Head of Operations - Community & Diagnostics

Nhs-1; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 67,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Head of Operations for the Community & Diagnostics portfolio. The role requires leadership across the Care Group, with on-call duties and a commitment to delivering Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-Led services.

You will drive performance improvement plans, steward transformation projects, and work with senior teams to enable system-wide change and improved patient care.

Qualifications

• Master’s level or equivalent experience in public/health sector management.
• Completed a managerial qualification at Level 6 or above or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide visible, dynamic leadership across the Care Unit.
• Ensure Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-Led services.
• Lead performance, transformation and service development initiatives.

Skills

Leadership & people mgmt

Strategic planning

Budget management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Education

Master’s degree or equivalent

Level 6 managerial qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Main area Management and Leadership Grade NHS AfC: Band 8b Contract Permanent: Post includes On Call Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (On Call expectation) Job ref 186-957-26-CS

Employer Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Highbury Hospital Town Nottingham Salary £66,582 - £77,368 On Call Payment Salary period Yearly Closing 04/11/2026 23:59

Head of Operations - Community & Diagnostics

NHS AfC: Band 8b

We fully support the use of AI and other tools to assist in writing your application. However, it's essential that the content, especially your supporting statement, is personalised and factually accurate. Your application should reflect your genuine experiences and qualifications to ensure authenticity and credibility

Job overview

An opportunity is available for a Head of Operations role with responsibility for the community and diagnostic services portfolio.

The role will require skills in operational demand management, responsibility for performance improvement plans and service development/transformation that is currently underway. There will be opportunities to lead and enable projects that are system facing with the support of the Associate Director of Operations such as Young Onset Dementia and MAS redesign as well as helping to enable wider development projects such as dementia admission avoidance and CRFD reduction through D2A work streams and process mapping.

Main duties of the job

The Head of Operations, together with the Head of Patient Safety, Quality & Experience, will be responsible for the provision of an agreed portfolio of Services within the Care Group on a day-to-day basis, providing visible, dynamic, and transformative leadership across the Care Unit.

The Head of Operations is responsible for the operational leadership, ensuring patients have access to a seamless, coherent, and joined-up Care Offer, which is delivered through Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-Led Services.

The Head of Operations will work in line with the Trust’s Performance & Accountability Framework which includes accountability for Governance, Operational Delivery, Performance, Financial Decision Making and Transformation.

Working for our organisation

#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.

We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of our colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Head of Operations will operate within the Triumvirate Leadership Model, working together with the Head of Patient Safety, Quality & Experience and wider Clinical Leadership to facilitate Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-Led Services delivered within the Care Group. The Head of Operations will be accountable to the Associate Director of Operations and will work closely with the Associate Director of Nursing, Allied Health Professionals & Quality, Clinical Directors and Professional Lead for Psychology.

The successful candidate will be a highly competent individual, with experience in the leadership of people, operational delivery, workforce, performance, financial management and building positive relationships internally and externally. This experience should be at service and/or team level or above in the NHS, Social Care, Local Government and/or more broadly across the Government, Private, Voluntary, Community or Social Enterprise Sector. Please see the job description and person specification for the full details relating to the role.

You must be able to demonstrate the relevant skills and experience as part of the application and interview process.

Person specification

Values and Behaviours

• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork
• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and how it applies to their role. The Trust’s expectations are highlighted within our EDI Policy, and associated EDI and Human Rights legislation.

Physical Requirements

• Frequent and sustained concentration, particularly during complex tasks such as data analysis, strategic planning, and report writing.
• Unpredictable working pattern, where frequent interruptions and urgent demands are common.
• Required to undertake on-call duties

Qualifications - Academic / Craft / Professional

• Master’s Level or equivalent experience within the public or private sector, including the NHS, Social Care, Local Government and the Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise Sector
• Completed a relevant managerial qualification at Level 6 or above (e.g., degree-level, or equivalent professional qualification) and/or have equivalent experience

Experience

• Demonstrates significant experience in managing people, services, and resources within the NHS, Social Care, Local Government, or across wider sectors including Private, Voluntary, Community, or Social Enterprise organisations
• Experienced in leading and managing change processes, including workforce transformation, service improvement, and cultural development
• Experienced in budgetary management, including financial planning, monitoring, and reporting, ensuring value for money and alignment with strategic objectives

Skills

• Proven ability to build and maintain effective communication and collaborative working relationships with a diverse range of colleagues, stakeholders, and partner agencies
• Skilled in identifying opportunities for service development and redesign, with a track record of successfully implementing transformational change aligned to strategic priorities
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills, with the ability to lead, motivate, and develop individuals and teams across clinical and operational settings
• Committed to promoting partnership working with patients, families, carers, communities, and multi-agency colleagues to ensure services are inclusive, responsive, and person-centred
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence and engage a wide range of audiences both verbally and in writing, including in high-pressure or complex situations
• Demonstrates a systematic approach to problem solving, using multiple sources of information to support sound judgement and effective decision-making
• Capable of providing strategic vision and direction, involving others in shaping, and delivering the Care Unit’s long-term goals and priorities
• Shows breadth of thinking, creativity, and innovation, encouraging others to contribute ideas and challenge existing ways of working
• Highly organised, with the ability to plan and prioritise own workload, delegate effectively, and manage competing demands to maximise impact
• Proficient in the use of advanced keyboard and IT skills, including Microsoft Office and other key organisational systems, to support effective communication, reporting, and analysis

Additional Information

• We reserve the right to close the post early once we have received a sufficient number of applicants.
• The Trust believes in treating everyone with dignity and respect and encourages applications from all sectors of the community. We guarantee an interview to candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum essential criteria.
• In submitting an application form, you authorise Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to confirm from your previous or current NHS employer and other prior employers; previous NHS service details and personal data held about you. This data will be transferred using NHS Electronic Staff Record and third party systems via an automated process and only used for the purposes of obtaining and maintaining accurate employment records, should you be appointed to the post. Should you require any further information please refer our Privacy Policy shown on the Trust website, please click here for more information.
• For eligible posts, DBS disclosures are mandatory before commencement of employment. If you are in a position that is deemed a regulated adult and/or child care role, you will not be able to start your employment until we have received a satisfactory DBS Disclosure. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Convictions which would otherwise be considered as 'spent' will also be checked as part of an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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.