Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and proactive Assistant Service Manager to join the Specialist Directorate.
You will be a motivated manager with a proven track record of planning outpatients and theatre cover. You will have experience in managing RTT & cancer pathways, validation, people management and be a flexible team player. You will be able to prioritise your own and your team's workload at short notice to support services facing constantly changing priorities.
This is a unique development role with opportunity to gain the experience needed to progress to more senior operational management by enabling the successful applicant to develop their skill set through exposure and experience of Urology predominantly but across Specialist Surgery Directorate.
Main duties of the job
This role will provide operational assistance to the Urology Directorate for the day-to-day management of clinics, theatres, and admin teams. They will support the Operations Manager in the delivery of elective and outpatient lists and ensuring UHSussex meets national and local targets The post holder will also contribute and support the Directorate and Operational team with any administrative or business planning requirements within the Surgical Division and represent the Directorate at Divisional meetings as required.
Support the General Manager, Operations Manager and Service Manager with the delivery of the Directorate’s objectives and support Admin and Clerical staff.
Budgetary control of the Secretaries/Specialty Co-ordinators and Clerical Assistants, plus involvement in managing other budgets under the direction of Operational Managers
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme, for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop. We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please note: This role does not meet the minimum criteria for visa sponsorship under the current UK immigration rules, which set specific salary and skill thresholds. As such, we are unable to provide sponsorship for this post. Applicants will therefore need to already have the right to work in the UK to be considered. We include this information at the outset to provide clarity and avoid unnecessary inconvenience for applicants.
If you are applying using a Graduate visa as your right to work, you must have a minimum of 18 months remaining on your visa at time of application.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Communication
1. Communicate with all staff groups within the designated areas.
2. Communicate with the Operational Managers, report and facilitate the development of skill mix and service development reviews.
3. Promote workforce planning in line with the activity and skill requirements of the Division.
4. Provide information to the Operational Managers to facilitate and develop process for planning workforce initiatives.
5. Work with the Operational Managers in supporting the development of robust systems, processes and procedures.
Service Delivery and Improvement
6. To have knowledge and understanding of specific urology pathways and play an active role in service improvement.
7. To provide professional support for the Directorate and to promote the delivery of high quality cost effective services.
8. To manage and support the Service Manager and Operational Manager in their role.
9. To review standards of service continuously to meet national targets for the Division.
10. Regularly review with the Service and Operational Manager, contractual agreements, both activity and financial.
11. With the Operational Managers, develop processes and procedures to track performance within the Division.
12. Prepare reports as required against national standards.
13. Support the Operational Managers to deliver a balanced budget at the end of the financial year. Provide data as required monthly to enable actions to be taken promptly.
14. Where necessary work with the Operational Managers to establish a good understanding of staffing requirements within the Division.
15. Support the Operational Managers with planning and performance and monitor it on a daily basis.
16. Ensure systems are robust for the recording of quality improvements and prepare reports requested by the Operational Managers.
17. Work with the Operational Managers to prepare data and reports for the Integrated Business Plan for the Division.
18. As requested produce information for the Operational Managers for business cases and service changes.
19. Analyse referrals and clinical activity in order to understand demand for services in the future
20. Work actively to reduce DNA’s
21. Liaise with Consultants regarding their clinics and theatre lists in order to resolve problems and improve efficiency
22. To work with the Care Group Support Manager to roll out new processes
23. To manage and support the cancer navigator post, ensuring that the local and national targets are met
24. To constantly review processes to facilitate service improvement and patient experience for all pathways including cancer pathways
Please refer to attached Job Description for full description
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
25. •Degree or Diploma, or with proven and equivalent relevant knowledge and experience
26. •Experience of continued learning and professional development to postgraduate diploma or equivalent level.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
27. •Proven evidence of effective people management and leadership skills
28. •Evidence of the ability to source interpret and report on highly complex data
29. •Evidence of managing operational arrangements to a high degree of accuracy, timeliness and effectiveness
30. •Experience of working within a complex, varied and unpredictable environment
31. •Ability to work as part of a team and / or independently across departmental, organisational and professional boundaries
32. •Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to deal with staff at all levels throughout the Trust and with external organisations on behalf of the Division
33. •Knowledge and experience of the implementation of performance management processes
Desirable criteria
34. •Working at management level within the NHS
35. •Demonstrates an understanding of the environment within which the Trust operates, its role in serving the public and patients, its governance structure and national agendas
36. •Demonstrates an understanding of governance frameworks.
37. •Experience of managing staff
Freedom to act
Essential criteria
38. •Day to day freedom to act operationally and make decision with escalation only to senior where there are issues with conflicting targets or clinical decisions or excessive resource implications
Skills
Essential criteria
39. •Ability to deal with confidential, sensitive or contentious information with senior managers / clinical staff / clients, which requires persuasive skills where agreement and co-operation is required, e.g. sensitive staffing or finance information.
40. •Excellent communication & interpersonal skills; able to communicate effectively at all levels and overcome barriers to understanding and resistance to change.
Desirable criteria
41. •The ability to motivate others and facilitate change
42. •Conflict management and negotiation skills
Specific Requirements
Essential criteria
43. Consistently demonstrates behaviours and attitudes that supports the Trust’s Vision of “We Care” by being: oKind oFriendly oRespectful oProfessional oA Team
44. Interested and focused on what our patients want
45. Able to use own values, strengths and abilities to consistently deliver high standards of service
46. Able to work with others in teams and networks to deliver and improve services
47. Able to manage services effectively (resources, people and performance)
Planning/ organisational
Essential criteria
48. •Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
49. •Ability to prioritise workload and work to deadlines.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Essential criteria
50. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles
51. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications