Operational Business and Performance Lead - Surgery

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Kettering; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional health service provider is seeking an Operational Business and Performance Lead to drive operational excellence and transformation. The role involves business planning, cost improvement initiatives, and collaboration with various stakeholders. The ideal candidate should possess exceptional leadership and analytical skills along with a proven track record in project management. This position is vital to enhance service delivery across the trust, which includes multiple hospital sites.

Qualifications

• Strong collaboration and stakeholder management across a wide network.
• Exceptional leadership, project management, and analytical skills.
• Proven ability to influence, challenge, and inspire teams at all levels.
• Experience in managing and delivering Cost Improvement Programmes.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead business and service planning and manage robust business cases.
• Identify opportunities for cost improvement and efficiency.
• Produce monthly reports for the Divisional Board.
• Collaborate with teams to formulate operational plans.
• Analyse complex information and interpret national policy.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Analytical skills

Project management

Communication skills

Job description

Overview

Join us in a role that shapes the future of our services and delivers measurable impact for patients and teams. We are recruiting for the role of Operational Business and Performance Lead. This role 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 programs, helping the division deliver innovative, sustainable, and high-quality services.

The role requires strong collaboration with a wide network of stakeholders, including the Trust Executive, Divisional Clinical Directors, Heads of Operations and Nursing, Heads of Transformation, Access, and Business Development, Matrons, Clinicians, Finance Managers, People Partners, and external partners. Success demands exceptional leadership, project management, and analytical skills, along with the ability to influence, challenge, and inspire teams. The postholder will be responsible for producing monthly reports for the Divisional Board, providing updates on the progress of business plan milestones, and tracking all identified business cases and those in the pipeline. They will work closely with Directorate operational teams to support and formulate operational plans, ensuring alignment with divisional objectives, capacity planning models, and benchmarking data. This includes analysing complex and sensitive information, interpreting national policy, and supporting capacity and demand modelling to inform decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Lead business and service planning and manage robust business cases with clear financial insight.
• Identify opportunities for cost improvement and efficiency; manage Cost Improvement Programmes (CIPs) from planning to delivery.
• Track CIP tasks and milestones, challenge staff to deliver actions, and maintain outcomes focus.
• Produce monthly reports for the Divisional Board and monitor progress against milestones and pipeline.
• Collaborate with Directorate operational teams to formulate operational plans aligned with divisional objectives, capacity planning models, and benchmarking data.
• Analyse complex information, interpret national policy, and support capacity and demand modelling for decision-making.
• Support clinical transformation programmes and elective care recovery initiatives.
• Coordinate with Finance to maintain CIP trackers and pipelines with regular progress reviews with Directorate leads.
• Lead and influence stakeholders across the Trust and external partners, communicating complex information effectively.
• Support high-impact initiatives, including national submissions and transformation projects.

Qualifications and skills

• Strong collaboration and stakeholder management across a wide network.
• Exceptional leadership, project management, and analytical skills.
• Proven ability to influence, challenge, and inspire teams at all levels.
• Ability to interpret national policy, perform capacity and demand modelling, and use benchmarking data.
• Experience in managing and delivering Cost Improvement Programmes.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to convey complex information to senior management and director-level audiences.

About UHN and diverse working environment

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is on an exciting journey with all divisions committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have entered a Group Model with neighbouring Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust and became University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN). There may be a requirement to work across both Kettering and Northampton hospital sites, depending on service needs. We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across UHN and help to unleash everyone's full potential.

UHN encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups and we are committed to an inclusive and collaborative environment.

We recognise the Armed Forces contribution and have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and achieved Silver Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme. We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds to ensure everyone feels supported and belongs within UHN.

Additional notes

Please submit your application as soon as possible. We reserve the right to close adverts once we have received sufficient applications.