Deputy Chief Operating Officer

NHS; Burton upon Trent; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent NHS Foundation Trust in the UK is seeking a Deputy Chief Operating Officer based in Burton. This role involves leading operational management and ensuring high-quality service across multiple sites. Candidates must have substantial NHS leadership experience with a proven record in operational performance management. The organization emphasizes flexible working arrangements and offers various employee benefits. This is a key position that contributes to strategic initiatives within the Trust.

Benefits

Relocation package

Leadership and Management programmes

Coaching and mentoring opportunities

Health and wellbeing initiatives

Local and national staff discounts

Salary sacrifice schemes for cars and cycles

Qualifications

• Significant experience of leading and directing senior teams in a complex environment.
• Track record in leading operational performance to achieve key performance indicators.
• Experience in managing complex operational/change management projects.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership and management across multiple hospital sites.
• Work collaboratively across teams for improved productivity and efficiency.
• Drive inclusion and leadership culture to support all colleagues.

Skills

Leadership in clinical and non-clinical teams

Operational performance management

Financial and business management

Change management projects

Education

MBA in healthcare/Business management

Master's degree

Job description

Deputy Chief Operating Officer

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) is excited to recruit a Deputy Chief Operating Officer to be based at Queens Hospital, Burton. This role offers a great opportunity for an ambitious and inspiring leader to join our organisation as we move forward on our transformation and operational improvement journey.

Closing date: 22 January 2026

Interview date: 05 February 2026

This is a critical post for the Trust, and you will contribute the highest level of strategic awareness, as well as the ability to work collaboratively to develop service models that will best meet the needs of our patients. The post will have specific portfolio responsibilities & be site based at Burton with the expectation to work at our other sites as required.

The successful candidate will report to the Chief Operating Officer and work closely with other members of the Operations Team, Divisional Management Teams as well as key external partners across the wider integrated care system. You should therefore have a track record of being able to lead and motivate diverse teams.

Main duties of the job

The Deputy Chief Operating Officer will have specific responsibilities and accountabilities across University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) including successful operational leadership and management across the Burton and Staffordshire Community Hospital sites, ensuring supportive and responsive operational management leadership of our hospitals to ensure a high quality of service to patients, visitors, and colleagues.

As a key member of the senior leadership team, the Deputy Chief Operating Officer will work collaboratively with all professions and the Divisional Management Teams across UHDB, to identify and implement opportunities for improved productivity, efficiency, and clinical quality ensuring that we deliver efficient services and effective patient care. You will be influential in ensuring that they represent our values, as well as setting the tone and culture across the teams, by driving inclusion and leading to make a difference, particularly for our colleagues who are traditionally excluded or left behind.

In terms of location, Derby and Burton offer excellent transport links to the rest of the country including major cities. We border the National Forest, and we are in easy reach of the Peak District, offering outstanding natural beauty.

About us

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) is one of the largest NHS Foundation Trusts in the country. We have over 14,000 colleagues providing care across five hospitals and further sites across the region, caring for more than one million patients each year and serving a population of a similar size across South Derbyshire, Southeast Staffordshire and beyond.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients, and for you. We are committed to supporting flexibility and are open to discussion about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.

We are proud to offer a portfolio of personal development and benefits for our staff. These include:

• Relocation package
• Leadership and Management programmes
• Coaching and mentoring opportunities
• A range of health and wellbeing initiatives
• A range of local and national staff discounts
• Range of salary sacrifice schemes including cars and cycles

Job responsibilities

Please see attached Job description and Person Specification. To apply please click APPLY FOR THIS JOB this link will take you to the TRAC Recruitment Site. You will need to register if you do not already have an account.

Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click on the link to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorshipImpacts of the changes to the UK immigration policy | NHS Employers

Your application (for shortlisting purposes) is assessed based on the Person Specification in the job advert (below).

Person Specification

Experience

• Significant experience of leading and directing senior clinical and non-clinical teams in a complex environment
• Successful track record in leading and supporting operational performance to achieve key performance indicators and challenging targets
• Highly developed financial and business management skills and acumen
• Significant proportion of senior management experience within the NHS
• Track record of leading complex operational/change management projects

Qualifications

• Educated to MBA in a healthcare/Business management or equivalent
• Educated to masters degree level

Planning & organisational skills

• Ability to create and shape innovative strategic vision and plans for the best possible long-term benefit of patients, the organisation and health and care systems.
• Demonstrate the ability to create constructive and patient and staff focused teams across our organisations
• Experience of working across multi-agency partnerships

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

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust

Depending on experienceSalary is dependant on experience