Job summary
This post is open to employees of the five LAASP organisations. As part of your application, you will be asked to confirm that you are a current employee of The Clatterbridge Centre, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool University Hospitals, Liverpool Women’s Hospital or The Walton Centre.
A new and exciting opportunity has arisen for substantive recruitment as the Head of Operations to lead the Surgical Specialties Care Group – Breast & Endocrine, Renal Transplant and Urology.
The Head of Operations will be responsible for leading the effective and efficient delivery of the day‑to‑day operational performance of the Care Group, ensuring sustainable delivery of high quality patient care, safety processes, operational standards and quality/service improvement programmes for services delivered on the Royal site.
The candidate will have extensive experience in a leadership role within an Acute Hospital setting, with a proven track record of performance management of services and delivery, successful management of change and experience of developing teams, using appraisal and accountability frameworks.
The successful candidate should support the development of an open and engaging culture for patients and staff that encourages excellence in clinical practice, facilitates team working and multi‑professional care delivery.
Main duties of the job
Reporting to the Divisional Director of Operations, the post holder is an integral member of the Care Group’s Senior Leadership Team and fully accountable for the delivery of the Care Group’s operational and financial performance. The post holder takes a lead role in shaping and delivering the Care Group’s strategy in conjunction with the Divisional and Trust’s overall strategies and objectives.
The Head of Operations works with Clinical Directors and Lead Nurse/AHPs to drive operational performance and planning within the Care Group, and works closely with other Divisions, Corporate Directors and external partners to achieve Trust objectives and contribute to local health services.
The operational teams support the delivery of high quality care and aim to make the Care Group the ‘Best Place to Work’ for staff, investing continually in their development. Liverpool University NHS FT offers access to leadership and team development, coaching and flexible working.
About us
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital, and is part of the NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust.
UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities – from birth and beyond. For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS, providing general and emergency care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.
Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts a number of regional services including an award‑winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital is home to elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies each year at the country’s largest maternity hospital. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.
For roles at Liverpool Women’s, visit their careers page.
Job details
Date posted: 28 October 2025
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8c
Salary: £76,965 to £88,682 a year per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full‑time
Reference number: 287‑RSUR‑202‑25
Job location: Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Mount Vernon Street, Liverpool, L7 8YE
Job responsibilities
Specifically, the Head of Operations is accountable for: functioning at a senior level within the Care Group leadership team, proactively leading and providing solutions to resolve complex operational issues in accordance with agreed Divisional objectives, targets, quality standards and resource constraints.
The Head of Operations will lead the implementation of a patient‑centred clinical operational strategy and plans, ensuring that systems and processes are in place to comply with legislation and governance requirements, linking with external bodies such as commissioners about service developments, contracts and clinical care pathways whilst utilising the expertise and skills of the wider Divisional team.
As the lead member of the Care Group team, the Head of Operations defines the strategic direction and policy setting for the Division, forming an essential communications link between the Division, Care Group and relevant external organisations, demonstrating a coaching style of leadership to ensure that clinical, staff and stakeholder engagement is reflected in decision making.
The Head of Operations will provide a highly visible, accessible and authoritative presence to support the delivery of Divisional and Trust objectives and service priorities.
The Head of Operations is fully accountable for the Care Group’s budgets and will monitor the income for the Care Group alongside controlling all pay spend (including bank/locum and agency staff costs and controls) and also non‑pay.
The Head of Operations will lead the schemes to ensure achievement of the QEP target for the Care Group and represent the senior team at appropriate meetings to monitor financial performance.
The Head of Operations deputises for the Divisional Director of Operations, including representing them at divisional level and sub‑board level meetings. The post holder has line management responsibility for the Deputy Head of Operations and other identified direct reports.
Person Specification – Skills
Essential
* Coaching and values‑led leadership style, encouraging engagement and empowerment amongst staff and stakeholders, and developing high‑performing teams
* High level of communication skills, including mediation, negotiation, consultation, facilitation, presentation, training and coaching, using well‑developed interpersonal skills to influence, inform, reconcile differences and resolve conflicts
* Problem‑solving using a solution‑focused approach, demonstrating persuasive and influencing skills
* Analytical skills to interpret detailed data and information, including preparing responses to issues, weighing risks and forming judgments within tight timescales
* Initiate, develop, coordinate and implement business planning processes on behalf of the Care Group
* Coordinate and lead Care Group activity to meet challenging performance targets within tight financial controls
* Implement agreed policy on behalf of the Care Group and ensure successful implementation
* IT literate and able to use standard office software and bespoke systems
* Ability to cope with competing priorities and demanding workload
* Deal with uncertainty and complexity in a political environment
* Work in an environment with frequent interruptions and stressful, unpredictable situations, including responding to and solving urgent and emergency situations day to day
Desirable
* Research detailed information and apply audit skills to influence practice and develop business cases/plans
* Innovative and imaginative in developing new ways of working to meet patient care and service needs
Person Specification – Qualifications
Essential
* Degree level or equivalent extensive experience
* Management qualification, MBA or equivalent extensive experience
Person Specification – Experience
Essential
* Demonstrable experience at a senior level in healthcare delivery, with responsibility for operational delivery including clinical quality, people management, budget responsibility and successful delivery of performance targets within strict financial controls.
Person Specification – Knowledge
Essential
* Understanding and appreciation of diversity
* Key issues and pace of change facing the NHS nationally and locally, assessing and describing impact on services
* Principles and impact of the NHS Constitution
* Knowledge and understanding of computerised financial, management, budgetary management and workforce information systems
Desirable
* Knowledge and understanding of governance arrangements and standards in the NHS and the wider health and social care economy
Person Specification – LAASP Employee
* LAASP Employee
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details
Employer name: Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Mount Vernon Street, Liverpool, L7 8YE
Website: https://www.liverpoolft.nhs.uk/
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