Operational Business and Performance Lead - Surgery

NHS; England; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare trust in Northamptonshire seeks an Operational Business and Performance Lead to enhance operational excellence. The role involves leadership in service planning, managing business cases, and facilitating cost improvement initiatives. The ideal candidate should have substantial management experience, a relevant postgraduate qualification, and a strong understanding of NHS policies. This full-time position offers a salary between £55,690 to £62,682 per annum on a fixed-term contract for 18 months.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a management/leadership role.
• Identifying and implementing changes from national policy.
• Managing, leading, and motivating a team.

Responsibilities

• Produce monthly reports for the Divisional Board.
• Support and formulate operational plans with teams.
• Lead the management of Cost Improvement Programmes.
• Challenge staff to deliver committed actions.
• Support project and service redesign.

Skills

Management experience

Leadership

Financial planning

Understanding of NHS agenda

Interpersonal skills

Education

Masters level or equivalent

Management/Leadership qualification

Job description

Operational Business and Performance Lead - Surgery

NHS Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom

Job Summary

Join us in a role that shapes the future of our services and delivers measurable impact for patients and teams. The role of Operational Business and Performance Lead is at the heart of driving operational excellence and transformation within the division. You will lead business and service planning, develop and manage robust business cases with clear financial insight, and identify opportunities for cost improvement and efficiency. Working closely with Directorates, you will oversee projects from planning to delivery, tackle risks and delays, and ensure measurable benefits are achieved through proactive change management. You will also support high-impact initiatives, including national submissions and clinical transformation programmes, helping the division deliver innovative, sustainable, and high-quality services.

Responsibilities

• Produce monthly reports for the Divisional Board, providing updates on business plan milestones and tracking all business cases in the pipeline.
• Support and formulate operational plans with Directorate operational teams, ensuring alignment with divisional objectives, capacity planning models, and benchmarking data.
• Lead the management and delivery of Cost Improvement Programmemes (CIPs), project managing implementation, tracking tasks and milestones, and closing CIP gaps.
• Challenge staff at all levels to deliver committed actions, maintaining a focus on outcomes and using strong interpersonal and communication skills to convey, negotiate, and influence complex information with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support project and service redesign across the division, particularly clinical transformation programmes and elective care recovery initiatives.

Qualifications

• Education: Masters level or equivalent level of experience; Management/Leadership qualification or equivalent experience at post graduate level.
• Experience: Proven experience in a management/leadership role; Identifying and interpreting national policy and implementing required changes; Managing, leading and motivating a team; Leading service changes to improve performance; Development and monitoring of Business Plans.
• Knowledge: Good understanding of financial planning, management, monitoring, budgetary control and income; Good understanding of the current NHS agenda and healthcare policy including political drivers; Good understanding of NHS data sets both internal and external and their appropriate application.
• Person Specification: Good understanding of financial planning and management; Understanding of NHS agenda and policy; Understanding of NHS data sets.

About the Trust

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is on an exciting journey with all of our divisions committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered a Group Model with neighbouring Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN). As part of this collaborative approach, there may be a requirement for you to work across both the Kettering and Northampton hospital sites, depending on the needs of the service.

Our Excellence Values

• Compassion
• Accountability
• Respect
• Integrity
• Courage

Employment Details

• Band: 8a
• Salary: £55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum
• Contract: Fixed term (18 months)
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Location: University Hospitals of Northamptonshire - Cross Site (Kettering / Northampton)

Application Information

Please submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close adverts once we have received sufficient applications. For more information about the role by clicking the link, refer to the person specification details.

Disability and Sponsorship

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service will be required. Skilled worker sponsorship candidates will be considered alongside all other applicants.

Employer Details

• Employer: Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Address: University Hospitals of Northamptonshire - Cross Site (Kettering / Northampton, NN16 8UZ)
• Website: https://www.kgh.nhs.uk/working-for-us

EEO Statement (Legal)

We are an equal opportunity employer and encouraged applications from people who identify from all protected groups including the Armed Forces community. We are committed to an inclusive environment for all colleagues.