The closing date is 26 June 2026
We currently have an exciting opportunity for a talented and passionate individual to join our team as a Deputy Chief Operating Officer.
The post holder will have operational oversight of safety and flow within the Trust by leading the site operations team, in addition to being responsible for performance oversight and improvement within the Trust. The post holder will oversee improvement within the Trust by leading the Improvement and Innovation team and ensuring a robust programme of ongoing improvement is in place for the Trust.
In conjunction with the other Directors, the role will ensure that the Trust delivers against the NHS System Oversight Framework and statutory performance requirements. The post holder will ensure that the Trust has robust performance and delivery oversight arrangements to enable the delivery of these key requirements and ensure timely identification of any risks to meeting these requirements.
Deputising for the Chief Operating Officer at Trust Board and other key assurance meetings, the role is responsible for dealing with, or advising on, highly confidential information and explaining highly complex, highly sensitive and potentially unwelcome information to a wide range of audiences while overcoming significant barriers to resistance.
Main duties of the job
- Operational responsibility for safety and flow through the organisation and ensuring robust plans are implemented to maintain flow across the organisation.
- Performance management and improvement plans - develop and embed a new approach that will provide the role with the remit to hold teams to account for delivery and performance.
- Oversight of the emergency planning team, ensuring a robust programme of in place each year and ensuring a culture of resilience and ownership of business continuity is embedded in the Trust.
- Responsible for ensuring the Trust meets key performance and quality standards including the 4-hour standard, referral to treatment times, diagnostic and cancer waiting times, chairing improvement boards where required.
- Lead improvement in these areas through engaging with clinical teams and implementing service changes and improvement underpinned by clear trajectories.
- Oversee and coordinate development of plans including the Operating Plans and Winter plan.
About us
We are Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and are an integrated health and care organisation. We provide health and social care services to our people in their own homes or in their local community. We also run Torbay Hospital (providing acute hospital services) as well as five community hospitals, stretching from Dawlish to Brixham.
Job responsibilities
- To view the complete detailed responsibilities and person specification please refer to the full job description.
Qualifications and Training
- Masters degree level education or equivalent level of specialist knowledge and experience relevant to this role.
- Evidence of relevant continuing professional development.
Knowledge and Experience
- Extensive knowledge of the health, care and local government landscape and an understanding of the resourcing implications related to the social determinants of public health.
- Sound knowledge of health and care financial planning and budgeting at a Director and/or system level.
- Expert knowledge of performance and improvement practice and processes at system level ensuring providers come together, understand needs, value, and risk to design and deliver care accordingly, as a key part of the Devon operating plan model.
- Substantial experience of very senior manager or Director level leadership within a health or social care organisation.
- Experience of leading and delivering large scale complex transformational programmes, preferably across multiple organisations and within the health or social care sector.
- Experience of developing business plans, strategies for area of activity and making major contribution to policies and strategy.
- Experience of being accountable for a major area of activity, with the autonomy to act independently.
Specific Skills
- Personally committed to upholding the NHS principles and values as set out in the NHS Constitution, the Joint Forward Plan, the NHS People Plan, Nolan Principles and Fit and Proper Persons regime, along with an ability to reflect them in their leadership role and the culture of NHS Devon.
- Demonstrates a compassionate leadership style with a track record of improvements to equality, diversity, inclusion, and social justice.
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.
Employer name
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
