Interim Operations Manager

NHS; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization is seeking an experienced Operations Manager for a three-month interim role across Derbyshire sites. This position involves providing operational leadership, managing multi-disciplinary teams, and ensuring high-quality service delivery. Candidates should have significant management experience in healthcare, ideally in primary care or NHS settings. The role offers competitive compensation starting at £48,000, with potential for extension and adjustment based on experience.

Benefits

Potential for extension based on performance

Opportunity to impact service delivery

Qualifications

• Proven operational management experience within healthcare settings.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams across multiple sites.
• Experience with CQC inspections and compliance frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior operational leadership across Derby sites.
• Ensure continuity of service delivery during the interim period.
• Act as the escalation point for operations.

Skills

Senior operational management experience in healthcare

Experience managing multi-site services

Strong organisational and problem-solving skills

Confident IT user

Proven leadership and communication skills

Education

Formal management or leadership qualification

Training or certification related to CQC or NHS compliance

Tools

SystmOne

Microsoft Office

Job description

Aspiro Healthcare is seeking an experiencedOperations Manager to provide operational leadership and support during ashort-term, interim period across our four Derbyshire sites.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a dynamic,portfolio, or interim professional who enjoys leading multi-disciplinary teams,managing multi-site operations and driving service improvement.

You will work alongside the GP Partners,Senior Leadership team, and Clinical Leads to ensure high-quality, efficient and patient-focused service delivery. This interim role is ideal forexperienced operational leaders or portfolio professionals who are accustomedto working across multiple organisations, managing complex teams anddelivering high-impact operational outcomes.

The position is expected to last for a periodof three months, however may be extended. This is an exciting opportunity forsomeone looking to gain experience in project work, operational improvements and high-level finance/management in a busy primary care setting, with thepotential to make a real impact over a short-term assignment.

Main duties of the job

The Interim OperationsManager will provide senior operational leadership and support for a definedperiod across Derby sites, ensuring continuity and high standards of servicedelivery.

The post holder will beresponsible for the day-to-day operational management and performance ofmultiple practice sites, ensuring services are safe, effective, patient-focusedand compliant with NHS contractual and regulatory requirements. Working closely with GP Partners, the Clinical Leadership, HR and Finance, the Interim Operations Managerwill ensure operational stability, consistency and performance across Derbypractices for the duration of the interim period.

This rolecarries full operational authority for Derby sites for the agreed interimperiod.

About us

Aspiro Healthcare is a clinically led primary careorganisation bringing together eight GP surgeries across Derby and Northampton,employing around 200 staff across a wide-ranging multi-disciplinary team.Governed by a Board of GP Partners, we operate in a busy and demanding primarycare environment, providing essential services to our local populations. We area long-established training practice, committed to developing both clinical andnon-clinical staff and supporting learning at all levels.

Job responsibilities

Interim Operational Leadership & Continuity

• Provide senior operational management across all Derby sites during the interim period.
• Ensure continuity of leadership, decision making and service delivery.
• Act as the senior operational escalation point for Aspiro Derby.
• Support the GP Partners and Senior Leadership team in maintaining operational stability during the interim period.

Line Management & WorkforceOperations

• Directly line manage the Deputy Operations Manager.
• Provide guidance, support and professional development to the Deputy Operations team to ensure operational objectives are met.
• Maintain oversight of staffing levels and rotas across Derby sites, working with the Deputy Operations to ensure adequate cover for clinical and administrative teams, including:
• GPs and trainees
• Nurses and HCAs
• ACPs, ANPs, FCPs and Paramedics
• Front Desk, Call Hub, Clinical Admin and Practice Admin teams
• Collaborate with HR to support recruitment, on boarding, attendance management and other workforce matters.
• Ensure clear delegation of operational responsibilities to the Deputy Operations and effective accountability for service delivery.

Day-to-Day Operational Management

• Hold overall accountability for the day-to-day operational running of Derby sites.
• Ensure effective operational oversight of:
• Patient access and call handling
• Reception and Site Lead Management
• Clinical administration and workflow management
• Use of clinical/digital systems and patient pathways such as Rapid Health, SystmOne, Accurux etc.
• Monitor and manage locums, agency staff and temporary clinical staff:
• Ensure they provide up-to-date, accurate information for patient records, scheduling and handovers
• Coordinate on boarding, induction and compliance checks
• Monitor usage to ensure adequate cover and cost-efficiency
• Address performance or communication issues to maintain service quality
• Identify and resolve operational issues promptly, escalating where appropriate.
• Provide operational oversight of all practice premises and facilities across Derby sites.
• Ensure buildings, equipment and infrastructure are maintained safely and effectively.
• Act as the operational lead for contractors and external service providers, including cleaning, maintenance, waste management, estates and security.
• Coordinate repairs, upgrades and compliance checks with estates leads.
• Ensure compliance with health & safety, fire safety, infection prevention and statutory regulations.
• Monitor and report on premises related risks and ensure timely escalation and resolution.
• Work with the Deputy Operations and Site Leads to maintain operational continuity during maintenance or contractor work.

