contributing to the strategic direction and service development of the Trust.

The post holder will be accountable for:

• Leading the execution of the new five-year strategy.
• Act as the Chief Executive's principal deputy, assuming full CEO responsibilities as required in their absence.
• Oversee the hospital's day-to-day operations in conjunction with fellow executive directors to ensure that performance targets, national standards, and regulatory requirements are met or exceeded.
• Provide executive sponsorship to major clinical programmes and innovation projects that will expand or enhance Royal Papworth's services.
• Provide line management and leadership to the Strategic Projects Team
• Take a lead role in managing key external stakeholder relationships and collaborative ventures.
• Champion an inclusive, empowering culture for Royal Papworth's workforce
• The post holder will work closely and effectively with the Trust Board, Executive Team, our clinical teams, and partner bodies to ensure that effective governance and compliance with all regulatory body requirements is embedded within clinical and operational management.

About us

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is the UK's leading heart and lung hospital, delivering care to more than 50,000 patients a year in its new state-of-the-art hospital in Cambridge. We perform the most heart and/or lung transplants in the UK and carried out the UK's first successful heart transplant in 1979. It also offers emergency heart attack treatment, sleep centre care and is one of just five centres nationally for those in severe respiratory failure.

Based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus the largest centre of medical research and health science in Europe the Trust is at the heart of treatments of the future. Royal Papworth became the first hospital trust in the country to be rated outstanding in all five areas assessed by the Care Quality Commission - a rating it still holds today. The Trust holds its values of compassion, excellence & collaboration at its core, and all colleagues joining the team are expected to uphold these in their day-to-day roles & interactions. Royal Papworth is proud of its diverse workforce and encourages people to embrace their individuality.

The Trust values difference and welcomes all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, race, religion & belief, sex and sexual orientation. Providing they meet the minimum post criteria, applicants with disabilities will be offered an interview.

For a street view tour:

Responsibilities

On this page you will find a Candidate Pack which provides information about the hospital and full details about the role. We recommend that you review this and refer to it as you complete your application. Please include how you will meet the Trust Values Compassion, Excellence and Collaboration. If you would like more information about the role or working at Royal Papworth Hospital, please get in touch with the contact for this role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• A relevant postgraduate qualification in management or healthcare leadership or equivalent learning gained through experience.
• Evidence of participation in NHS leadership development (e.g. Aspiring CEOs programs or equivalent executive development) would be beneficial.

Experience

• Substantial senior leadership experience in the NHS, ideally at Board or very senior management level. The successful candidate will have operated at Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive, or equivalent level in a complex healthcare organisation, with a proven ability to deliver against NHS standards, targets, and service improvement objectives.
• A track record of leading significant change programmes and strategic initiatives that have improved patient outcomes, service quality, and organisational performance.
• Demonstrable experience of building relationships into strategic partnerships across a range of sectors including other NHS providers, community organisations, academic/research bodies, and industry partners to deliver mutual benefits for patients. Given Royal Papworth's emphasis on growing partnerships in healthcare, academia, industry and the community, the ideal candidate will have a history of working collaboratively beyond their own organisation and achieving results through influence and networking.
• Exceptional ability to inspire, motivate and develop teams. A strong commitment to staff engagement, well-being and inclusion is essential, as is a personal leadership style that aligns with Royal Papworth's values of Compassion, Excellence and Collaboration. Experience of successfully managing multidisciplinary teams or departments and fostering an open, improvement-focused culture.

Additional Criteria

• Please provide evidence of your commitment to uphold the Trust's values: Compassion, Excellence, Collaboration
• As part of the appointment process you will be required to complete the Trust's Fit and Proper Person Process and thereafter on an annual basis. This is a requirement of all Board members.
• Ability to participate in Executive On-Call rota.
• Ability to visit our other site in Huntingdon, partner organisations and attend off-site in person meetings as required.

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.

Employer name

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust