Director of Operational Performance
Job overview
We are currently seeking a Director of Operational Performance to join the Chief Operating Officer’s team. This pivotal role will oversee operational performance delivery for the key National Access standard, ensuring that all specialities have clear trajectories to support the delivery of their activity plans, that improvement plans are delivered to time and budget, and that performance reporting is accurate, aligned and appropriately signed-off.This post will also play a key role in ensuring that the Trust's reporting to NHS England and, through the Integrated Performance Report to the Trust Board, is accurate and transparent, and provides the necessary assurance regarding the actions being taken to improve access times for patients.
Working alongside the Care Group Leadership Teams, you will oversee the Trust’s operational performance framework and will provide leadership for the Corporate functions overseeing operational performance, including the validation and access teams for RTT and Cancer.
This exciting opportunity will suit a proven senior leader who can build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, establish clear expectations supported by rigorous governance and reporting processes, support continuous improvement, and help to ensure the Trust meets local and national performance standards while delivering the best possible patient care and experience.
Main duties of the job
Please carefully read the attached job description and person specification documents for this role.
Working for our organisation
With over 19,000 staff, we are one of the largest employers in the city, with a central role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local population. We play a leading role in research, education and innovation.
Come and join our wonderful team at NUH! We are big believers in diversity and welcome new ideas to help develop our team in order to deliver world class healthcare to the vast patient populations we serve. With endless personal development opportunities available, at NUH we will endeavour to turn your job into a career!
We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic, or as Disabled, as we strive to be better represented at NUH.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please carefully read the attached job description and person specification documents for this role.
Person specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential criteria- • Professional knowledge acquired through degree, supplemented by specialist training to doctorate or equivalent level, management qualification or equivalent, experience
- • Evidence of continuous professional development in operational management, performance, analytics or related fields
- • Formal training in improvement methodologies (eg Lean, Six Sigma, QSIR)
- • Project or programme management qualification (e.g., MSP, PRINCE2)
Experience
Essential criteria- • Significant senior operational leadership experience within a large, complex healthcare organisation
- • Successful track record as a senior manager within the NHS or a comparable complex public sector organisation
- • Proven track record of delivering sustained improvements in operational performance across elective care, RTT, diagnostics and/or cancer pathways
- • Experience of leading multiple teams or departments, including line management of senior staff and evidence of excellent people management
- • Experience of developing and implementing policies, operational frameworks and service improvement strategies at organisational or system level
- • Experience of managing large budgets and overseeing financial governance across multiple services, with evidence of sound financial management
- • Experience of presenting highly complex, sensitive or contentious information to Board level or equivalent senior audiences
- • Experience of working across organisational boundaries, including ICS or regional partnerships
- • Experience of leading digital transformation or data driven improvement programmes
- • Experience of effective change management, including leading large scale service redesign or transformation initiatives
- • Experience of applying research, evaluation or evidence based methodologies to inform service improvement
- • Experience within an acute hospital setting
- • Experience of partnership working
- • Experience of leading or contributing to R&D, evaluation or innovation programmes
- • Experience of working within or alongside academic, research or analytical teams
Experience
Essential criteria- • Significant senior operational leadership experience within a large, complex healthcare organisation
- • Successful track record as a senior manager within the NHS or a comparable complex public sector organisation
- • Proven track record of delivering sustained improvements in operational performance across elective care, RTT, diagnostics and/or cancer pathways
- • Experience of leading multiple teams or departments, including line management of senior staff and evidence of excellent people management
- • Experience of developing and implementing policies, operational frameworks and service improvement strategies at organisational or system level
- • Experience of managing large budgets and overseeing financial governance across multiple services, with evidence of sound financial management
- • Experience of presenting highly complex, sensitive or contentious information to Board level or equivalent senior audiences
- • Experience of working across organisational boundaries, including ICS or regional partnerships
- • Experience of leading digital transformation or data driven improvement programmes
- • Experience of effective change management, including leading large scale service redesign or transformation initiatives
- • Experience of applying research, evaluation or evidence based methodologies to inform service improvement
- • Experience within an acute hospital setting
- • Experience of partnership working
- • Experience of leading or contributing to R&D, evaluation or innovation programmes
- • Experience of working within or alongside academic, research or analytical teams
Communication and Relationship Skills
Essential criteria- • Highly developed communication skills, including the ability to convey complex, contentious or sensitive information to large and diverse audiences
- • Advanced influencing, negotiation and persuasion skills, including in hostile or highly emotive environments
- • Excellent collaborative working skills and ability to build strong relationships with clinical leaders and professional staff groups
- • Ability to provide meaningful feedback in response to individual performance and hold others to account
- • Highly developed interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate, challenge and engage individuals and teams
- • Political astuteness, with an understanding of what can and cannot be delivered at senior level
Analytical and Judgement Skills
Essential criteria- • Ability to analyse, interpret and synthesise highly complex, sensitive and incomplete information
- • Ability to make judgements on contentious issues with no clear precedent, balancing competing priorities and risks
- • Proven ability to deal with a wide range of data and information and take appropriate decisions from it
- • Proven ability to come up with flexible and creative solutions to difficult problems
- Proven ability to obtain and consistently achieve results and targets
Planning and Organisational Skills
Essential criteria- • Ability to develop and implement policies, operational frameworks and service improvement strategies
- • Ability to work under pressure, manage competing demands and maintain performance during operational escalation.
