Job overview
We are seeking an exceptional Head of Operations who shares our vision to be trusted in delivering consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.
East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust offers an exciting opportunity for an experienced senior manager with a strong blend of operational expertise, strategic insight, and compassionate leadership. We are looking for a proactive and dynamic individual ready to take the next step in their operational leadership career.
The Head of Operations for Unplanned Care plays a pivotal role in supporting the Divisional Leadership Team to drive operational recovery and deliver transformational change, ensuring our patients continue to receive safe, effective, and responsive healthcare. This is a challenging yet rewarding position, offering opportunities for professional growth and development within a supportive and values-driven environment.
This is an exciting time to join our Trust as we refresh our strategic priorities and strengthen collaboration with our Integrated Care System (ICS) partners to enhance the care we provide to our communities. The division is deeply committed to placing people—both patients and staff—at the centre of everything we do, with teamwork being fundamental to our success.
At the heart of our organisation are our core values: Include, Respect, and Improve. We encourage you to embrace these values throughout the recruitment process and in all aspects of your work with us.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will support the Divisional Operations Director to manage services within the Unplanned Care Division by:
Co-leading the implementation of strategic and operational plans set by the Divisional Leadership Team to achieve financial, operational, and transformation targets.
Co-ordinating Division-wide activities as delegated by the Divisional Leadership Team and ensuring, alongside the Divisional Operations Director, that national and local standards, policies and guidance are implemented throughout the Division.
Representing the Division across the Trust and system.
Working with stakeholders including the ICB to facilitate improvements through change, best practice and service improvement/modernisation.
Managing and co-ordinating Divisional personnel, budgets and resources and supporting other heads of service within the Division to deliver requirements, with direction from the Divisional Operations Director.
Working for our organisation
At East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general and specialist services we provide and our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible and innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.
We run the following hospitals:
* The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
* New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
* Hertford County, Hertford
* Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood
We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation and our staff and patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.
We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. This means that any employee is entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns and we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made and considered formally, and will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification information pack for further detailed information regarding this role.
Person specification
Qualifications / Training
Essential criteria
* Significant NHS management experience.
* Project management experience delivering complex change across a range of departments.
* First degree and/ or healthcare professional.
* Specialist knowledge over more than one discipline/ function acquired over a significant period.
* Masters degree and additional in-depth professional knowledge in a number of disciplines, e.g. financial management, performance management, information systems, staff management acquired through training and experience over extended period.
* Demonstration and evidence of personal professional development.
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
* Evidence of effectively managing large numbers of multi-professional staff in a health or other relevant setting with highly developed and detailed knowledge of the following:
* Current health policy and its impact on the management and development of acute health services
* Highly specialised and extensive knowledge of disciplines within the division
* A broad, demonstrable and up to date knowledge and experience of all specialties within the division
* Senior operational management experience dealing with complex issues across a range of services
* Providing advice to specialist and non-specialist staff
* Experience of ability to manage change quickly and effectively
* Experience of service redesign and development
* Demonstrable commitment to equal opportunities
* Evidence of robust and effective budgetary control on substantial values
* A proven record of success in managing significant operational change while also developing and maintaining high standards of care
* Experience of analysing and making judgements involving situations where there are a number of conflicting issues, and where there is no obvious outcome
* Experience of interpreting national policies and initiatives and implementing these into the workplace
* Evidence of successfully managing change
Desirable criteria
* NHS Experience in a large acute Trust
* Experience in effectively managing clinical services
* Demonstrable research and development experience from inception through to implementation
Skills
Essential criteria
* Excellent communication skills, including the ability to liaise and negotiate
* Proven ability to lead teams effectively, exercising sound judgement
* Ability to think and plan strategically, tactically and creatively, and prioritise work programmes in the face of competing demands
* Ability to work cooperatively with the senior management team within the Trust and develop effective working relationships across the organisation
* Strong quality focus with an innovative approach and the ability to solve complex problems
* Evidence of innovation in previous posts
* Committed to developing self and others
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills
* Strong analytical skills, including the use of statistics and production of reports
* Computer literate including advanced spreadsheet skills
* Evidence of demonstrating sound political awareness and sensitivity to the high profile of the Trust
* Evidence of a commitment to service development
Desirable criteria
* Commissioning experience
* Site management experience
* Experience of using a continuous improvement methodology
Knowledge
Essential criteria
* Good understanding of principles and practice of managing staff performance
* Sound Financial and Service Management
* Knowledge of strategies for effective change
* An understanding and experience of staff management and organisational development
Desirable criteria
* Previous experience of successfully managing capital projects
Other requirements
Essential criteria
* Strong sense of commitment to openness, honesty and integrity in undertaking the role
* Ability to deputise for the Divisional Operations Director when required
* Self-motivated, can do attitude
* Evidence of the ability to motivate and inspire others
* Strong persuasive and influencing skills
* Evidence of self-awareness, acknowledgement of own limitations and development required to improve
* Experience and evidence of engagement around the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda in the workplace and in patient care
* Able to actively support the development of a culture that recognises and promotes equality, values diversity, and actively leads by example in deploying these qualities.
* Understands the impact on equality, diversity and inclusion issues in all aspects of service delivery and planning
* Role model our Trust values every day
* Ability to travel
* Ability to undertake on call requirements which includes ability to attend site
Our values
We want our staff to believe in, demonstrate and live our values in everything we do.
Include
We value the diversity and experience of our community colleagues and partners, creating relationships and climates that provide an opportunity to share, collaborate and grow together.
Respect
We create a safe environment where we are curious of the lived experience of others, seek out best practice and are open to listening and hearing new ideas.
Improve
We are committed to consistently delivering excellent services and continuously looking to improve through a creative workforce that feels empowered to act in service of our shared purpose.
Committed to our Community
East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion for all job applicants, staff, patients and the wider community. We want to create a workforce which represents the communities we serve. We are on a journey to become a more inclusive organisation and we welcome applications from everyone regardless of their background. In particular we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities, and candidates from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who are currently under-represented in various parts of our workforce .
We understand the importance of balancing work and home life. We are committed to support flexible working for our staff wherever possible and all our employees are given the opportunity to discuss potential for flexible working.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and achieved our status in 2019.
We will remove barriers that prospective candidates might face at any stage of our recruitment process. If you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interview process to best support you, please contact us by emailing resourcing.enh-tr@nhs.net
We are also proud to support our UK armed forces by supporting Reservists, Cadet Instructors, Veterans and military spouses/partners into employment and offering supportive policies that value their contribution to the community and to our Trust.
We are committed to being a carer-friendly environment, addressing the complex needs of families with caring responsibilities. In partnership with Carers in Hertfordshire, all our working carers have access to support from recruitment. We are also a member of Carers UK, providing resources to make balancing work and caring easier. Our approach is inclusive, recognizing diverse challenges and creating a supportive environment where carers feel valued.