Job summary
As the Associate Director of Catering & Food Services at Barts Health NHS Trust, your primary responsibility will be to champion the development and delivery of modern, nutritious food offerings that enhance patient and staff wellbeing. You will ensure that Trust Catering operations leverage local community investments, particularly by supporting SMEs and collaborating closely with procurement teams to deliver social value.
Your role involves the development of business cases for patient catering and food retail services, using data to identify meaningful trends and drive service improvement. You will proactively develop and manage policies and processes to ensure compliance with Food Hygiene Standards, HACCP, Cleanliness, and Dietetic Standards, ensuring adherence to industry best practices across all hospitals.
Main duties of the job
A critical aspect of your role will be to identify, develop, and implement new catering and management methods to improve efficiency, staff wellbeing, and patient satisfaction. You will lead and support cross-functional teams, developing training programs to maintain high standards of hospitality and professional growth.
Your presence and strong problem-solving skills will be essential as you influence leaders, manage information effectively, and foster collaboration across the organisation. Your ability to work independently and make informed decisions will be crucial in a minimally structured environment. Through strategic oversight and operational management, you will strive to enhance the quality of services, ensuring continuous improvement and value delivery to the organisation and its stakeholders.
About us
Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.
The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.
Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.
We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are underrepresented within Barts Health at this band.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- oSignificant demonstrable experience of senior level management of cleaning services preferably in a large and complex healthcare environment
- oExperience of working with Healthcare Specialist IPC leads and their teams. Understanding of Hospital Acquired Infections and the role of healthcare cleaning to assist in prevention and control of the same
- oUse of Computer Aided Facilities Management technology for asset and resource management and the set up and operation of planned and reactive task recording, issue and production of associated data analytic, by exception dashboard reporting reports
- oDemonstrable knowledge and working experience of utilising data analytics to support and drive service improvements and streamline operational processes within a dynamic Quality Assured environment
- oDemonstrable experience of budget setting, forecasting and knowledge of realigning fiscal results to required trading performance numbers
- oProven decision maker and skilled in change management delivery, with track record in problem solving through solutioning and then being able to influence team/s to rebase ways of working to achieve agreed changes needed
- oAbility to make the complex simple and produce succinct reports and presentations suitable for all levels from board members to front line operators
Desirable
- Management of teams in excess of 1000
- Understanding of IPC structures and how healthcare cleaning supports healthcare Infection Prevention and Control
Knowledge
Essential
- oIn-depth Knowledge and understanding of the NHS Cleaning Standards 2021, to include the requirements and methodology of both Environmental and Efficacy Auditing
- oSpecialist Knowledge of the cleaning industry to include state of the art equipment, lean operational practices, cleaning chemical efficacy and most applicable consumables and disposables for use in healthcare environments
- oKnowledge and certifiable proof of health and safety certified training to support the delivery of a culture of ZERO HARM working environments
- oProficient in using and developing cleaning management system platforms and specialist cleaning industry integrated cleaning systems
- oMust be an excellent communicator in both written and verbal disciplines
- oUnderstand the complexities in the operation of a large and diverse NHS estate
Desirable
- NHS 2021 Cleaning Standards
- CQC outcome standards regulation key15 criteria for audit and governance of healthcare facilities
- Must know how to work with operational teams to reduce reportable accidents and incidents in the workplace (RIDDORs) and Lost Time Incidents (LTIs)
- Experience of researching, commissioning and deployment of asset and task driven integrated cleaning systems that incorporate data analytic reporting
- Ability to analyse data and use data to make cost and operational service delivery improvements
- Knowledgeable in the operation of NHS healthcare operational complexities and how cleaning and other Soft FM services work to contribute to the delivery of the Model Hospital and overall positive experience regarding the patient journey
Skills
Essential
- -Ability to work in large and complex teams as a strategic adviser and operational improvement influencer
- -Must be able to demonstrate the ability to be calm under pressure and understand the principles of Contingency Reaction Planning and implementation
- -High level of interpersonal skills
- -Self-starter, constantly looking at ways to improve both operational and fiscal performance
- -Ability and knowledge of maintaining metrics/ Key performance indicators that evaluate the costs, quality, and timing of both contract and in-house service performance,
- -Presentation skills: ability to articulate complex information and issues into accessible language to a range of audiences.
