Deputy Chief Operating Officer

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 117,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in London is looking for a Deputy Chief Operating Officer to cover maternity leave. This role involves providing operational and strategic leadership, overseeing clinical services across various directorates, and ensuring high-quality patient-centered care. Candidates must have significant NHS experience and leadership qualifications. The position is full-time with a competitive salary and extensive benefits package.

Benefits

Generous pay and pensions

Career development programs

Keyworker housing available

NHS discounts

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Significant senior management experience within a health and care setting.
• Experience of working in partnership with mental health services.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development in leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational clinical services and manage performance.
• Ensure effective implementation of pathways and integrated working.
• Communicate sensitive information across various stakeholders.

Skills

Operational management

Leadership

Communication

Relationship management

Service transformation

Education

Degree level education or related experience

Relevant professional qualification in leadership

Job description

Job summary

Previous applicants need not apply.

Please note: Applicants must have relevant experience in mental health.

This role is for a maternity cover for the Deputy Chief Operating Officer working directly to the COO, providing senior operational and strategic leadership . Note that specific service lines and geographies named in this JD are subject to potential change in response to the needs of the COO office throughout the duration of the maternity cover period.

The role will lead and be accountable for the delivery of operational clinical services in geographical areas

The role is expected to be the lead and be accountable from COO office for the delivery of operational clinical services currently defined as Croydon & BDP , Lewisham & Addictions & CAMHS directorates - whilst also taking a trustwide leadership role for Learning Disabilities & Autism, Complex Care & Rehab services, Emergency Preparedness, Resilience & Response (EPRR), Data Quality, National and Specialist service sustainability, and Health & Safety Fire & Legal.

The role will lead in driving key opportunities across the trust to support integrated working across services as well as across mental health and specialist services, to ensure they deliver key improvements for our patients and carers. It will ensure the effective implementation of pathways, supporting system and place - from PCNs, Integrated Care Partnerships/Place Partnerships, to Provider Collaboratives.

Main duties of the job

Management and Leadership.

Deliver the requirements of the role across as lead from COO office for the delivery of operational clinical services currently defined as Croydon & BDP directorate, Lewisham & Addictions directorate & CAMHS directorates

Operational Management

To manage the operational performance of services, ensuring high quality, compassionate, patient-centred care.

Communication

Communicates at the highest level within the Trust and across other external organisations and agencies, with respect to highly sensitive and highly contentious information, including long term strategy, resources and finance, hospital closures, redeployment of staff, service-related information, changes in models of service delivery and governance. This is to small and large groups of staff and members of the public where there are significant barriers to acceptance and extremely opposing views from staff and external partners in a hostile, antagonistic and highly emotive atmosphere. The highest level of interpersonal and communication skills are required to overcome this.

Workforce

To manage and supervise direct management reports as identified for several services.

See JD for full details

About us

We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at SLaM. It's important to us that you valued and appreciated therefore have a comprehensive benefits package on offerSome of our amazing benefits are highlighted here:- Generous pay, pensions and annual leave.- Work life balance and supportive of a range of flexible working options- Career development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes- Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars- Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites- NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.Other benefits include:o Counselling serviceso Wellbeing eventso Long service awardso Cycle to work schemeo Season ticket loano Staff restaurants

Details Date posted

30 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 9

Salary

£117,645 to £134,103 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

334-NCL-7218342-TA-B

Job locations

Maudsley Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 8AZ

Job description Job responsibilities

The post holder will be expected to demonstrate a personal commitment to fairness and will focus on ensuring fairness in all that we do. This is not limited to but includes service delivery and people management, ensuring that process, resource allocation and availability of opportunity operate in a transparent, consistent and non- discriminatory way. The post holder is expected to provide visible leadership and promote high standards by modelling the values and behaviours expected of a senior manager in the NHS.

The post holder needs to work as a dynamic, innovative leader using a positive, strong influencing style to ensure services are run effectively and to budget, ensuring that the Trust work in a positive and collaborative manner. Key responsibilities will require strong relationship management with a range of stakeholders including service users and carer forum, Local authority colleagues, VCSE partners, placement providers, independent sector.

