Job summary
CQO Job Advert (September 2025)
ELFT is a vibrant, values-led community united by a deep commitment to delivering high-quality, equitable care for all. As the first NHS Marmot Trust, we are proud to act as an anchor institution, tackling the wider determinants of health and championing inclusion across Bedfordshire, East London and Luton.
We are seeking a Chief Quality Officer who will be at the heart of our mission and who is passionate about continuous quality improvement and driven to make a difference for our diverse communities. You will be a credible and strategic leader grounded in clinical or care experience ideally within mental health, learning disability or community settings. You will bring a deep understanding of what quality means for people who use our services and for staff, alongside the strategic insight to drive improvement at scale. We are looking for a Chief Quality Officer who brings professional credibility through clinical or care experience ideally gained in mental health, learning disability or community settings. You will combine a deep understanding of quality from the perspective of people who use services and staff, with the strategic insight to shape improvement at scale. With curiosity, compassion and a forward-looking approach, you will inspire and connect colleagues, partners and communities working together to continually improve experiences, outcomes and equity of care.
Main duties of the job
About the Role
As CQO, you will:
- Lead our quality agenda embedding planning, assurance, control and improvement across all services
- Shape the future of care delivery driving innovation, improvement and person-centred care
- Be a voting member of the Trust Board and executive team sharing accountability for performance, financial sustainability and the delivery of our strategic vision
- Champion our values modelling kindness, inclusion and mutual respect at every level
- Inspire and engage building capability and capacity for improvement across the Trust and with our partners
- Drive transformation working with system partners to redesign care pathways, improve access and deliver better outcomes in line with the NHS 10 Year Plan.
About us
Why ELFT?
- Clinically led, service user driven and managerial supported:Our culture is shaped by clinicians, service users and carers working together to drive continuous improvement
- Bold in the face of challenge:We are navigating a time of significant change - rising demand, workforce pressures, financial constraints and persistent health inequalities. We see these not as barriers but as opportunities to innovate and transform
- A place to grow and belong: We invest in our people, prioritising health, wellbeing and development. We want you to thrive, lead and inspire.
Job description
Job responsibilities
What Were Looking For
- Clinical or care professional credibility - ideally from a mental health, learning disability, community or background
- Strategic insight - a forward-thinking approach to continuous quality improvement and performance
- Proven leadership - experience of leading large-scale improvement programmes and influencing at Board level
- Expertise in quality management - including quality planning, assurance and improvement with a strong grasp of data and analytics
- Commitment to equity and inclusion - bringing lived experience and insight into the challenges our populations face
- Excellent interpersonal skills - the ability to inspire, engage and build trusted relationships across the system.
Join Us
This is an opportunity to join a Trust that is passionate about making a real difference. If you share our values and are ready to lead with purpose, compassion and ambition, we would love to hear from you.
For an informal conversation about the role, please contactLorraine Sunduza, Chief Executive by emailing elft.ceo-office@nhs.net or Dr Amar Shah, Chief Quality Officer by emailing amarshah@nhs.net
Job description
Job responsibilities
What Were Looking For
- Clinical or care professional credibility - ideally from a mental health, learning disability, community or background
- Strategic insight - a forward-thinking approach to continuous quality improvement and performance
- Proven leadership - experience of leading large-scale improvement programmes and influencing at Board level
- Expertise in quality management - including quality planning, assurance and improvement with a strong grasp of data and analytics
- Commitment to equity and inclusion - bringing lived experience and insight into the challenges our populations face
- Excellent interpersonal skills - the ability to inspire, engage and build trusted relationships across the system.
Join Us
This is an opportunity to join a Trust that is passionate about making a real difference. If you share our values and are ready to lead with purpose, compassion and ambition, we would love to hear from you.
For an informal conversation about the role, please contactLorraine Sunduza, Chief Executive by emailing elft.ceo-office@nhs.net or Dr Amar Shah, Chief Quality Officer by emailing amarshah@nhs.net
Person Specification
Clinical or operational experience
Essential
- Experience in a senior clinical / care professional or operational role within healthcare, and ideally in an NHS Trust
Desirable
- Research position / affiliation
Academic achievement
Essential
Desirable
- Masters degree or further academic qualifications in a related field
- Published research or quality work, of national or international significance; experience in peer-review process
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- Expertise in quality improvement techniques and their application in varied clinical settings, aligned to ELFT's method and approach (model for improvement)
- Improvement advisor, certified through the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
- Experience of improving organisational performance through implementing a systematic approach to quality improvement
- Experience of design and delivery of large-scale quality improvement programmes, that have achieved demonstrable results in large, complex organisations/systems
- Extensive experience of teaching, designing educational and learning programmes, and coaching
- Experience in working with executive teams and Boards
- Knowledge of the NHS performance frameworks and approach. Experience of applying improvement methods to performance topics
- Knowledge of the NHS performance frameworks and approach. Experience of applying improvement methods to performance topics
Management knowledge and experience
Essential
- Experience of senior management in a clinical organisation
- Budget management
Person Specification
Clinical or operational experience
Essential
- Experience in a senior clinical / care professional or operational role within healthcare, and ideally in an NHS Trust
Desirable
- Research position / affiliation
Academic achievement
Essential
Desirable
- Masters degree or further academic qualifications in a related field
- Published research or quality work, of national or international significance; experience in peer-review process
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- Expertise in quality improvement techniques and their application in varied clinical settings, aligned to ELFT's method and approach (model for improvement)
- Improvement advisor, certified through the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
- Experience of improving organisational performance through implementing a systematic approach to quality improvement
- Experience of design and delivery of large-scale quality improvement programmes, that have achieved demonstrable results in large, complex organisations/systems
- