Chief Operating Officer

Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust; Harlow; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

An established healthcare institution is seeking a dynamic Chief Operating Officer (COO) to drive transformative changes in service delivery and patient care. This pivotal role involves leading operational strategies, enhancing quality improvement initiatives, and ensuring the sustainability of services for a diverse population. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping the Trust's future, focusing on integrating services and fostering a resilient workforce. Join this forward-thinking organization at a crucial time of growth and innovation in healthcare delivery, where your leadership will make a significant impact.

Qualifications

• Experience at Board or sub-Board level in a complex healthcare setting.
• Proven track record in operational delivery and strategic alignment.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational service delivery and champion patient experience.
• Ensure alignment of operational delivery with strategic ambitions.

Skills

Leadership in Healthcare

Operational Management

Strategic Planning

Quality Improvement

Data Quality and Performance Management

Education

Master's Degree in Healthcare Management

Board Level Experience

Job description

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) is at a pivotal stage in its development. Following the appointment of our current Chief Operating Officer (COO) to a Chief Executive post, there is an opportunity to join us as our next COO and play a fundamental role in delivering outstanding services for our population, ensuring that safety, quality, efficiency, and responsiveness remain at the heart of everything we do.

We have an ambitious strategy, and as COO, you will join an executive team on an exciting journey. We seek someone with experience gained at Board or sub-Board level in a complex healthcare setting to contribute to our Trust’s success.

This is a crucial time for PAHT as we develop our new Clinical Strategy for the Trust and the wider West Essex system. We are committed to modernising our services, improving patient care, and fostering a resilient workforce. The COO will lead this transformation, ensuring operational delivery aligns with strategic ambitions and that we continue to provide safe, effective, and innovative services.

Interviews will take place on Wednesday 18 June 2025.

As an anchor institution in West Essex, we play a vital role in shaping the health and wellbeing of our local population. The COO will drive this agenda, leading operational service delivery, championing patient experience, quality improvement, and operational resilience. They will ensure our services are sustainable, integrated, and responsive to our diverse communities. The role also involves strengthening data quality, business intelligence, and performance management to inform decision-making and organizational transformation.

This role is instrumental in delivering national NHS priorities, including the Three Shifts, the NHS Long Term Plan, reducing health inequalities, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement, service innovation, and operational excellence. The successful candidate will ensure robust emergency planning, business continuity, and major incident preparedness frameworks to safeguard service delivery during challenges.

We are a district general hospital serving our community, with over 4,000 dedicated staff across The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, the Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford, and St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping. Working closely with our partners across the Herts and West Essex ICS and beyond, we are committed to transforming healthcare delivery for a population of over 500,000 people.

For further details or informal visits, contact:

• Name: Thomas Patterson
• Job Title: Managing Director, Alumni Global
• Email: [e-mail]
• Telephone: [phone]