Directorate Operations Manager - Radiology

NHS; Manchester; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in Manchester is looking for a Directorate Operations Manager to oversee operational support within the Radiology Directorate. The role involves leading service improvement initiatives, financial management, and HR staff oversight to ensure the highest patient care standards. Candidates should hold a relevant degree, have extensive NHS experience, and demonstrate strong leadership and analytical skills. This is a full-time, fixed-term position with a salary range of £55,690 to £62,682 per annum pro rata, with a duration of 12 months.

Qualifications

• First Degree or equivalent experience in management or a clinical profession.
• In-depth professional knowledge in financial management, performance management, and service improvement.
• Proven experience working in an NHS environment and as a manager.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational management support for all services within the directorate.
• Implement effective performance management systems to ensure delivery of performance targets.
• Oversee aspects of financial management and monitoring of service level agreements.

Skills

Leadership

Performance management

Financial management

Change management

Staff management

Analytical skills

Negotiation skills

Education

First Degree or equivalent in management or clinical profession

Post-graduate qualification in a relevant subject

Job description

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for a driven and enthusiastic individual to join the Radiology Directorate at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust as Directorate Operations Manager. Working closely with the Radiology Service Manager and wider radiology management team, you will provide operational support across the directorate with responsibility for the operational performance of the service and delivering the departmental objectives to ensure the highest standards of patient care.

You will ensure that the delivery of services is both efficient and effective by actively applying available resources and implementing improvements. You will promote and lead on quality and service improvement across the directorate and you will contribute towards long term strategies and policies for implementation of transformational change.

*Please note this is a fixed-term 12 month post*

Main duties

• Providing strong leadership and operational support to the Directorate and leadership team
• Responsibility for performance monitoring and service improvement to bring performance in line with local and national targets
• HR staff management with line management responsibility for designated teams within the directorate, upholding and adhering to Trust policies and processes
• Oversee aspects of financial management and monitoring of service level agreements and developing/monitoring of business cases

About us

The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% of patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world‑first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

Details

Date posted: 04 December 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 8a

Salary: £55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract: Fixed term

Duration: 12 months

Working pattern: Full‑time

Reference number: 413‑100346‑CSSS‑AK

Job locations: Radiology - E00298, Manchester, M20 4BX

Job responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities

1. Service & Operational management
   • Provides operational management support for all services within directorate, working closely with the service manager, clinical director, and clinical leads.
   • Implements effective performance management systems to ensure delivery of performance targets.
   • Ensures inpatient and outpatient services are utilized to best effect, achieving utilisation targets and driving improvements.
   • Supports the delivery of best practices for patients, relatives, and carers.
   • Supports day‑to‑day operational matters (e.g., bed escalation meetings, staffing concerns, ward maintenance) to maintain patient flow.
   • Leads services on the performance management agenda and introduces strategy and process changes.
2. Strategic planning, service development and improvement
   • Interprets, develops, and implements broad policies and NHS guidance.
   • Plays a key role in service planning and development, including long‑term strategic plans.
   • Ensures improvements span the entire patient pathway in line with directorate objectives.
   • Involves patients and relatives centrally in service development projects.
   • Uses research and audit findings to aid new guidelines and protocols.
3. Financial management and business planning
   • Manages designated budgets and prepares robust business cases.
   • Identifies and recommends capital investment programmes.
   • Ensures compliance with Trust standing orders and financial instructions.
   • Contributes to efficiency savings initiatives and budget setting.
4. Human resources management
   • Line management responsibility for designated services.
   • Responsible for rotas, induction, attendance, performance and conduct of staff.
   • Handles grievances, disciplinary action, and recruitment processes in accordance with Trust policy.
   • Develops local HR strategies to maximise retention and recruitment.
5. Governance, quality and risk management
   • Leads governance strategy and promotes a culture of patient safety and quality.
   • Implements robust reporting structures for quality, risk, and safety.
   • Manages incident investigations, root‑cause analysis, and remedial actions.
6. Communication
   • Maintains highly effective communication and working relationships.
   • Negotiates, influences, persuades, and resolves conflicts with credibility.
   • Provides both formal and informal presentations to stakeholders.
7. Education & training, audit, R&D
   • Implements training and development strategies for lifelong learning.
   • Ensures mandatory training compliance and audits.
   • Promotes and monitors action plans from audits and surveys.
8. Information resources
   • Creates and maintains information systems for project and programme management.
   • Uses software to produce performance management and financial reports.
9. General
   • Participates in Trust duty manager on‑call rota.

Person specification

Essential qualifications

• First Degree or equivalent experience in management or a clinical profession.
• In‑depth professional knowledge in financial management, performance management, service improvement, change management, workforce redesign, staff management.
• Evidence of maintaining, improving and updating professional knowledge and skills and participation in continuing professional development.
• Post‑graduate qualification or equivalent experience in a relevant subject.

Desirable qualifications

• Experience of managing staff from a range of professional backgrounds.

Essential experience

• Proven experience working in an NHS environment and as a manager.
• In‑depth professional knowledge in operational management, financial management, performance management, information systems, staff management, and change management.
• Considerable experience managing complex services, including solving a range of operational and strategic problems.
• Track record of delivering against set objectives and achieving key organisational targets, demonstrating continuous performance improvement.
• Experience of managing large groups of staff and implementing HR strategies and policies.
• Experience of working in a pressurised, unpredictable environment.
• Experience of managing budgets.

Desirable experience

• Experience of developing business cases and successful project management.

Essential skills

• Demonstrates principles and behaviours described within the Christie Commitment.
• Demonstrates commitment to an empathetic and caring approach to patients and relatives; ability to motivate staff to ensure patients are treated with dignity and respect.
• Well‑developed political awareness, influencing, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Team player, effective collaboration with clinical and managerial colleagues.
• Presentation skills and ability to prepare and present reports for Trust Board.
• Highly developed analytical skills and the ability to deduce key points from complex data to make decisions.

Essential knowledge

• Knowledge across a range of clinical areas, the NHS and changes within it.
• Knowledge of strategic management processes and their application.
• Sound knowledge of clinical governance and risk management agendas.
• Knowledge of business planning processes and their application in service delivery.

Essential values

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours.

Other essential

• Ability to work management on‑call.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website.

Employer details

Employer name: The Christie NHS FT

Address: Radiology - E00298, Manchester, M20 4BX

Employer's website: https://www.christie.nhs.uk/