Service Manager - General Surgery

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust; Manchester; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Manchester is seeking a Service Manager for General Surgery to provide visible leadership, ensure compliance with performance targets, and support training initiatives. The role requires a degree or equivalent experience and at least three years of operational management within the NHS. This opportunity offers a competitive salary ranging from £55,690 to £62,682 per year. If you're ready to contribute to transformational healthcare, apply now.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant experience.
• Knowledge of clinical effectiveness and patient safety.
• 3+ years of operational management experience in the NHS.

Responsibilities

• Provide visible leadership to the General Manager.
• Monitor performance and ensure safe processes.
• Support training and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
• Work closely with clinical and operational colleagues.

Skills

Project/programme management

Analytical skills

Effective communication

Operational management

Relationship building

Education

Degree level or equivalent experience

Job description

Go back Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Service Manager - General Surgery

The closing date is 16 December 2025

Are you ready to take your leadership career to the next level? At MFT, we are embedding an exciting new Operating Model, placing roles closest to patient care at the heart of decision-making. By creating clinically led, multidisciplinary leadership teams, we ensure decisions are informed by clinical expertise while maintaining the operational knowledge needed to deliver safe, successful services.

We are looking for experienced, forward-thinking leaders to support the introduction of these new ways of working. You will be well supported with a bespoke personal development plan and access to a range of development opportunities.

This is a unique opportunity to play a central role in decision-making, influence the future of patient services, and contribute to a Trust-wide movement embedding clinical leadership at every level.

We are current inviting applications for:

Band: 8a

Time commitment: 37.5 hours

Location: Wythenshawe Hospital

Main duties of the job

We are seeking applications from colleagues who are confident in their ability to:

Lead: Provide visible leadership supporting the General Manager in setting direction and ensuring colleagues feel guided and empowered in their roles

Govern: Contribute to governance by monitoring performance, ensuring safe processes are followed and escalating risks appropriately, helping the services meet its quality and compliance standards

Educate: Play a vital role in team development - sharing knowledge, supporting training and encouraging a culture of continuous improvement and learning

Collaborate: Work closely with clinical, operational and administrative colleagues, fostering effective teamwork and strong relationships across the service and wider system.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational: Deliver and monitor key performance indicators at specialty level, including activity, performance targets as well as national local targets

Finance: Ensure budgetary management controls and monitoring is in place and in accordance with Standing Financial Instructions

Innovation: Contribute to the review of services to identify ways to improve quality, productivity, efficiency and patient experience

People Management: To inspire and motivate others by role modelling a values-led compassionate style of leadership behaviour

If this sounds like a role you would thrive in, we want to hear from you! Apply now to progress your career at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

About us

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is the largest provider of specialist services, and our Oxford Road Campus in Manchester, the largest health academic campus in Europe - what better place to shape and develop your leadership career. We deliver care to over 1 million patients & users each year through our 10 hospitals and extensive community services. Our 30,000 plus strong workforce is central to our success and innovation. You will play a pivotal part in supporting our operational excellence and strategic ambitions. You'll work collaboratively with clinical and non‑clinical teams, driving improvements that enhance patient experience, staff wellbeing, and service efficiency across the Trust.

MFT offers a dynamic, inclusive environment where your leadership, ideas, and expertise are valued. You'll have access to professional development, digital tools and opportunities to contribute to transformational projects that shape the future of healthcare delivery. We are committed to supporting your growth and wellbeing, recognising the vital role you play in our organisation's success. Join us and help shape the future of our Trust – make a real difference to our teams, our services, and our communities, and fundamentally, our patients.

Job responsibilities

To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information you’ll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your application

Here at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, we’re proud to be ALL HERE FOR YOU for our patients, our communities, and each other.

As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application – especially personal statements and responses to role‑specific questions – is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.

Diversity Matters

MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, please contact the manager named below.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant and significant experience

Knowledge

• Knowledge and experience of project/programme management.
• Knowledge of the clinical effectiveness, patient safety and quality agenda

Training and experience

• Operational management experience, which would usually have been gained through at least 3 years of working within the NHS at management/operational level

Skills and abilities

• Able to present relevant written and verbal information in a concise format
• Able to converse with all levels of staff from within the organisation
• Able to build effective relationships with consultants and other clinicians
• Able to deuce key points from large / complex volumes of numerical and other data
• Strong analytical skills and ability to consider the wider picture including future scenario planning
• Able to persuade, negotiate and influence staff
• Able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information
• Able to get the best out of staff and able to performance manage them
• Able to be flexible, readjust plans and prioritise work within set deadlines
• Able to develop and implement policies / protocols for own area
• Able to use IT and have key board skills to produce self‑generated information
• Have effective communication skills
• Ability to motivate and inspire
• Ability to work effectively in a complex and changing environment

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

£55,690 to £62,682 a year (pro rata)