Senior Service Manager

HUC; Welwyn Garden City; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

HUC is seeking a Senior Service Manager to lead the Primary and Urgent Care portfolio from our Welwyn Garden City site. You will provide senior operational leadership, deputise for the Head of Service, and drive safe, high‑quality patient care while steering performance and finances.

The role blends hands-on management with strategic input into service design, ensuring resilience and ongoing improvement in a demanding environment across sites in the UK.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a senior operational management role within healthcare.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; ability to influence at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Line manage Assistant Service Managers with supervision and development.
• Lead in disciplinary, grievance, and performance management as needed.
• Ensure day-to-day operational delivery of primary and urgent care services against standards.
• Identify and address areas of poor performance and draft recovery plans.
• Ensure compliance with CQC standards and lead inspection readiness.
• Support budget management and identify efficiencies across the service.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Decision making

Prioritisation

Problem solving

Education

Degree in healthcare/management/business

Job description

Main area Management Grade Non NHS Banding Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Home or remote working

37.5 hours per week (plus on call requirement) Job ref 4265-8246480

Site HUC HQ, Ascots Lane, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 4HL Town Welwyn Garden City Salary £55,000 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 18/09/2026 23:59

Job overview

The Primary and Urgent Care Senior Service Manager (SSM) will be responsible for both leading the delivery of services within the HUC Primary and Urgent Care portfolio.

The SSM will provide senior operational and strategic leadership across primary and urgent care services, deputising for the Head of Service in their absence and acting as a key decision-maker in the day-to-day and longer-term running of the service.

The postholder will ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality, patient-centered care that meets national standards, regulatory requirements, and local commissioning intentions. They will work closely with clinical leads, commissioners, and partner organisations to drive service improvement, manage performance and finances, and lead a multidisciplinary workforce through change and growth.

This role combines hands‑on operational management with strategic input into service design, ensuring the service remains responsive, resilient, and continuously improving in a demanding and fast‑paced environment.

Main duties of the job

• Line manage Assistant Service Managers ensuring effective supervision, appraisal, and professional development.
• Lead in disciplinary, grievance, and performance management processes as needed.
• Ensure day‑to‑day operational delivery of primary and urgent care services against contractual and quality standards.
• To identify and address areas of poor performance, ensuring recovery plans are drafted
• Ensure compliance with CQC standards and lead on inspection readiness
• Support budget management for the service area, identifying efficiencies and managing variances
• Contribute to the strategic development of primary and urgent care services in line with local and national policy direction (e.g. Integrated Care System priorities).
• Lead recruitment, retention, and workforce development initiatives to maintain a skilled and motivated workforce.

Working for our organisation

Please note that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the full duration of their employment without requiring employer sponsorship, including after the expiry of any time‑limited visa (such as a Graduate visa).

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive sufficient applications.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For full details of the role and person specification, please refer to the supporting documents attached to this advert.

Person specification

Experience

• Significant experience in a senior operational management role within a healthcare setting
• Proven track record of managing multidisciplinary teams
• Degree in a relevant healthcare, management, or business discipline, or equivalent experience

Knowledge

• Sound knowledge of NHS policy, primary and urgent care landscape, and relevant regulatory frameworks
• Understanding of clinical governance, safeguarding, and risk management principles

Skills and Abilities

• Strong leadership and people management skills, able to motivate and develop teams
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to influence at all levels
• Strong analytical skills, able to interpret data and performance information to drive decisions
• Effective problem‑solving and decision‑making under pressure
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work flexibly in a fast‑paced environment

Other Requirements

• Flexibility to work across sites and occasionally outside core hours as service needs require
• Enhanced DBS check

Please note that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK for the full duration of their employment without requiring employer sponsorship, including after the expiry of any time‑limited visa (such as a Graduate visa).

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive sufficient applications.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.