Job summary
The Director of Operational Improvement will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer and hold a senior leadership position within the Trust's operational team. This role is pivotal in delivering the ambitions of the NHSE 10-Year Plan, with a strong emphasis on transforming outpatient services as part of the strategic shift towards community-based care. Historically, outpatient services have been configured around traditional hospital-based models, often requiring multiple visits and fragmented pathways. This role will lead the redesign of these services to create integrated, efficient, and patient-centred pathways that reduce unnecessary hospital attendances and improve continuity of care, considering the related work that is being delivered through other aligned programmes.
The postholder will possess extensive knowledge of operational management within an acute hospital setting, with proven expertise in best practice for planned care provision. They will demonstrate the ability to influence and drive the completion of actions across diverse professional groups. In addition, the postholder must have a track record of delivering efficiency improvement programmes that achieve significant financial benefits.
Main duties of the job
As a fixed term contract, the initial phase will focus on building a comprehensive understanding of the current outpatient operating model, including:
- Mapping all hospital locations delivering outpatient services and assessing utilisation.
- Reviewing service configurations, patient flows, and physical space constraints.
- Conducting a skills and capacity audit of the workforce.
- Gathering data and intelligence on activity, demand, and community requirements.
This foundational work will identify opportunities to streamline processes, optimise space utilisation, and shift care closer to home wherever clinically appropriate.
Aligned with the principles of the 10-Year Plan and the system-wide shift towards community care, the Director of Outpatients Improvement will lead the modernisation of outpatient services by enhancing collaboration across Primary, Community, and Secondary Care. Homerton's integrated acute and community services, strong relationships with primary care, and established neighbourhood infrastructure provide a unique foundation for this transformation.
About us
Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a high performing and flourishing organisation serving the population of Hackney, East London, The City and beyond. We are extremely proud of the fact that Homerton Hospital has recently attained the highest possible rating of "Outstanding" from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Our integrated Trust provides comprehensive hospital and community health services for its local population and a range of specialist services for a wider group of patients. In addition, the Trust manages services out of St Leonard's Hospital and the Mary Seacole Nursing Home.
Homerton aims to ensure equality and value diversity, and we are committed to inclusion for all of our staff. This is reflected in our policies, procedures and People Plan. All of our staff are expected to embody our Trust values at all times.
We are also committed, through our Fair Recruitment Standards, to ensuring all applicants are treated fairly. Homerton has a proud tradition of supporting and developing its staff, including its well-regarded and valued nursing community, and all staff are able to take advantage of a great range of benefits.
Homerton is proud to have been included on the HSJ & Nursing Times Best Places to Work list.
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 on this page.
The person specification below is not the full person specification but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
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 on this page.
The person specification below is not the full person specification but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person Specification
Person Spec
Essential
- Educated to Master's level or equivalent experience at Director level within an acute NHS setting.
- Postgraduate qualification in health or management.
- Demonstrable evidence of appropriate continuing professional development, informed by feedback, reflection, and experiential learning
- Significant Director-level operational management experience within an acute NHS setting, with evidence of effective partnership working and multi-stakeholder engagement
- Proven experience in leading and delivering complex, high-profile transformation and improvement programmes with clear metrics in politically sensitive and challenging healthcare environments.
- Demonstrable experience in leading digital transformation initiatives, including implementation of innovative technologies and process improvements to enhance efficiency, patient experience, and organisational performance.
- Knowledge and understanding of clinical service delivery and best practice, and how this informs programme design
- Proven experience in redesigning clinical pathways to improve efficiency and patient outcomes.
- Experience in commissioning and managing external support effectively
- Familiarity with national policy drivers such as the NHS Long Term Plan and elective recovery priorities, with experience implementing innovative delivery models.
- Proven ability to influence and build relationships with senior stakeholders across organisational and system boundaries.
- Ability to collaborate constructively with internal and external partners to create conditions for successful partnership working.
- Skilled in facilitating workshops and engagement sessions to achieve consensus and drive change.
- Excellent negotiation and diplomacy skills to manage complex, sensitive, and high-profile issues.
- Ability to analyse complex data sets to inform service planning and logical decision-making
- Strong financial acumen with proven ability to manage substantial budgets and deliver Cost Improvement Programmes (CIPs) on time.
- Extensive experience of working with NHS Boards (Trust and ICB) at senior level.
- Ability to represent the organisation externally at conferences, stakeholder meetings, or public forums.
- Experience embedding continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., NHS IMPACT principles).
- Ability to establish robust governance frameworks and manage programme-level risks and interdependencies.
- Ability to understand both operational detail and wider strategic context and articulate these to diverse audiences
- Advanced analytical skills, including qualitative, quantitative, and financial data interpretation to inform delivery planning.
- Skilled in presenting highly complex and sensitive information to diverse audiences.
- Ability to make and take decisions after analysis of options and implications
- Strong communication skills (written, oral, presentational, and interpersonal).
- Strong people management skills, able to motivate and inspire clinical and non-clinical colleagues to deliver their best.