The role will support the executive team, Non-Executive Directors and wider system leadership to achieve the Trust strategy, vision and objectives.

See JD for full details

Job description Job responsibilities

The post holder will be expected to demonstrate a personal commitment to fairness and will focus on ensuring fairness in all that we do. This is not limited to but includes service delivery and people management, ensuring that process, resource allocation and availability of opportunity operate in a transparent, consistent and non- discriminatory way. The post holder is expected to provide visible leadership and promote high standards by modelling the values and behaviours expected of a senior manager in the NHS.

The post holder needs to work as a dynamic, innovative leader using a positive, strong influencing style to ensure services are run effectively and to budget, ensuring that the Trust work in a positive and collaborative manner. Key responsibilities will require strong relationship management with a range of stakeholders including service users and carer forum, Local authority colleagues, VCSE partners, placement providers, independent sector.

The role will support the executive team, Non-Executive Directors and wider system leadership to achieve the Trust strategy, vision and objectives.

See JD for full details

Person Specification Education and Qualifications Essential

• Educated to Degree level or related experience.
• Relevant professional qualification in leadership
• Evidence of ongoing professional development, particularly in health and care leadership, operational leadership and/or strategy

Experience Essential

• Significant recent senior management experience within a health and care setting
• Significant and senior level experience of NHS, social care, local authorities and more broadly across the government, private and voluntary sector providers.
• Significant experience of operational management of services
• Experience of negotiating contracts
• Experience of working in partnership with other mental health/ NHS Trusts / primary care services / voluntary sector
• Substantial budget management experience
• Significant experience of service transformation, care pathways and new models of care

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES Essential

• Significant working knowledge and understanding of present health policy in relation to services provided by the Trust and expectations of stakeholders
• Skills, capability and demonstrate experience is managing complex service change, service transformation, care pathway development and implementation of new and innvoative models of care.
• Experience of involving service users and carers in service redesign and improvement
• Ability to manage and motivate diverse and multi-professional teams, transforming cultures.
• Evidence of systems working with ICB and leading work streams at a system level
• Skills and capability in delivery improved flow and inter organisational working to manage flow across the organisation

PERSONAL QUALITIES Essential

• Track record and able to demonstrate political acumen
• Innovative and strategic thinker
• Demonstrable ability to manage, and to promote diversity in day-to-day practice of self and others
• Able to influence others, including service users and carers, in service planning and delivery
• Must be able to meet the travel requirements of the role and have the ability to travel within the geographical area and wider within a reasonable timeframe

Person Specification Education and Qualifications Essential

• Educated to Degree level or related experience.
• Relevant professional qualification in leadership
• Evidence of ongoing professional development, particularly in health and care leadership, operational leadership and/or strategy

Experience Essential

• Significant recent senior management experience within a health and care setting
• Significant and senior level experience of NHS, social care, local authorities and more broadly across the government, private and voluntary sector providers.
• Significant experience of operational management of services
• Experience of negotiating contracts
• Experience of working in partnership with other mental health/ NHS Trusts / primary care services / voluntary sector
• Substantial budget management experience
• Significant experience of service transformation, care pathways and new models of care

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES Essential

• Significant working knowledge and understanding of present health policy in relation to services provided by the Trust and expectations of stakeholders
• Skills, capability and demonstrate experience is managing complex service change, service transformation, care pathway development and implementation of new and innvoative models of care.
• Experience of involving service users and carers in service redesign and improvement
• Ability to manage and motivate diverse and multi-professional teams, transforming cultures.
• Evidence of systems working with ICB and leading work streams at a system level
• Skills and capability in delivery improved flow and inter organisational working to manage flow across the organisation

PERSONAL QUALITIES Essential

• Track record and able to demonstrate political acumen
• Innovative and strategic thinker
• Demonstrable ability to manage, and to promote diversity in day-to-day practice of self and others
• Able to influence others, including service users and carers, in service planning and delivery
• Must be able to meet the travel requirements of the role and have the ability to travel within the geographical area and wider within a reasonable timeframe

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).

Additional information 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).

Employer details Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Maudsley Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 8AZ

Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Maudsley Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 8AZ

Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)