Quality, Safety & CQC Compliance

• Maintain oversight of CQC compliance across Derby sites.
• Ensure policies, SOPs, audits and training requirements are up to date and embedded.
• Support management of:
• Complaints and patient feedback
• Significant events and learning reviews
• Infection prevention and control processes
• Safeguarding operational arrangements
• Work with clinical leads to ensure safe and effective patient pathways.

Performance Management & Reporting

• Monitor operational KPIs, including:
• Patient access and demand/capacity
• Workflow turnaround times
• Appointment utilisation and DNA rates
• Staffing levels, vacancies, and absences
• Complaints and response times
• Provide regular operational reports to Partners & Senior Leadership team.
• Use data to identify risks and drive service improvements.
• Ensure consistent, high-quality patient experience across all Derby sites.
• Act as senior oversight for operational complaints and escalations.
• Work with patient liaison functions to implement learning and prevent recurring issues.
• Work with the Finance Team (where necessary) to ensure operational delivery aligns with budgets.
• Monitor locum and agency usage, overtime and other operational costs.
• Support short-term financial and resource decisions necessary to maintain service continuity.

Skills, Experience & Attributes

• Senior operational management experience in healthcare, ideally primary care or NHS settings.
• Experience managing multi-site services and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong understanding of GP practice operations and patient access.
• Proven leadership, decision-making and communication skills.
• Ability to remain calm and authoritative under pressure.
• Strong organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Confident IT user, including Microsoft Office and clinical systems (e.g., SystmOne).
• Experience in an interim or fixed-term operational leadership role.
• Experience supporting CQC inspections.
• Experience within a large GP group or federated model.

Confidentiality

• In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately. Post-holders must adhere to the following principles:
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers.
• They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with Aspiro policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety

• The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Aspiro Health & Safety policy, the Health & Safety manual, and the Aspiro Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include:
• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Aspiro guidelines
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks;
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills;
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards;
• Active reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised;
• Keeping own work areas generally clean and overseeing Site Managers in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of their role.
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually);
• Reporting potential risks identified to the Aspiro Management.

Equality & Diversity

• The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Aspiro procedures and policies and current legislation;
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues;
• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Job Description Reviews

This job description is intended to provide an outline of the key tasks and responsibilities only, the list is non-exhaustive.There may be other duties required of the post holder commensurate with their position. This description will be open to regular review and may be amended in the light of developing or changing services, or as part of an individual performance review process. All members of staff should be prepared to take on additional duties or relinquish existing duties in order to maintain the efficient running of Aspiro.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Evidence of ongoing professional development relevant to operational, leadership, or healthcare management roles.
• Formal management or leadership qualification (e.g., ILM, CMI, MBA).
• Training or certification related to CQC, Health & Safety, or NHS compliance.

Personal Attributes

• Calm, authoritative and confident under pressure.
• Highly organised and proactive with a focus on solutions.
• Professional, approachable and able to build strong relationships with clinical and non clinical teams.
• Able to act as the senior escalation point and maintain service stability.
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality, equality, diversity and patient centred care.
• Flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of a short term, evolving interim assignment.

Other Requirements

• Ability to work across all Aspiro Derby sites as required.
• Willingness to work 37.5 hours per week with flexibility depending on organisational needs.
• Commitment to upholding health & safety, infection control and confidentiality standards.

Experience

• Significant senior operational management experience within healthcare, ideally within primary care / NHS general practice.
• Experience managing multi-site operations and complex, multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated experience leading and supporting:
• - GPs and Clinical teams
• - Nursing and HCA teams
• - Pharmacy teams
• - Advanced Practitioners (ACPs, ANPs, FCPs, Paramedics)
• - Administrative and Call Hub teams
• Proven responsibility for day to day operational running of services, including patient access, call handling, reception, workflow, digital systems and staffing.
• Experience overseeing premises, facilities, contractors and external service providers.
• Experience monitoring and acting upon operational KPIs (access, demand/capacity, DNAs, staffing, workflow, complaints).
• Experience managing workforce issues such as recruitment, HR processes, rotas and attendance.
• Demonstrated involvement in quality, safety and compliance processes (complaints, significant events, IPC, safeguarding).
• Previous experience in an interim, fixed term, or portfolio management role.
• Experience supporting CQC inspections and implementing compliance frameworks.
• Experience working within a large GP group, federation, or multi organisation setting.

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong working knowledge of GP practice operations, NHS frameworks and patient access systems.
• Skilled in operational leadership, performance management, and service improvement.
• Ability to lead confidently during periods of change, pressure, or organisational uncertainty.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret data and use KPI reporting to improve services.
• High level communication skills, including the ability to influence, escalate, and negotiate effectively.
• Confident IT user, including:
• - Microsoft Office suite
• - Clinical and operational systems (e.g., SystmOne, Rapid Health, Accurx)
• Strong problem solving skills and ability to make decisions quickly in a fast paced environment.
• Ability to manage and prioritise competing demands across multiple sites.
• Knowledge of estates management processes relevant to primary care.
• Experience with digital optimisation or introducing new patient pathways.

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.

Depending on experience£48000 + negotiable to reflect short-term interim position