- -Effective team player and visual leader
- -Flexible approach
- -Significant Experience of managing multiple demands to tight timescales and confident to challenge stakeholders and hold them to account
- -High level of professional autonomy
- -Complex facts, interpretation, comparison of a range of options. Judgments across wide range of estates issues taking account of legislation, H&S, conflicting demands, project delivery, compliance issues
Desirable
- - Must be able to take on board complex information and analyse and interpret to present complex facts and options in a clear and concise manner
- Ability to keep others calm and take control of emergency situations
- Proof of team building successes
- Can demonstrate cost saving and operational performance improvement initiatives as previously delivered
Qualifications
Essential
- oEducated to master's degree or equivalent industry standard qualification and or proven experience at senior strategic, operational Management level
- oFull Membership of British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc)
- oPrince2 practitioner, Agile or similar or equivalent experience
Desirable
- Full Membership of British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) preferably to Assessor Level
- NEBOSH/IOSH Managing teams safely certification
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- oSignificant demonstrable experience of senior level management of cleaning services preferably in a large and complex healthcare environment
- oExperience of working with Healthcare Specialist IPC leads and their teams. Understanding of Hospital Acquired Infections and the role of healthcare cleaning to assist in prevention and control of the same
- oUse of Computer Aided Facilities Management technology for asset and resource management and the set up and operation of planned and reactive task recording, issue and production of associated data analytic, by exception dashboard reporting reports
- oDemonstrable knowledge and working experience of utilising data analytics to support and drive service improvements and streamline operational processes within a dynamic Quality Assured environment
- oDemonstrable experience of budget setting, forecasting and knowledge of realigning fiscal results to required trading performance numbers
- oProven decision maker and skilled in change management delivery, with track record in problem solving through solutioning and then being able to influence team/s to rebase ways of working to achieve agreed changes needed
- oAbility to make the complex simple and produce succinct reports and presentations suitable for all levels from board members to front line operators
Desirable
- Management of teams in excess of 1000
- Understanding of IPC structures and how healthcare cleaning supports healthcare Infection Prevention and Control
Knowledge
Essential
- oIn-depth Knowledge and understanding of the NHS Cleaning Standards 2021, to include the requirements and methodology of both Environmental and Efficacy Auditing
- oSpecialist Knowledge of the cleaning industry to include state of the art equipment, lean operational practices, cleaning chemical efficacy and most applicable consumables and disposables for use in healthcare environments
- oKnowledge and certifiable proof of health and safety certified training to support the delivery of a culture of ZERO HARM working environments
- oProficient in using and developing cleaning management system platforms and specialist cleaning industry integrated cleaning systems
- oMust be an excellent communicator in both written and verbal disciplines
- oUnderstand the complexities in the operation of a large and diverse NHS estate
Desirable
- NHS 2021 Cleaning Standards
- CQC outcome standards regulation key15 criteria for audit and governance of healthcare facilities
- Must know how to work with operational teams to reduce reportable accidents and incidents in the workplace (RIDDORs) and Lost Time Incidents (LTIs)
- Experience of researching, commissioning and deployment of asset and task driven integrated cleaning systems that incorporate data analytic reporting
- Ability to analyse data and use data to make cost and operational service delivery improvements
- Knowledgeable in the operation of NHS healthcare operational complexities and how cleaning and other Soft FM services work to contribute to the delivery of the Model Hospital and overall positive experience regarding the patient journey
Skills
Essential
- -Ability to work in large and complex teams as a strategic adviser and operational improvement influencer
- -Must be able to demonstrate the ability to be calm under pressure and understand the principles of Contingency Reaction Planning and implementation
- -High level of interpersonal skills
- -Self-starter, constantly looking at ways to improve both operational and fiscal performance
- -Ability and knowledge of maintaining metrics/ Key performance indicators that evaluate the costs, quality, and timing of both contract and in-house service performance,
- -Presentation skills: ability to articulate complex information and issues into accessible language to a range of audiences.
- -Effective team player and visual leader
- -Flexible approach
- -Significant Experience of managing multiple demands to tight timescales and confident to challenge stakeholders and hold them to account
- -High level of professional autonomy
- -Complex facts, interpretation, comparison of a range of options. Judgments across wide range of estates issues taking account of legislation, H&S, conflicting demands, project delivery, compliance issues
Desirable
- - Must be able to take on board complex information and analyse and interpret to present complex facts and options in a clear and concise manner
- Ability to keep others calm and take control of emergency situations
- Proof of team building successes
- Can demonstrate cost saving and operational performance improvement initiatives as previously delivered
Qualifications
Essential
- oEducated to master's degree or equivalent industry standard qualification and or proven experience at senior strategic, operational Management level
- oFull Membership of British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc)
- oPrince2 practitioner, Agile or similar or equivalent experience
Desirable
- Full Membership of British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) preferably to Assessor Level
- NEBOSH/IOSH Managing teams safely certification
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