- Ability to lead teams through change, ensuring inclusive and transparent processes.
- Ability to mentor and develop senior leaders as part of succession planning.
- Ability to effectively lead a high-performing team.
- Experience of leading or assuring reconfiguration programmes.
- Possess natural authority and able to gain respect from others.
- Experience of providing services to a high quality with restricted resources.
- Extensive experience of operational resilience and capacity planning to support improved utilisation and productivity of resources.
- Commitment to equal opportunities and diversity.
- Leadership style embraces collaborative working and inclusivity.
- Able to relate and adapt to the perspective of others
- Calm, open, and rational approach to situations where conflict is likely.
- Clarity of thought and articulate.
- Commitment to patient-centred care and NHS values.
- Commitment to patient safety and quality improvement as a core leadership priority.
Desirable
- Ability to lead or support research initiatives that improve patient outcomes and organisational performance
- Experience in delivering teaching or training sessions to clinical or non-clinical staff, contributing to workforce development and continuous professional education
- Formal qualification in Project Management and/or Coaching
- Experience of leading regional and national development
- Experience working across Integrated Care Systems (ICS) and influencing system-level transformation.
- Evidence of published work in peer-reviewed journals or recognised professional publications.
- Ability to implement digital solutions that enhance patient self-management and clinician decision-making.
- Understanding of interoperability and digital enablement within NHS systems.
Person Specification
Person Spec
Essential
- Educated to Master's level or equivalent experience at Director level within an acute NHS setting.
- Postgraduate qualification in health or management.
- Demonstrable evidence of appropriate continuing professional development, informed by feedback, reflection, and experiential learning
- Significant Director-level operational management experience within an acute NHS setting, with evidence of effective partnership working and multi-stakeholder engagement
- Proven experience in leading and delivering complex, high-profile transformation and improvement programmes with clear metrics in politically sensitive and challenging healthcare environments.
- Demonstrable experience in leading digital transformation initiatives, including implementation of innovative technologies and process improvements to enhance efficiency, patient experience, and organisational performance.
- Knowledge and understanding of clinical service delivery and best practice, and how this informs programme design
- Proven experience in redesigning clinical pathways to improve efficiency and patient outcomes.
- Experience in commissioning and managing external support effectively
- Familiarity with national policy drivers such as the NHS Long Term Plan and elective recovery priorities, with experience implementing innovative delivery models.
- Proven ability to influence and build relationships with senior stakeholders across organisational and system boundaries.
- Ability to collaborate constructively with internal and external partners to create conditions for successful partnership working.
- Skilled in facilitating workshops and engagement sessions to achieve consensus and drive change.
- Excellent negotiation and diplomacy skills to manage complex, sensitive, and high-profile issues.
- Ability to analyse complex data sets to inform service planning and logical decision-making
- Strong financial acumen with proven ability to manage substantial budgets and deliver Cost Improvement Programmes (CIPs) on time.
- Extensive experience of working with NHS Boards (Trust and ICB) at senior level.
- Ability to represent the organisation externally at conferences, stakeholder meetings, or public forums.
- Experience embedding continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., NHS IMPACT principles).
- Ability to establish robust governance frameworks and manage programme-level risks and interdependencies.
- Ability to understand both operational detail and wider strategic context and articulate these to diverse audiences
- Advanced analytical skills, including qualitative, quantitative, and financial data interpretation to inform delivery planning.
- Skilled in presenting highly complex and sensitive information to diverse audiences.
- Ability to make and take decisions after analysis of options and implications
- Strong communication skills (written, oral, presentational, and interpersonal).
- Strong people management skills, able to motivate and inspire clinical and non-clinical colleagues to deliver their best.
- Ability to lead teams through change, ensuring inclusive and transparent processes.
- Ability to mentor and develop senior leaders as part of succession planning.
- Ability to effectively lead a high-performing team.
- Experience of leading or assuring reconfiguration programmes.
- Possess natural authority and able to gain respect from others.
- Experience of providing services to a high quality with restricted resources.
- Extensive experience of operational resilience and capacity planning to support improved utilisation and productivity of resources.
- Commitment to equal opportunities and diversity.
- Leadership style embraces collaborative working and inclusivity.
- Able to relate and adapt to the perspective of others
- Calm, open, and rational approach to situations where conflict is likely.
- Clarity of thought and articulate.
- Commitment to patient-centred care and NHS values.
- Commitment to patient safety and quality improvement as a core leadership priority.
Desirable
- Ability to lead or support research initiatives that improve patient outcomes and organisational performance
- Experience in delivering teaching or training sessions to clinical or non-clinical staff, contributing to workforce development and continuous professional education
- Formal qualification in Project Management and/or Coaching
- Experience of leading regional and national development
- Experience working across Integrated Care Systems (ICS) and influencing system-level transformation.
- Evidence of published work in peer-reviewed journals or recognised professional publications.
- Ability to implement digital solutions that enhance patient self-management and clinician decision-making.
- Understanding of interoperability and digital enablement within NHS systems.
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).
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).
