Job summary
We are looking for a new Director of Clinical Services with the leadership and integrity to realise our vision, which is to work in partnership with people living and working in our community to deliver outstanding lifelong local NHS healthcare, supporting everyone to achieve their potential.
As Director of Clinical Services, you will play a central role in shaping and delivering this vision, ensuring high-quality, safe, and effective care across our organisation.
About the Role
As a voting member of the Board, you will contribute to collective decision-making and share responsibility for the overall success and future direction of First Community. You will:
- Lead the operational delivery of clinical services across the organisation.
- Champion service innovation and continuous improvement.
- Guide performance, patient flow, and care pathway development aligned with our business plan.
- Provide visible, compassionate leadership in partnership with the CEO and fellow Board members.
Main duties of the job
About you
We are seeking an outstanding leader who:
- Has experience at Board level in a complex healthcare or care organisation.
- Demonstrates NHS Leadership competencies and a deep commitment to NHS values.
- Brings a leadership style grounded in compassion, inclusion, and respect.
- Is passionate about improving outcomes for patients and empowering staff.
- Can build consensus across diverse stakeholder groups and lead through complexity.
- You will be a strategic thinker with a strong track record of delivering clinical excellence, value for money, and sustainable service transformation. Your ability to influence across the wider health and care system will be key to our success.
Why Join Us?
First Community is a vital multi-disciplinary community services provider, playing a critical role in the Surrey East Place-Based Partnership and beyond. Our strategic focus on People, Performance, Partnership, and Planet drives everything we do.
We are proud of our culture and values, and we are looking for a Director of Clinical Services who will help us shape and strengthen them further.
We are proud to be rated the top community provider employer in the country (NHS Staff Survey 2023). Please refer to Appendix 2 in the recruitment pack for fuller details on our status as a community interest company.
About us
Do you want to be part of an organisation that was rated best provider of NHS care to work for nationwide? (2023 staff survey results)
First Community is a staff owned
social enterprise rated Good by CQC, which delivers NHS community services across
east Surrey and parts of West Sussex. We
are looking for individuals who share our values First-rate care, First-rate people,
First-rate value.
First Community is a great place
to work, everyone has a voice and is supported to develop their career to its
full potential. We offer all our staff: NHS terms and conditions, high quality
training and development opportunities, flexible working to enable a good work
life balance, an inclusive and friendly work environment, an NHS pension,
flexible retirement options and various employee benefits.
Please talk to us before applying
or at interview about the flexibility you need. We may not be able to meet your
needs exactly, but we do promise to fully consider your request and meet your needs
where possible. Please note, flexible working options may vary depending on the
role.
At First Community we welcome
applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+
candidates and candidates with disabilities. We ensure that all applicants are
treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process,
including the consideration of reasonable adjustments.
Sustainability is integral to
First Community achieving the NHS Net Zero target.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As a Board-level executive, the Director of Clinical Services shares accountability for
First Communitys strategic direction, operational services management, and overall
success. This role leads the operational delivery of clinical services, drives service
innovation, and ensures high-quality, safe, and effective care across the organisation.
As a director, and voting member of the Board, contribute to the collective decision making of the Board, and take shared responsibility for the overall success and future
direction of First Community.
The post holder is jointly accountable with the other Board members for the
development and implementation of First Communitys strategic direction and
corporate management.
The full job description can be found within the recruitment pack under supporting doucments.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As a Board-level executive, the Director of Clinical Services shares accountability for
First Communitys strategic direction, operational services management, and overall
success. This role leads the operational delivery of clinical services, drives service
innovation, and ensures high-quality, safe, and effective care across the organisation.
As a director, and voting member of the Board, contribute to the collective decision making of the Board, and take shared responsibility for the overall success and future
direction of First Community.
The post holder is jointly accountable with the other Board members for the
development and implementation of First Communitys strategic direction and
corporate management.
The full job description can be found within the recruitment pack under supporting doucments.
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- In-depth knowledge of NHS policy, strategy, and regulatory frameworks.
- Understanding of Care Quality Commission standards and compliance.
- Knowledge of population health, commissioning, and health inequalities.
- Dynamic, Compassionate, Open, Participative and Supportive leadership style.
- Demonstrable experience of NHS provider regimes.
- Familiarity with NHS financial systems and contracting processes.
Experience
Essential
- Significant senior leadership experience in health or social care.
