Job overview
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced and motivated Switchboard Service Manager to lead and deliver a high‑quality, resilient / Switchboard Service across all hospital sites.
This key operational leadership role is responsible for managing service performance, driving continuous improvement and ensuring high standards of customer service. The Switchboard Service is the Trust’s first point of contact and plays a critical role in supporting emergency response, patient safety and day‑to‑day operations.
The post‑holder will oversee KPIs, governance and emergency escalation processes, work closely with clinical, operational and digital teams, and provide expert leadership, training and development for Switchboard staff. This is an excellent opportunity to make a meaningful impact within one of the UK’s largest NHS Trusts.
Main duties of the job
Lead and manage the delivery of a high‑quality, resilient / Switchboard Service across all Oxford University Hospitals sites, ensuring continuous operational cover.
Act as the senior operational lead for the Switchboard Service, maintaining consistently high standards of customer service, responsiveness and professionalism.
Ensure the service operates effectively against agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), identifying risks, implementing actions and driving continuous improvement.
Lead compliance with Trust policies, procedures and governance frameworks, ensuring safe, effective and cost‑efficient service delivery.
Maintain oversight of emergency call handling and escalation processes, supporting Trust‑wide emergency responses and critical incidents.
Develop and manage the Trust‑wide Master Directory, working closely with clinical, operational and digital stakeholders to ensure accuracy and reliability.
Work collaboratively with internal and external partners, including clinical teams, IM&T, operational managers and emergency planning leads, to support effective communication and service integration.
Provide expert operational advice, guidance and training to Switchboard staff, supporting competency development, service standards and operational resilience.
Actively lead and support service improvement initiatives to enhance user experience, efficiency and sustainability.
Working for our organisation
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. For more information on OUH please view
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.
We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the .