Director of Operations
The closing date is 22 February 2026
Director of Operations for Medicine (please apply using the relevant vacancy on Trac)
Director of Operations for Family Health (please apply using this vacancy)
2026 will be an exciting year for Nottingham University Hospitals as we continue our improvement journey in UEC, Planned Care and Cancer, and launch the next phase of our People First Strategy that will drive the reconfiguration of key services across our sites and embrace the digital transformation opportunities offered by our new Electronic Patient Record systems.
Two significant leadership opportunities have arisen to join our Operational Leadership Team.
As Directors of Operations, you will be part of a strong triumvirate or quadrumvirate, led by a Clinical Director and ably supported by a Director of Nursing and Professions and, in Family Health, by the Director of Midwifery.
If you are looking to expand your experience and demonstrate your ability to deliver a complex agenda on a career path to Chief Operating Officer, then our Director of Operations roles are the perfect next step for you!
IMPORTANT: These roles are being advertised together as they share a generic job description. Please read all attached documents for full details.
Main duties of the job
The Care Group Director of Operations will have specific responsibilities and accountabilities across their Care Group for successful operational leadership and management across our sites, ensuring supportive and responsive operational management leadership of our hospitals.
The post holder will play a key role in business planning, quality improvement and delivery and will help lead the development of a high performing and supportive culture across NUH.
They will play a key role in ensuring the Trust delivers on the full range of performance targets. They will work autonomously to ensure a high quality of service to patients, visitors and colleagues, including management of clinical governance, healthcare standards and risk.
The post holder will work closely with all professions across NUH, and will work to identify and implement opportunities for improved productivity, efficiency and clinical quality.
About us
With over 19,000 staff, we are one of the biggest employers in the city with a central role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local population. We play a leading role in research, education and innovation.
Come and join our wonderful team at NUH. We are big believers in diversity and welcome new ideas to help develop our team in order to deliver world class healthcare to the vast patient populations we serve. With endless personal development opportunities available, at NUH we will endeavour to turn your job into a career!
We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH.
Job responsibilities
Main Job Responsibilities-
1. Operational Leadership and Management
Lead and manage all services within the Care Group, ensuring efficient, high-quality patient care across multiple hospital sites.
Oversee the achievement of performance, quality, finance, and workforce KPIs.
Work closely with clinical and non-clinical teams to improve productivity, efficiency, and clinical quality.
2. Strategic Planning & Business Development
Contribute to the development and implementation of the Trusts vision and strategic priorities.
Lead the development of strategic and annual operating plans for Care Group services.
Formulate business cases for service and capital development, and lead capital expenditure plans.
3. Performance & Financial Management
Achieve and sustain all waiting time targets and patient standards.
Deliver a balanced budget, address underperformance, and ensure effective management of financial resources.
Develop a culture of performance management and improvement, holding others accountable for targets.
Provide inspirational leadership, fostering a culture of openness, innovation, and improvement.
Maximise staff engagement, manage staffing levels, and ensure appropriate training and development.
Take full line management responsibility, including handling sickness, absence, grievances, and disciplinary issues.
5. Quality Improvement
Identify and implement benchmarking opportunities for improved productivity and clinical quality.
Ensure quality improvement initiatives are evidence-based and robustly evaluated.
Work collaboratively with other Care Groups, clinicians, and external partners to improve patient pathways and service delivery.
Engage with commissioners, local authorities, health regulators, and other NHS Trusts.
7. Governance, Safety & Compliance
Ensure adherence to infection control, safeguarding, information governance, and health and safety standards.
Participate in governance activities to uphold the highest standards of care and business conduct.
Support the investigation of complaints and incidents, and chair hearings as appropriate.
8. Trust-wide Initiatives
Lead Trust-wide projects and participate in the Silver on-call rota.
Contribute to the overall improvement of patient care across Nottinghamshire and beyond.
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
* Professional knowledge acquired through degree, supplemented by specialist training to doctorate or equivalent level, management qualification or equivalent experience.
Experience
* Significant experience within the Healthcare sector at very senior manager level including responsibility for strategic planning and budgetary control for group of complex clinical care pathways
* Proven track record of achieving challenging healthcare targets
* Knowledge and experience of support services in general and the multi-professional teams within the Specialist Clinical Services portfolio
Analytical and Judgement Skills
* Innovative thinker with the ability to cut through barriers to change with experience of leading and delivering significant programmes of change within an NHS setting
* Excellent problem-solving skills including ability to critically analyze highly complex financial and clinical data sets and able to make appropriate judgements, using team
Communication
* Excellent communications skills, written and oral with proven negotiating skills and ability to communicate in an emotive atmosphere
* Ability to build successful teams, influence and motivate staff
* Ability to work collaboratively with partner organizations with sensitivity to clinical and political demands
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.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trusts
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