- Proven track record of clinical services management across complex services.
- Experience of working at Board level or equivalent.
- Leading large-scale service transformation and improvement.
- Financial management of multi-million-pound budgets.
- Partnership working across ICS, local government, and VCSE sectors.
- Experience in community health services or integrated care models
Desirable
- Involvement in research, teaching, or innovation programmes.
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or equivalent professional qualification
- Postgraduate qualification in health, management, or leadership.
- Evidence of continuous professional development.
Desirable
- Leadership training (e.g. NHS Leadership Academy, MBA, ILM).
Skills
Essential
- Strategic thinking and long-term planning.
- Strong leadership and people management skills.
- Ability to manage risk, performance, and governance systems.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to interpret and present complex data clearly.
- Skilled in conflict resolution and compassionate engagement.
- Ability to influence and negotiate across organisational boundaries.
- Able to inspire, motivate and engage large audiences in both positive & negative situations.
- Highly developed personal communications skills to describe a vision that others find compelling to follow.
- Politically astute with the ability to establish trust and rapport with a wide range of stakeholders e.g. elected members, clinicians,
- people who use services, inspectorates, leaders of partner organisations, unions.
- Excellent report writing and presentation skills.
- Analytical and judgment skills.
- Ability to analyse highly complex strategic problems and make difficult decisions balancing risk and reward.
Other
Essential
- Committed to First Community's values and mission.
- Resilient, adaptable, and solution focused.
- Inclusive and collaborative leadership style.
- High integrity and professional credibility.
- Passionate about improving patient experience and outcomes.
- Strong customer focus approach.
- Sensitive to the changing nature of the political and partnership environment, with the ability to respond positively and flexibly.
- Inspires confidence and empowers others to achieve organisation goals.
- Role models appropriate corporate behaviours and contributes to wider corporate change management.
- Committed to putting in extra effort to manage a large diverse workload and achieve important goals.
- Able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
- The highest degree of honesty, probity and integrity.
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- In-depth knowledge of NHS policy, strategy, and regulatory frameworks.
- Understanding of Care Quality Commission standards and compliance.
- Knowledge of population health, commissioning, and health inequalities.
- Dynamic, Compassionate, Open, Participative and Supportive leadership style.
- Demonstrable experience of NHS provider regimes.
- Familiarity with NHS financial systems and contracting processes.
Experience
Essential
- Significant senior leadership experience in health or social care.
- Proven track record of clinical services management across complex services.
- Experience of working at Board level or equivalent.
- Leading large-scale service transformation and improvement.
- Financial management of multi-million-pound budgets.
- Partnership working across ICS, local government, and VCSE sectors.
- Experience in community health services or integrated care models
Desirable
- Involvement in research, teaching, or innovation programmes.
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or equivalent professional qualification
- Postgraduate qualification in health, management, or leadership.
- Evidence of continuous professional development.
Desirable
- Leadership training (e.g. NHS Leadership Academy, MBA, ILM).
Skills
Essential
- Strategic thinking and long-term planning.
- Strong leadership and people management skills.
- Ability to manage risk, performance, and governance systems.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to interpret and present complex data clearly.
- Skilled in conflict resolution and compassionate engagement.
- Ability to influence and negotiate across organisational boundaries.
- Able to inspire, motivate and engage large audiences in both positive & negative situations.
- Highly developed personal communications skills to describe a vision that others find compelling to follow.
- Politically astute with the ability to establish trust and rapport with a wide range of stakeholders e.g. elected members, clinicians,
- people who use services, inspectorates, leaders of partner organisations, unions.
- Excellent report writing and presentation skills.
- Analytical and judgment skills.
- Ability to analyse highly complex strategic problems and make difficult decisions balancing risk and reward.
Other
Essential
- Committed to First Community's values and mission.
- Resilient, adaptable, and solution focused.
- Inclusive and collaborative leadership style.
- High integrity and professional credibility.
- Passionate about improving patient experience and outcomes.
- Strong customer focus approach.
- Sensitive to the changing nature of the political and partnership environment, with the ability to respond positively and flexibly.
- Inspires confidence and empowers others to achieve organisation goals.
- Role models appropriate corporate behaviours and contributes to wider corporate change management.
- Committed to putting in extra effort to manage a large diverse workload and achieve important goals.
- Able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
- The highest degree of honesty, probity and integrity.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
