Job overview
Autonomy.
Often a word used in recruitment advertising, but what does it offer you?
To an extent, freedom, an opportunity to offer up your own solutions, strategy and approaches, to truly make your own decisions.
Which leads to accountability.
A weightier, consequential word, but none the less offering the value behind your decisions.
Until something is tested, it’s not found to work and what greater fulfilment can one have when they see their strategies and approaches implemented, then go on to flourish, whether in the short, medium or long term.
As the Operations Service Director for Reference Services, this opportunity could be yours.
Main duties of the job
You’ll take ownership, thus have the autonomy, for the delivery of day to day operations within reference services against key metrics, such as, productivity, efficiency, quality and workforce.
You’ll be the process owner, overseeing any necessary reviews, whilst also ensuring the service can run when tested in dynamic environments, or times, which might require you to draw down and implement business continuity plans and ensure service is in ready state.
As an established leader in diagnostic pathology, you’ll take your teams and Ops Managers with you as you look to develop the services’ highly valued reputation, strengthen expertise and returns for patients.
This is an internal opportunity, and you will demonstrate significant general management experience, including cross site management of multiple pathology services and working within a tripartite structure.
Experience of transitioning of services would also be an advantage as well as working with colleagues across all corporate departments to support the strategic planning for the development and growth of services.
Working for our organisation
The services cover a variety of specialisms, including paediatric and adult metabolic investigations, donor/recipient organ transplantation compatibility, toxicology/trace elements analysis, nutritional assessment, R&D, therapeutic drug monitoring and immunology.
These services are a crucial resource for clinicians, providing targeted analysis using a variety of advanced techniques.
Many of our laboratories support other hospitals and community health units across the country
You and your teams will be supported by a suite of learning opportunities available through The ACCE competencies programme, the Scientific Learning and Development Fund and the Synnovis Academy through which you can receive funding / support for advanced qualifications.
Through our Innovation Accelerator Fund, you can apply for finance to get that new innovative scientific project off the ground, and participate with the wider scientific community through symposiums, conferences and other peer group meetings.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Purpose of the Job
The purpose is to act as the Senior Operational leader for a relevant assigned division of the Analytical business providing strategic and operational oversight and leadership of the successful deliver of pathology services, in line with contractual requirements including ensuring all risk is escalated as appropriate.
Our approach to leadership is through a local tripartite relationship across clinical, science and operational leadership. This combined effort ensures that day to day requirements are met, performance metrics and development objectives achieved.
Who we are
Synnovis is a scientific organisation with a clinical purpose and is part of SYNLAB Group, Europe’s leading provider of laboratory diagnostic services. Working in partnership with Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals, King’s College Hospital, Princess Royal University Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield, and local CCG networks, we aim to set the standard for the future of pathology.
This role sits within Synnovis Analytics, which is responsible for the provision of Pathology testing services to Synnovis’ patients and customers.
What you will do
This role reports to the Senior Director of Operations, who is accountable for all services within Analytics and leading the tripartite partnership.
This role has accountability for a specific division of the Analytics business and has autonomy for ensuring the day-to-day operational services are meeting the service requirements including all metrics are met in line with contractual requirements.
This includes:
1. Managing the operational budget, including deciding allocation of funds, whilst ensuring adherence to operational governance and adherence to financial reporting requirements and processes.
2. Take ownership and accountability for pathology services P&L, focussing upon optimising operational costs and major non-pay cost lines, controlling expenditure ensuring Synnovis services are operating in a financially viable way.
3. Clear leadership of the operational leadership teams, providing guidance and support to leaders that helps them create a positive and engaging workplace for teams.
4. Ensuring people have access to training and development to build strong career trajectories across all disciplines in your business area, and performance is managed appropriately building resilience to unexpected challenges.
5. Ensuring the divisional organisation is right sized to meet business needs and right capacity to ensure effective and efficient delivery of current and future services, providing expertise to operational leaders to overcome service challenges.
6. Managing stakeholders, internally and externally, to maintain a professional corporate image to build a strong understanding of strategic objectives.
7. Managing relationships in a positive way to build robust approaches to problem solving by building networks. This could include accreditation and meeting legislative guidelines. It could also include seeking out new opportunities to grow or enhance service delivery.
8. Driving forward the provision of continuous improvement of pathology services, by staying connected to the wider pathology and NHS network, that will see you make recommendations for improving the people, processes, tools, and technologies, to enhance and evolve the service provided.
9. Support delivery of the Synnovis Research, Innovation and Development strategy to improve patient care and bring commercial benefit. Ensuring achievement of operational targets embedded into Service Level Agreements with internal and external customers, with a specific emphasis upon performance, quality, and achieving best value within budgetary constraints.
10. Ensuring achievement of operational targets embedded into Service Level Agreements with internal and external customers, with a specific emphasis upon performance, quality, and achieving best value within budgetary constraints.
Key Responsibilities
11. Work with Strategic Clinical Leads (SCL), Clinical Leads, Consultant Clinical Scientist, Clinical Scientist and Biomedical Scientist to create an emphasis on patient care and set responsibilities for robust clinical governance and promote an environment of customer focused service delivery, continuous improvement, and innovation in accordance with Synnovis values.