- • Ability to shape the future direction of services and bring staff with you through change
- • Ability to lead multiple teams, set direction and build a high performing culture
Physical Skills
Essential criteria- • Standard keyboard and IT skills
- • Ability to travel across Trust and system sites, as required
Other Requirements Specific to the Role
Essential criteria- • Participate in the Trust’s Executive on-Call rota
- • Demonstrate the Trust values: Kind, Inclusive, Ambitious, One Team
- • Highly resilient, calm and authoritative under pressure
- • Politically astute, with the ability to navigate complex organisational and system environments
- • Visible, compassionate and inclusive leadership style
- • Commitment to continuous improvement and evidence‑based practice
- • High level of personal integrity, professionalism and accountability
- • Ability to travel independently across Trust, regional and national sites to attend essential meetings and events where physical presence is required for effective leadership and collaboration
Commitment To Trust Values and Behaviours
Essential criteria- • Must be able to demonstrate values and behaviours consistent with the Trust’s standards
- • Proven record of encouraging talent and helping to proactively further the development of those around you within previous management roles
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Come and join our wonderful team at NUH. We are big believers in diversity and welcome new ideas to help develop our team in order to deliver world class healthcare to the vast patient populations we serve. With endless personal development opportunities available, at the NUH we will endeavour to turn your job into a career!
We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH.
Applicants are kindly requested to refrain from using AI at any stage during the recruitment process.
Closing Dates: Please submit your application form as soon as possible to avoid disappointment; we reserve the right to close vacancies prior to the published closing date if we receive a sufficient number of completed application forms.
Communication: All communication related to your application will be via the email address you have provided. Please ensure you check your email account including your junk email regularly.
Easy read application: If you have a disability and find online job applications difficult, you can use an easy read application form instead.
To get this form, please email [email protected] and ask for an easy read application.
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If you are aged 16 or 17 and applying for a role that is more than 20 hours a week, please be aware that you will be asked to commence an Apprenticeship within the Trust alongside your role, as long as there is a suitable apprenticeship standard available. This is in line with the current guidance in England that whilst young people under the age of 18 can leave school (on the last Friday in June) they must then do one of the following:
- Stay in full-time education, for example at a college
- Start an Apprenticeship
- Spend 20 hours of more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training
For more details visit; School leaving age - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Salary: The quoted salary will be on a pro rata basis for part time workers.Disability Confidence: All applicants who have declared a disability and who meet the essential criteria for the post will be shortlisted.
At Risk of redundancy: NHS employees within the East Midlands who are ‘at risk’ of redundancy will be given a preferential interview where they meet the essential criteria of the person specification.
International Recruitment: If you are applying for a role with us from outside of the UK then please read the guidance on applying for a health or social care job in the UK from abroad.
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Consent:
- Transfer of information: If I have previous NHS service - I consent to the transfer of my Electronic Staff Record (ESR) data between this and other NHS Trusts. I also consent to the Occupational Health Department confidentially accessing my occupational health records from my current or previous employer in order to check the status of my vaccinations, immunisations s and screening tests as relevant to the post. I understand this is an automated process and the information will only be used for these purposes prior to me taking up the position at NUH.
- Disclosure and Barring Service: Your post maybe subject to a DBS check which incur a cost dependent on the level of check required (£49.50 for enhanced and £21.50 for standard). I agree to reimburse Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust the cost of a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if it is required (by deduction from first month’s pay). Should I decide to withdraw from my job offer, I agree to reimburse Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust the cost of the DBS check undertaken by cheque or other agreed method.
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