Operations Manager

The Methodist Church in Britain; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Elm Tree Surgery is seeking an Operations Manager to oversee day-to-day practice operations, lead reception and admin staff, and redesign workflows through audits and process changes.

You will manage rotas, handle non-clinical complaints, and coordinate seasonal vaccination campaigns while ensuring QOF targets and NHS compliance. NHS primary care experience and familiarity with SystmOne are essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in line management and team leadership.
• Experience designing, auditing and refining workflows.
• Managing rotas and service coverage under pressure.
• Handling patient complaints and conflict resolution.
• Experience in NHS primary care, general practice or healthcare settings.

Responsibilities

• Line manage reception, admin and team leads, including appraisals and HR matters.
• Evaluate workflows and implement process improvements; audit outcomes.
• Manage daily rotas, sickness and planned leave to cover front-of-house and call handling.
• Lead on resolving non-clinical patient complaints and draft responses under guidance.
• Plan and run logistics for seasonal vaccination campaigns (flu, COVID-19).
• Coordinate admin workflows supporting QOF targets and recall schedules.
• Monitor outputs, recall lists and task queues; escalate systemic issues.
• Support IT with administration of the clinical system and maintain the website and patient communications.
• Coordinate premises maintenance and cost reporting to Partners.
• Support CQC compliance and audit readiness with PBM and clinical lead nurses.
• Keep health and safety manual current; ensure staff training and data protection compliance.
• Maintain staff records of leave and sickness; provide payroll information.

Skills

Line management

Process improvement

NHS primary care experience

SystmOne familiarity

IT literacy

Communication

Education

A-Level / NVQ Level 4 or equivalent

ILM Level 3 or 5 leadership qualification

CQC or health and safety training

Tools

SystmOne

Microsoft Office

Job description

Operations Manager at Elm Tree Surgery, a GMS training practice with a list of over 20,000 patients, reporting directly to the Partners. The post covers running day-to-day practice operations, line managing reception and admin staff, and redesigning workflows through audit and process change. It also covers rota and phone-queue cover, non-clinical complaints, and the logistics of QOF and vaccination campaigns. Candidates need NHS primary care or management experience and familiarity with clinical systems such as SystmOne.

What the job involves

• Line manage reception, admin and team leads, including appraisals, performance management, induction and HR matters
• Evaluate practice workflows, design and implement process improvements, and audit outcomes
• Manage daily rotas, sickness and planned leave to keep front-of-house and call-handling covered
• Lead on resolving non-clinical patient complaints, investigating issues and drafting response letters under guidance
• Plan and run the logistics of seasonal vaccination campaigns such as flu and COVID-19
• Manage admin workflows supporting QOF targets, including call-back and recall schedules
• Monitor administrative output, recall lists and task queues, and escalate systemic issues to the Partners and PBM
• Support IT with administration of the clinical system and software, and maintain the practice website and patient communications
• Coordinate premises maintenance and contractors, and cost works for reporting to the Partners
• Support CQC compliance and audit readiness with the PBM and clinical lead nurses
• Keep the health and safety manual current, ensure staff are trained, and ensure compliance with employment and data protection law
• Maintain staff records of leave and sickness, provide payroll information, and keep the telephone system settings up to date

What's required

Qualifications

• A-Level, NVQ Level 4 or equivalent management or operational experience
• GCSE English and Maths at grade C/4 or above
• Management or leadership qualification, such as ILM Level 3 or 5
• CQC or health and safety compliance training

Experience

• Proven track record in line management and team leadership
• Process improvement experience: designing, implementing, auditing and refining workflows
• Managing rotas, sickness and service cover under pressure
• Handling patient complaints and conflict resolution
• Working in NHS primary care, general practice or healthcare settings
• Coordinating large-scale campaign logistics such as vaccination drives

Skills & knowledge

• Proactive, solution-oriented change mindset with strong problem-solving and attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication, and team-building skills
• High IT literacy and data management confidence, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and troubleshooting
• Familiarity with clinical systems such as SystmOne
• Understanding of QOF logistics and primary care operational metrics

Other

• Well organised and able to work under pressure while staying calm and focused

Nice to have

• Experience of managing staff in a GP practice with practical knowledge of QOF and primary care NHS targets
• Experience of management within the NHS, particularly in primary care
• Prior NHS primary care experience

What's offered

• NHS Pension
• 6 weeks annual leave