Genomic Medicine Service Chief Operating Officer

NHS; Park Central; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in the UK seeks a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead the Central & South Genomic Medicine Service. The COO will drive the strategy and operational leadership, ensuring high-quality delivery of essential services. Candidates must have significant leadership experience, a strong track record in service improvement, and the ability to forge partnerships across multiple healthcare entities. This role requires a commitment to patient-focused service delivery, with a start date of April 2026.

Benefits

Commitment to health and inclusion

Qualifications

• Experience in leading large-scale services across multiple providers.
• Significant experience in a senior leadership role.
• Experience in service redesign and reconfiguration.

Responsibilities

• Ensure high-quality delivery of non-clinical functions.
• Collaborate with partner Trusts and NHS England.
• Lead service performance and governance.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Service improvement

Change management

Communication skills

Education

RCPath / PhD or Equivalent experience

Job description

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust

Closing date: 26 November 2025

An exceptional opportunity has arisen to join the Central & South Genomic Medicine Service (C&S GMS) as Chief Operating Officer (COO) -- a senior leadership post within a newly established structure that will drive the next phase of genomic medicine delivery and development across the region.

The role will commence from 1 April 2026, subject to the award of the new NHSE Genomics Contract, anticipated in January 2026.

The C&S GMS will be a partnership between:

• Birmingham Women's & Children's NHS Foundation Trust (lead provider)
• Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
• University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Together, these four organisations form one of the largest genomic networks in England, covering a population of more than 11 million across 12 ICBs and 42 NHS Trusts.

The COO will play a central role in realising the ambitions of the NHS Genomics Strategy ensuring that genomic medicine is embedded across all care pathways, from rare disease and cancer to pharmacogenomics and population health.

Main duties of the job

The Chief Operating Officer will:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across the C&S GMS, ensuring high-quality delivery of all non-clinical functions in line with the national service specification and 2026 contract framework.
• Work collaboratively with, and build positive relationships with, partner Trusts, regional leadership, and NHS England to ensure the service delivers measurable clinical and operational outcomes.
• Lead on service performance, quality, governance, risk management and financial sustainability within an outcomes-based, data-driven commissioning model.
• Drive transformation and integration of genomics into mainstream clinical practice -- including rare disease, cancer and pharmacogenomics.
• Oversee the implementation of genomics within population health initiatives, ensuring robust data systems, equitable access, and operational alignment to deliver measurable improvements in prevention, early detection, and public health outcomes across the region.
• Strengthen partnerships with academic institutions, research organisations, and commercial partners to accelerate innovation, foster translational research, and bring new technologies and discoveries into clinical care.

Additional Information

This post will commence on 1 April 2026, or sooner if mutually agreed, subject to NHS England awarding the Genomics Contract to the Central & South GMS (outcome expected January 2026).

About us

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust is the first of its type in the UK. Our Trust was formed in February 2017 to drive forward our commitment to provide the highest quality, world‑class physical and mental health care for our women, children and families. Uniting our hospitals means more seamless care; more investment to make greater advances in our specialist treatment and world‑leading neo‑natal and fetal work. Importantly, it also gives us a greater voice in shaping the future of family‑centred care.

Birmingham Children's Hospital is a UK leading specialist paediatric centre with an international reputation in several areas.

Birmingham Women's Hospital is one of two dedicated women's hospitals in the UK, with the busiest single site maternity unit, delivering more than 8,200 babies a year offering a full range of gynaecological, maternity and neonatal care.

Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) Mental Health Services are a unique, innovative community and inpatient mental health partnership. Alongside partners FTB offers care pathways of mental health assessment and treatment for young people aged 0-25 years old.

Our Trust is committed to creating the best place to work. We believe in promoting and enhancing inclusion, diversity and equality and encourage applications from all areas of the community, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification to view the full details for this opportunity at Birmingham Womens and Childrens NHS Foundation Trust.

When completing your application, please ensure you have evidenced how you meet the job description and person specification to include transferable experience, qualifications, skills along with professional registration details (if applicable).

Occasionally we receive a large number of applications for our roles and when that happens we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• RCPath / PhD or Equivalent experience in NHS operational delivery

Knowledge & Nature of Experience

• Proven experience of leading, developing and managing a large-scale service across multiple providers
• Significant experience in a senior leadership role and developing partnerships to deliver services
• Experience in service redesign, reconfiguration and consolidation
• Experience in developing and establishing new services, including a clear strategic vision and direction and translation into successful outcomes. Experience in successfully supporting staff through large scale service change and service reconfiguration with knowledge of HR requirements and processes
• Experience of negotiating contracts with NHS, private and public sector partnerships

Analytical & Judgement Skills

• Service and process improvement tools and techniques

Professional/Managerial/Specialist Knowledge

• Knowledge of appropriate legislation and its application to the running of a large and complex partnership
• Ability to build effective relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders, including clinicians and partners
• Commitment and passion for patient‑focused service with the ability to embed such an ethos at all levels of the organisation
• Ability to develop and maintain effective multi‑disciplinary working relationships particularly during times of change
• Ensure that all staff are appropriately trained and updated
• Ensure that all staff managed by the postholder undertake individual performance appraisal, operate within the appropriate Human Resource policies, take up appropriate and required training plans, and contribute to workforce planning activities
• Ensure that managers and staff are treated consistently and fairly, feeling valued and supported to enable them to achieve their fullest potential in a working environment that is safe and stimulating to work in
• Up to date awareness of national policies and legislation affecting the NHS and genomic testing
• A good knowledge of the requirements and delivery of rare disease genomic testing and somatic genomic testing

Personal skills/abilities & attributes

• Demonstrate participative leadership
• Innovative with strong quality focused approach, exceptional communication, interpersonal, negotiating and influencing skills
• Ability to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service
• Proven proactive approach to work
• Able to demonstrate commitment to continuous professional development

Other requirements

• Able to travel across multiple sites where required

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.

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust