Job summary
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an exceptional and influential Deputy Chief Executive to work closely with the Chief Executive, Executive Team, and Board in delivering several of the Trust's most ambitious and high impact strategic programmes.
This is a rare and exciting opportunity to help shape the future of one of the world's leading cancer centres. The Deputy Chief Executive will play a pivotal role in driving transformation, growth and innovation across the organisation, strengthening our ability to deliver outstanding patient care, advance world-class research, and sustain exceptional organisational performance.
The Deputy Chief Executive will provide senior leadership for significant Trust programmes, including the development of our estate and infrastructure and supporting delivery of the Trust's Clinical and Research Strategies. A major focus will be the forthcoming redevelopment of the Chelsea site, one of the most important capital programmes in the Trust's history. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of this programme and ensuring its successful delivery.
Main duties of the job
The Royal Marsden operates within a complex and high-profile stakeholder environment. The successful candidate will be politically astute, with the credibility and influence to work effectively at regional and national levels. They will demonstrate a strong ability to build collaborative relationships with partners across the NHS, academia and the commercial sector.
Candidates will bring a strong track record of senior leadership within the healthcare sector, with proven experience of influencing key stakeholders both internally and externally while fostering constructive and productive working relationships. Alongside personal gravitas, the successful candidate will demonstrate strong commercial and financial acumen, together with outstanding leadership capability in engaging and influencing senior leaders across the organisation.
Candidates are invited to provide a covering letter detailing their interest and suitability for the role, accompanied by a full and up-to-date CV.
For a confidential discussion, please contact: Krystyna Ruszkiewicz, Chief People Officer via Julie.McIlvaney@rmh.nhs.uk.
Closing date: 7th April 2026.
Interview will be held on 16th April 2026.
About us
As one of the leading cancer centres in the world with a track record of developing new and better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer, The Royal Marsden contributes to improved outcomes for patients globally. Its primary aim is to deliver the best cancer treatment through world-leading research, operating a 'bench to bedside' strategy with our academic partner, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR).
As a specialist provider, The Royal Marsden has a responsibility to innovate and ensure that it can act as a test bed of best practice for the NHS. The Trust has a history of trialling new technology, from intensity-modulated radiotherapy techniques to installing the UK's first Magnetic Resonance Linear Accelerator (MR Linac) machine and developing the largest and most comprehensive programme of robotic surgery in the UK.
The Trust is also the host and founder of RM Partners, one of 19 cancer alliances made up of healthcare providers along the pathway from primary care to specialist hospital provision. The Royal Marsden and RM Partners are pioneering new models of care, rapidly translating clinical research into clinical practice. Its focus is on transforming early diagnosis to improve cancer survival.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information regarding this role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information regarding this role.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Master's level or equivalent experience
- Track record of continuous professional and management development
Desirable
- Qualification in Leadership within healthcare or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience in building organisational capabilities including establishing a clear strategic vision and direction and translating this into successful outcomes
- Demonstrable evidence of experience and achievement in a significant Board level exposure/experience within the healthcare organisation
- Extensive experience as a senior manager with a track record of delivering excellent results in leadership and management of complex operations
- Proven leadership of successful implementation of strategic transformation development including major service redesign and complex organisational change.
- High level of managerial competency with the ability to lead and manage change in a complex and dynamic organisation
- Evidence of significant experience in leading and influencing professional groups to secure cross-system improvement and change
- An understanding of healthcare planning process and key national healthcare issues
- Demonstrate strong and credible leadership in being able to pull people together across systems and motivate them to deliver common aims and targets
- Demonstrate significant experience of situational leadership, human resource management and people development
Skills Abilities/knowledge
Essential
- Highly effective communication skills - must be able to articulate complex issues to a wide range of recipients, both written and verbally
- Excellent presentation skills with the ability to engage and influence diverse audiences
- Strong interpersonal and negotiating skills, with the ability to engage, build and sustain relationships both within the Trust and within external organisations
- Strong financial and commercial acumen
- Excellent organisational and time management skills to meet competing priorities
- Able to take 'tough' decisions and calculated risks and see required action through
- Excellent project management skills as a project manager or sponsor. Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
- Ability to share vision and engender ownership in others, and to work within a wider team
- Exhibits a drive, energy and enthusiasm and resilience to drive through and achieve end results and improvements
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Master's level or equivalent experience
- Track record of continuous professional and management development
Desirable
- Qualification in Leadership within healthcare or equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience in building organisational capabilities including establishing a clear strategic vision and direction and translating this into successful outcomes
- Demonstrable evidence of experience and achievement in a significant Board level exposure/experience within the healthcare organisation
- Extensive experience as a senior manager with a track record of delivering excellent results in leadership and management of complex operations
- Proven leadership of successful implementation of strategic transformation development including major service redesign and complex organisational change.
- High level of managerial competency with the ability to lead and manage change in a complex and dynamic organisation
- Evidence of significant experience in leading and influencing professional groups to secure cross-system improvement and change
- An understanding of healthcare planning process and key national healthcare issues
- Demonstrate strong and credible leadership in being able to pull people together across systems and motivate them to deliver common aims and targets
- Demonstrate significant experience of situational leadership, human resource management and people development
Skills Abilities/knowledge
Essential
- Highly effective communication skills - must be able to articulate complex issues to a wide range of recipients, both written and verbally
- Excellent presentation skills with the ability to engage and influence diverse audiences
- Strong interpersonal and negotiating skills, with the ability to engage, build and sustain relationships both within the Trust and within external organisations
- Strong financial and commercial acumen
- Excellent organisational and time management skills to meet competing priorities
- Able to take 'tough' decisions and calculated risks and see required action through
- Excellent project management skills as a project manager or sponsor. Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines
- Ability to share vision and engender ownership in others, and to work within a wider team
- Exhibits a drive, energy and enthusiasm and resilience to drive through and achieve end results and improvements
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.
