Deputy Group Director of Operations

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust; Coventry; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in the UK seeks a Deputy Group Director of Operations to manage service delivery and operational performance. Responsibilities include leading service improvement projects, ensuring quality patient care, and managing operational teams effectively. Candidates should be committed to continuous improvement and demonstrate leadership skills in a dynamic healthcare environment. This position offers the chance to shape service delivery in a top teaching trust.

Responsibilities

• Lead Trust-wide service improvement projects requiring timely implementation.
• Manage operational performance to achieve national and local targets.
• Ensure governance arrangements for safe and quality patient care.

Job description

Deputy Group Director of Operations

Closing date: 01 January 2026

The post holder will lead, manage and support the development of the services within the Clinical Group, ensuring continuous improvement to service delivery, performance and efficiency.

To ensure the delivery of high quality, effective patient‑focused services and the achievement of efficiency targets, activity, financial and quality targets. The post holder will ensure operational management of all aspects of services including financial, workforce and day‑to‑day operational performance; working closely with other Groups to ensure patient flow and that patients are put first in everything we do.

Working with the Group Director of Operations, the post holder will provide senior operational management of the operational teams and processes across the group.

The post holder will work in partnership with the Group Director of Operations in providing a high level of leadership and organisational ability to ensure that all operational processes are developed and implemented to support the Group. This will require the post holder to ensure the full engagement of all staff in the relevant specialities and Clinical Group.

Closing date: Please be advised that this job advert will close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Please apply for this job as soon as you can, if interested.

Main duties of the job

• To operationally lead and deliver Trust‑wide service improvement projects within required timescales, which will include theatre and outpatient productivity programmes focused on areas such as improved utilisation, etc. Review and adapt plans as necessary to ensure timely and successful implementation.
• Lead and manage relevant specialities as required, ensuring clear robust communication and vigorous implementation of policy, business objectives and agreed targets.
• Ensure rigorous operational management of all areas with robust, reviewable systems, working with nursing and clinical colleagues as required.
• Manage the operational performance of relevant specialities to achieve delivery of national and local targets e.g., referral to treatment and cancer, the development and delivery of improvement plans, aligning demand and capacity as required. Adjusting and reformulating when required.
• Ensure effective and robust implementation of theatre and outpatient scheduling and working with the clinical specialities to maximise utilisation, balance demand and capacity, and improve patient experience.

Interviews for this post are due to take place 29th January 2026

About us

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, rated as good by the Care Quality Commission, is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the UK.

We are extremely proud of our employees across our hospital sites, with high quality patient care at the heart of everything we do.

Boasting some of the most modern facilities in Western Europe, the Trust is renowned for being at the forefront of research and innovation as part of its blossoming reputation as a worldwide leader in healthcare.

We are proud to be recognised as a Pathway to Excellence designated organisation - please click the link for further details about this prestigious award. Pathway To Excellence - University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire (uhcw.nhs.uk)

By joining our exciting journey, you will form part of a passionate, talented team and will be able to access a wide range of learning and development opportunities. There has never been a better time to join our team.

The Trust is committed to building an organisation that makes full use of the talents, skills, experience, and different perspectives available in our diverse society. We want everyone to feel they are respected, valued, can achieve their potential and receive the most appropriate and relevant care. We will create an environment where the equality and human rights principles of fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy are promoted and are part of the organisation's core values.

Job responsibilities

• Working with Clinical Leads and Modern Matrons to ensure support for the appropriate deployment of staff.
• Deliver against agreed financial and activity profiles for Group specialities, identify risks and implement, monitor and review risk reduction strategies.
• Support the delivery of high‑quality safe care in conjunction with clinical colleagues, ensuring robust governance arrangements are in place and active. Work with others to ensure that quality improvement plans, such as those arising from CQC inspections are implemented.
• Implement and review systems of a highly complex nature. Ensuring that robust processes are in place so that budgets are effectively managed and financial balance is achieved, within Trust budgetary rules, Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions. Supporting the delivery of the Trust waste programme.
• Ensure strict adherence to HR and governance strategies and policies within relevant specialities in order to achieve compliancy with Trust policies and procedures, best practice, relevant legislation and regulatory provisions.
• Managerial oversight of any group data systems including their development, operational use, data reporting and compliance with IG standards.
• Support the timely investigation and resolution of sensitive complaints, clinical adverse events and untoward incidents, involving staff and/or patients, within relevant specialities and implement strategies to reduce risk of reoccurrence and promote quality.
• Implement and review arrangements within the speciality group to effectively deal with emergencies, in line with Trust policy, including elective and emergency admissions, major emergencies and mechanical failures.
• Seek to safely maximise operational capacity and ensure effective use of resources in order to deliver key organisational targets.
• Ensure the formulation, development and delivery of robust capacity plans and delivery (production) plans.
• Support the Group Management Team in the delivery of key performance and QIPP targets, including local transformation through service redesign and improvement.
• Formulate, analyse and determine appropriate action plans in relation to highly complex reports, information and data.
• To report on the progress of project targets as required so that the position of projects within the Trust is mapped against the Trusts annual plan and can be reported as appropriate.
• Delivery of a 24/7 day‑a‑week service to meet routine, urgent and emergency demands.
• Ensure the service delivers a high‑quality patient‑centred experience at all times.

For further details of the role please see the attached job description.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• See supporting documents

Experience

• See supporting documents

Knowledge

• See supporting documents
• See supporting documents

Skills

• See supporting documents

Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours

• See supporting documents

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.

Address

University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire