Job overview
****** THIS POSITION IS ONLY OPEN TO CURRENT UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST EMPLOYEES ******
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Senior Switchboard & Reception Supervisor to oversee Switchboard and Reception services across Worthing, Southlands, and St Richard’s Hospitals.
In this role, you will provide day-to-day operational supervision, ensuring these essential front-line services run smoothly and efficiently across all sites.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide day-to-day operational supervision of Switchboard and Reception services across the designated hospital sites.
You will help ensure the safe, responsive and effective delivery of 24/7 telecommunications and front-of-house reception services, supporting smooth daily operations, good staff performance and compliance with Trust policies.
You will also act as thefirst point of escalation for operational issues, staffing matters and service incidents, escalating any significant risks or concerns to the Switchboard & Reception Manager when required.
Working for our organisation
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and 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, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
Candidate Pack
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 do not meet the sponsorship requirements, and 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
Provide day-to-day operational leadership to the Switchboard and Reception teams. Act as the first point of escalation for service issues, incidents and complaints, ensuring clear communication with clinical and corporate teams during service disruptions. Maintain confidentiality and support incident reporting and investigation in line with Trust policy.
Service delivery and improvement
Oversee the daily delivery of switchboard, alarm, paging and reception services to ensure safe and effective operations. Monitor call handling performance and service standards, ensure emergency communication systems are operational, and escalate faults promptly. Support service improvements and the implementation of new systems or processes.
People management and development
Provide line management to designated staff, including recruitment, induction, appraisal and performance management. Manage staff rotas using e-rostering to ensure adequate service cover. Monitor sickness absence and annual leave, conduct return-to-work meetings, and ensure staff complete mandatory training while maintaininghigh standards of customer service.
Person specification
Experience and Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Experience of supervising staff within a customerfacing or telecommunications environment.
2. Experience of managing rotas and service delivery.
3. Experience of handling complaints and incidents.
Desirable criteria
4. Experience of working at management level within a customer service environment
5. Knowledge of switchboard systems and associated functions (fire alarms, panic alarms etc.).
People Management and Develpment
Essential criteria
6. Experience of recruitment, appraisal and performance management
7. Knowledge of sickness absence and workforce management processes
8. Ability to motivate teams and support change
Skills
Essential criteria
9. Strong organisational and prioritisation skills
10. Ability to analyse and interpret operational performance information.
11. Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
12. Confident decisionmaking and problemsolving ability
13. Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and relevant systems.
EDI
Essential criteria
14. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
15. 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