Medical Director – Operational Delivery

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 200,000 +; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS foundation trust in the United Kingdom is seeking a high-impact clinical leader to drive change and innovation in healthcare services. Reporting directly to the Executive Medical Director, you'll help shape patient care while fostering collaboration across clinical teams. The role offers an opportunity to influence strategic plans and service performance, ensuring a commitment to high-quality, safe care. This is an exciting chance to contribute to the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine and engage with key healthcare partners.

Qualifications

• Dynamic, ambitious clinical leader with the skills to drive change.
• Experience in engaging with partners in healthcare.
• Vision to inspire and lead teams in a clinical setting.

Responsibilities

• Shape exceptional patient care as part of the leadership team.
• Set accountability and energize engagement in clinical services.
• Influence strategic plans and workforce development.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Operational delivery

Collaboration

Job description

Help lead us to the peak of healthcare innovation

We provide hospital and community health services to over half a million people, delivering more than 70 services across 15 main locations with a dedicated team of 6,500 staff. Our values, Kindness, Respect, Ambition, and Collaboration, drive everything we do, ensuring safe, high-quality care every time.

As an improving integrated care trust, we’re strengthening our medical leadership team as part of our strategy to become a genuinely clinically-led organisation. This is your opportunity to play a pivotal role in that transformation.

It’s an exciting time to be part of NCIC. We are a key partner in the creation of the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine, working with the University of Cumbria and Imperial College London to launch the Cumbria Medical School in 2025.

Our geography means we deliver a broad range of clinical services not typically found in other district general hospitals, including interventional cardiology and vascular services. With the Lake District on our doorstep, Cumbria offers an outstanding quality of life.

Reporting directly to the Executive Medical Director, you’ll be at the heart of shaping exceptional patient care. This is a high-impact leadership role where you’ll set clear accountability, inspire collaboration, and energise engagement as we transform into a truly clinically-led organisation. You will lead on operational delivery across our clinical services, influencing strategic plans, service performance, workforce development, and clinical governance.

You will play a pivotal role in developing our relationship with our partners in the Great North Healthcare Alliance. There is also the opportunity for the successful candidate to have an active role within Pears Cumbria School through education or research.

We are looking for a dynamic, ambitious clinical leader with the skills, energy, and vision to drive change and innovation. You will inspire others, add a strong clinical voice to our leadership team, and foster a culture of professional excellence. The previous holder of this role has now progressed to a Chief Medical Officer in an acute provider.

To learn more about us and this fantastic role, please contact our GatenbySanderson search partners for a confidential discussion:

Robin Staveley or Emily Smith on emily.smithgatenbysanderson.com or Eleanor Lawrence on Eleanor.lawrence@gatenbysandersoncom

Closing date for applications: 9am Monday 2nd February 2026

Final interviews and stakeholder engagement: Thursday 26th February 2026

We have a range of other exciting strategic consultant opportunities available across the Trust. If you’re interested in shaping the future of healthcare with us, please get in touch