12. Liaise with external agencies and attend relevant meetings locally and nationally, as required. In doing so, you will promote and maintain the professional image of Synnovis.
13. Manage the operational budget for your area. This will require you to closely consider and monitor how your budget is directed. You will also need to ensure that services are delivered in a cost-effective manner.
14. Manage the operational performance of services so that high quality, safe and robust pathology services are delivered to internal and external customers whilst being fully compliant with all relevant legislation and accreditation.
15. Draft business cases for capital investments and development of Synnovis services. Including developing, delivering, and reporting against a financial plan via a service line and business unit structure for the P&L as agreed with the Senior Director of Operations.
16. Deliver transformation of services, including service reorganisation and laboratory consolidation, as required. Ensuring that change plans are translated into concrete working practices which improve outcomes and support the delivery of Synnovis’ clinical strategies, achieving value for money.
17. Develop a culture of Continuous Improvement and continuously reviewing the laboratory working practices and skills mix of resource to achieve optimum flexibility in the existing workforce, to service anticipated and existing work patterns.
18. Promote Quality utilising the Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure compliance with all legislative and quality requirements by regulatory directives, accreditation bodies, and local management including:
o Care Quality Commission
o UKAS
o Synnovis policies and SOPs
o MHRA
o NHSCSP
o HTA
o HFEA
o Any other body in area of responsibility
19. Prepare strategies, policies, reports, papers and briefings for customers and the partnership as required. Including owning and achieving financial revenue and cost targets, as agreed with the Senior Director of Operations and in line with the anticipated business cadence.
20. Provide expert advice to Synnovis employees and to employees of organisations that use Synnovis services and use your expert pathology knowledge to manage and develop Synnovis, including assisting in Clinical trials in your areas of responsibility as directed.
21. Proactively line manage a diverse team of direct reports by conducting people management activities, such as annual performance & objective setting, learning & development, managing poor performance, grievance, and disciplinary issues in a sensitive and professional manner.
22. Work with the Synnovis Board, Synnovis Leadership Team, and Operational Management Team to ensure robust mechanisms for continuous operational and business improvement processes are in place.
23. Work with the Business Development Team to identify new opportunities which contribute to the strategic direction of the business, corporate business plans and the development of its products and services and support the pursuit of new business opportunities and expansion/retention of current contracts.
24. Support commissioning negotiations through the provision of accurate information and advice.
25. Ensure that your professional knowledge is continuously updated, and training is undertaken, as a part of your Continual Professional Development (CPD).
26. Ensure that there are effective risk management systems in place, in which patient safety is paramount, with assurance mechanisms which provide continuous monitoring and improvement in response to patient and customer feedback, complaints, and claims.
27. Ensuring teams utilise the laboratory LIMS and its associated middlewares, Quality monitoring system (Q-Pulse) and other application software according to authorised protocols including accurate and timely computer data entry in all areas of the laboratory.
28. Report and investigate all incidents and adverse events entering the information in the QMS in a timely manner, conducting Root Cause Analysis and remedial action as required.
29. Observe safety regulations and have knowledge of key SOPs (such as HSE, COSHH, Lifting and Handling etc). Attending all mandatory courses as required and ensure all employees’ attendance is within required timeframes.
30. Ensure that the equipment within area of work is maintained and operated as per manufacturer’s guidelines and SOPs.
Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.
The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.
The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.
The Hub is an eight-storey building, and we are working across 10 floors including the ground and lower ground floors. Synnovis’ corporate function operates from the hub on the 8th floor, above the laboratories underneath. This is a total net internal area of almost 10,000m squared across the 10 floors.
Based in Blackfriars, it’s less than a 5 minute walk from Southwark Tube or Blackfriars station and nestled closely to a vast array of entertainment and fabulous places to dine, relax and meet people.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
31. Educated to degree level or have the relevant work experience
32. Hold a FIBMS or equivalent qualification/experience
33. Evidence of Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
Experience
Essential criteria
34. Knowledge and experience managing specialist services
35. Evidence of highly developed emotional intelligence and empathy when leading others
36. Experience of senior management including holding high levels of accountability within regulatory frameworks
37. Experience of line management of people in specialist areas and cross disciplines, building high performing teams
38. Experience of budget management and highly developed numerical skills
39. Experience of change management in a complex environment
Skills & Knowledge
Essential criteria
40. Evidence of making sound judgements and decision making in a fast-paced environment
41. Highly competent communicator both verbally and in writing with exceptional stakeholder management skills
42. Highly developed stakeholder management skills
Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. All applicants are welcome to apply regardless of age, disability, gender, marital status, race, nationality or ethnic origin, religion, or sexual orientation. Equality of opportunity is our policy.
Our Bank workers enjoy competitive market rates and flexible contract assignments across all of our sites, dependent on your availability and location.
For our Permanent workforce we offer a competitive benefits package.
All employees are entitled to:
43. Contributory pension scheme
44. Generous annual leave entitlement
45. Ground breaking development
opportunities
Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. All employees have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.