operational leader

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Job summary

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is inviting applications for Head of Diagnostics, a senior operational role across Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital. You will lead Diagnostic Physiology and Medical Photography, driving performance, workforce development and financial governance while delivering safe, high-quality diagnostic services.

You will work with clinical leads and service managers to translate strategy into action, oversee

Qualifications

• Visible and credible senior leadership.
• Strong operational management and grip.
• A detailed understanding of NHS performance and diagnostic pathways.
• Ability to lead complex, multidisciplinary healthcare science services.
• Strong financial and commercial awareness.
• Confidence managing significant performance, workforce and clinical risks.
• Evidence of delivering transformation and service improvement.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to use demand and capacity information to drive decisions.
• Experience of workforce redesign and organisational change.
• Strong influencing, negotiation and stakeholder-management skills.
• A compassionate and inclusive leadership style.
• Ability to operate strategically while retaining oversight of operational delivery.
• Understand the complexity and challenges of physiological sciences modalities.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Diagnostic Physiology and Medical Photography.
• Manage performance, workforce, finance and governance across services.
• Lead transformation programmes and service improvements.
• Collaborate with clinical leads, service managers and specialty leaders across sites.
• Ensure safe, high-quality patient pathways in outpatient and inpatient settings.

Skills

Senior leadership

Operations management

NHS performance

Financial awareness

Service transformation

Analytical skills

Demand & capacity

Workforce redesign

Stakeholder management

Strategic leadership

Compassionate leadership

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced operational leader to join the Clinical Support Services Division of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the role of Head of Diagnostics. This role will be cross-site, with time to be spent at both of the Trust's hospitals., he Head of Diagnostic Physiology and Medical Photography is a senior operational leadership role responsible for the effective management, performance and development of Diagnostic Physiology and Medical Photography services across Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital. The portfolio encompasses a diverse range of diagnostic and clinical services, including cardiac physiology, echocardiography, cardiac rhythm management and pacing, respiratory physiology, sleep diagnostics, neurophysiology and medical photography. The services support outpatient, inpatient, urgent, elective and specialist pathways and have important interfaces with cardiology, respiratory medicine, neurology, dermatology and wider Trust clinical services. Working as part of the Imaging and Diagnostics senior management team, the postholder will provide visible and effective operational leadership, translating the Trust and divisional strategy into high-quality, safe and sustainable service delivery. They will have responsibility for performance, workforce, finance, governance, service improvement, productivity and the delivery of transformation programmes across the portfolio. The postholder will work closely with clinical leads, service managers, lead healthcare scientists and medical photography leadership, ensuring that professional and clinical expertise is supported by strong operational management. This is a challenging and rewarding role requiring a leader who can operate strategically while remaining sufficiently close to operational services to identify emerging pressures, support teams and deliver sustainable improvement.

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate:

• Visible and credible senior leadership
• Strong operational management and grip
• A detailed understanding of NHS performance and diagnostic pathways
• Ability to lead complex, multidisciplinary healthcare science services
• Strong financial and commercial awareness
• Confidence managing significant performance, workforce and clinical risks
• Evidence of delivering transformation and service improvement
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to use demand and capacity information to drive decisions
• Experience of workforce redesign and organisational change
• Strong influencing, negotiation and stakeholder-management skills
• A compassionate and inclusive leadership style
• Ability to operate strategically while retaining oversight of operational delivery
• Understand the complexity and challenges of physiological sciences modalities:
  • Cardiology diagnostics including echocardiography/ECG
  • Medical photography
  • Neurophysiology
  • Respiratory physiology including ung function
  • DM01 PTL management

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites-Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital-along with award-winning clinics across North West London.

Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5 million, providing full clinical services, including maternity, A&E, and children's services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health clinics. The Care Quality Commission rates us 'Good' in safety, effectiveness, care, and responsiveness, and 'Outstanding' in leadership and resource use. We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and Westminster and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Middlesex.

We welcome applications for flexible working arrangements, accommodating requests where possible to support our staff and patient needs. The Trust is committed to equality and welcomes applications from all, regardless of background. Adjustments can be made for disabled candidates.

Employment is subject to a six-month probationary period.