Job overview
The Assistant Manager will provide day‑to‑day on‑site operational support for hospital accommodation, car parking and General Office services. The JD confirms that the post is responsible for coordinating activities across these service areas, ensuring staffing levels, rotas, service standards and operational processes are maintained in line with Trust policies and objectives.
The post holder will support supervisors, oversee routine audits, manage financial processes such as invoices, payroll documentation and non‑stock orders, and ensure effective communication with internal and external stakeholders. They will also assist with incident reporting, complaints, policy implementation and maintaining compliance with national standards including Health & Safety, COSHH and Trust governance frameworks.
Working independently on site, the Assistant Manager will act as a key point of contact, resolving day‑to‑day operational issues, supporting staff development and contributing to continuous service improvement across all allocated Facilities service areas
Main duties of the job
* Provide day‑to‑day on‑site operational management and coordination of hospital accommodation, car parking and General Office services, ensuring these operate effectively and in line with Trust objectives.
* Support supervisors and service teams through rota planning, arranging cover for sickness/annual leave, managing staffing levels and overseeing daily work allocation.
* Manage key financial processes such as raising non‑stock orders, checking invoices, petty cash handling, payroll‑related documentation and accurate budget coding.
* Maintain up‑to‑date written and electronic records in line with Trust standards, including absence, annual leave, conduct, training records and service‑level documentation.
* Support incident reporting, initial investigation of complaints, and governance activity, escalating issues appropriately while ensuring lessons learned are communicated to the team.
* Contribute to staff development through mentoring, supervision, supporting appraisals and ensuring mandatory and role‑specific training is completed.
* Lead or support service improvement projects, prepare reports, and implement changes that improve efficiency, quality, and compliance within accommodation, car parking and General Office functions.
* Act as the key on‑site point of contact for staff, resolving day‑to‑day operational issues and ensuring effective communication across service areas.
Working for our organisation
Why Choose OneLSC and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust:
* A vibrant, diverse, and inclusive healthcare community
* Cutting-edge facilities and technology
* Opportunities for continuous professional development
* A culture that values and recognizes your contributions
We operate from three main hospitals-Furness General Hospital (FGH) in Barrow, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI), and Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) in Kendal, as well as a number of community healthcare premises including Millom Hospital and GP Practice, Queen Victoria Hospital in Morecambe, and Ulverston Community Health Centre.
FGH and the RLI have a range of General Hospital services, with full Emergency Departments, Critical/Coronary Care units and various Consultant-led services.
WGH provides a range of General Hospital services, together with an Urgent Treatment Centre, that can help with a range of non-life threatening conditions such as broken bones and minor illnesses.
All three main hospitals provide a range of planned care including outpatients, diagnostics, therapies, day case and inpatient surgery. In addition, a range of local outreach services and diagnostics are provided from community facilities across Morecambe Bay.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Assistant Manager will provide on‑site operational management for hospital accommodation, car parking and General Office services, ensuring these functions run safely, efficiently and in line with Trust policies, national standards and service‑level expectations. The Job Description states that the post supports the day‑to‑day running of site services by coordinating activities, supporting staff and ensuring quality, performance and compliance across all assigned areas.
The post holder will work independently on site, acting as a key point of contact for staff, supervisors, internal departments and external partners. They will provide leadership support by modelling professional behaviours, implementing Trust policies and supporting service improvements that contribute to a high‑quality Facilities service.
Operational Management
* Oversee the daily delivery of accommodation, car parking and General Office functions, resolving operational issues promptly and escalating concerns where appropriate.
* Plan and organise staffing across these areas, including rota preparation, allocating duties and arranging cover for sickness, leave or vacancies to maintain minimum service levels.
* Work closely with supervisors and service leads to ensure national legislation, Health & Safety and Social Care requirements are adhered to, addressing issues in the first instance and escalating when needed.
Staffing, Leadership and HR Responsibilities
* Provide day‑to‑day management and oversight of staff, including supporting recruitment processes, supervising staff and guiding performance.
* Undertake initial stages of attendance management, performance processes and disciplinary or grievance procedures in conjunction with managers and staff‑side representatives.
* Support staff development through mentoring, supervision, training delivery and contributing to appraisal processes.
Audit, Compliance & Governance
* Coordinate and complete routine departmental audits, including weekly checks, monthly cleanliness audits and KPI monitoring, ensuring findings are reported and improvement actions implemented.
* Maintain accurate, confidential and up‑to‑date records in line with Trust standards, including sickness, annual leave, training and operational documentation.
* Participate in the initial stages of complaint investigations, incident reporting and adverse event follow‑up, ensuring documentation is completed and learning is cascaded.
* Ensure compliance with policies relating to Health & Safety, COSHH, waste management and infection prevention, in line with national standards and Trust expectations.
Financial Responsibilities
* Act as authorised payroll signatory, reviewing and approving timesheets, annual leave forms and sickness documentation.
* Raise non‑stock orders, process invoices, manage petty cash and ensure correct budget coding prior to submission for verification and payment.
* Support monitoring of divisional KPI data, financial saving tools and service performance information, contributing to reports and recommending actions where required.
Service Improvement and Project Support
* Contribute to departmental and cross‑site service improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, quality and compliance.
* Manage or support project work as required by the management team, ensuring deadlines are met and progress is clearly communicated.
* Participate in the development and delivery of training programmes, policies, SOPs and service‑related documentation.
Communication and Liaison
* Communicate effectively with staff, managers, wards, departments and external partners, sharing information, resolving issues and supporting positive working relationships.
* Represent Facilities at internal meetings, collating data and ensuring actions and learning are cascaded to site teams.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
* Relevant Level 3 qualification or equivalent experience, with evidence of ongoing personal development.
Desirable criteria
* Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential criteria
* Significant experience supervising or leading teams in a facilities‑related environment (domestic, portering, waste, catering, car parking or administration).
* Experience working within a customer‑focused environment.
* Experience working within a multidisciplinary team.
Desirable criteria
* NHS experience.
* Experience mentoring or assessing staff (e.g., students or unqualified staff).
* Office‑based experience.
Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
Essential criteria
* Ability to plan, prioritise and coordinate own workload and that of others, including rota planning and task delegation.
* Effective communication skills (verbal and written), with the ability to prepare reports and maintain accurate records.
* Strong decision‑making, negotiation, problem‑solving and conflict‑resolution abilities.
* Demonstrable IT skills, including email, word processing and online information searching.
* Ability to build professional working relationships at all levels and uphold equality, diversity, privacy and dignity.
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
* Caring, enthusiastic, self‑motivated, flexible and approachable, with strong leadership and influencing skills.
* Ability to work independently on site.
* Ability to travel across sites if required.
Other Role Requirements
Essential criteria
* Ability to support audits, KPIs, incident responses and complaint handling.
* Ability to manage financial processes including invoices, budget coding, payroll documentation and order raising.
* Understanding of Trust policies relating to governance, safeguarding, infection prevention, waste management and environmental sustainability.