Deputy Chief Operating Officer

West London NHS Trust; Southall; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

West London NHS Trust is seeking a Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Local Services) to provide high‑level operational leadership across its Local Services portfolio, including direct accountability for Clinical Directors of six major service lines.

The role requires strong experience in NHS provider leadership, with a track record of improving performance, patient flow, and service delivery in community and mental health settings.

Qualifications

• Significant senior operational leadership experience within an NHS provider.
• Proven track record of improving operational performance, quality and patient flow.
• Experience leading complex community and/or mental health services.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership across Local Services with clear accountability for Clinical Directors of six major service lines.
• Balance supportive leadership with robust performance management and measurable improvement.
• Lead on service redesign, capacity planning and delivery of national and local targets.

Skills

Senior leadership

Operational improvement

Mental health services

Clinical leadership

Performance management

Communication skills

Education

Master's level

CPD/continuous development

Job description

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West London NHS Trust provides a full range of mental health, community and physical healthcare services for children, adults and older people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow.

We also provide some specialist services that are commissioned regionally, such as our medium secure services; and nationally, such as the Cassel Hospital for people with complex and severe personality disorder and our high secure services at Broadmoor Hospital.

Job overview

"If you're the sort of operational leader who enjoys creating grip, empowering clinical leaders and quietly getting things done, this is a role where you'll thrive."

West London NHS Trust is one of the country's leading integrated providers of mental health, community and specialist services. Following significant investment and sustained organisational improvement, the Trust has established itself as one of the NHS's strongest performing organisations, achieving four consecutive quarters in Segment 1 of the National Oversight Framework and being selected to progress towards Advanced Foundation Trust status.

As the Trust continues to expand its community services, neighbourhood models and place-based partnerships across Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow, an exciting opportunity has arisen for a newly created Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Local Services).

The Recruitment Process

Applications Close: 13 th September 2026

Pre-Shortlisting interviews: w/c 14 th September 2026

Stakeholder Virtual Panel: Friday 2 nd October 2026

Final On-Site Interviews: Monday 5 th October 2026

Main duties of the job

The opportunity

Reporting directly to Dr Christopher Hilton, Chief Operating Officer, this newly established VSM role has been created to provide greater operational leadership across the Trust's Local Services portfolio.

Unlike many Deputy COO roles, this position carries direct accountability for the Clinical Directors leading six major service lines, creating clear operational leadership and strengthening delivery across the organisation. The role has been deliberately redesigned to provide greater operational grip, performance oversight and leadership capacity.

What we are looking for

We are looking for an experienced NHS provider leader who enjoys operational management and takes pride in delivering excellent services through strong leadership, clear accountability and meaningful relationships.

You will bring:

• significant senior operational leadership experience within an NHS provider organisation
• a proven track record of improving operational performance, quality, productivity and patient flow
• experience leading complex community and/or mental health services
• confidence managing senior clinical leaders while building trust and credibility
• the ability to balance supportive leadership with robust performance management
• outstanding communication skills and the emotional intelligence to influence across complex systems

Most importantly, you will be someone who is comfortable being given responsibility, trusted to lead and expected to deliver.

Working for our organisation

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.

Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ 4,500 staff, of whom 56% are BME. Our turnover for 2023-24 is £426m.

The Trust is rated as ‘Good’ overallby the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as ‘Outstanding’.

The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person specification

Personal attributes and other Requirements

• Compassionate, collaborative and inclusive leadership style.
• Commitment to service users, carers and communities, with a strong focus on dignity, respect and multicultural sensitivity.
• Commitment to staff engagement, co-production and continuous improvement.
• Positive, resilient and solutions-focused, with a constructive can-do approach.
• Flexible and adaptable, able to work effectively in ambiguity and complexity.
• High levels of integrity, discretion and professional judgement.
• Commitment to NHS values and the Trust’s values, including equality, diversity and inclusion.

Qualifications

• Educated to Master’s level, or equivalent senior leadership experience and learning.
• Evidence of continuous professional development.

Experience

• Proven track record of senior operational delivery in a complex health or social care setting.
• Experience of managing healthcare services at senior level in a provider organisation across mental health, community health, urgent care, access, flow or place-based services and delivering high standards of service performance, including national and local targets, access standards, productivity and quality objectives.
• Experience of leading complex organisational change, service redesign and clinical service development.
• Experience of business planning, demand and capacity planning, and development of business cases in complex organisations.
• Experience of financial management, including efficiency and productivity programmes.
• Experience of working effectively with parters e.g. primary care, local authorities, A/I Page | 17 VCSE partners etc.
• Evidence of tackling inequalities in access, experience or outcomes.
• Experience of leading patient flow, access, bed management, urgent care or productivity programmes.
• Experience of working within a provider collaborative, place-based partnership or integrated care system.

Knowledge

• Strong understanding of NHS policy, contracting, finance and performance systems.
• Understanding of mental health and community health provision, integrated care, inequalities, co-production and population health.

Skills

• Strategic and operational leadership skills, with the ability to translate strategy into delivery.
• Highly developed operational management and performance improvement skills.
• Ability to work in partnership with clinical and operational leaders and external partners.
• Ability to negotiate, influence and build consensus across a wide range of senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, numeracy and problem-solving skills, including use of data to support delivery
• Business and service planning skills.
• Ability to communicate complex or contentious information clearly, sensitively and persuasively to a range of audiences.
• Ability to write clear reports, business cases and Board-level papers.
• Ability to motivate and engage staff at all levels, improving confidence and supporting teams through change.
• Ability to build personal credibility with peers, partners and Executive Team members.
• Ability to manage a wide range of responsibilities, prioritise effectively and deliver to deadlines.
• Digitally confident and able to use information systems to support operational grip

As an employee of West London NHS Trust, you have a responsibility to maintain a sound understanding of, and a commitment to uphold the National Health Service values and principles set out in the NHS Constitution.

We reserve the right to close adverts prior to the closing date stated should we receive a high volume of applications.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to West London NHS Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, you will be required to undergo a pre-employment checks which can take between 4-8 weeks . After which your information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system (ESR ).

West London NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We encourage the thoughtful use of technology as a demonstration of strong time management and a commitment to innovation. However, we encourage applicants to personalise their recruitment application to showcase their unique skills and experiences.

While AI-generated content can be a helpful tool, relying solely on generic responses instead of highlighting your own strengths and achievements may impact the success of your application. The success of an application will always be assessed against the essential and desirable criteria for the role, so it is important to ensure that your application and any supporting information clearly demonstrate how you meet these requirements.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

At West London NHS Trust, we want you to support you to build a career you can be proud of and this starts before your first day with us. Our people live our values every day as they deliver, manage and work to improve our services to patients, carers, families and other professionals.

We’re committed to making our recruitment process clear and efficient. It’s in everyone’s interest that we get the very best people on board as soon as we can.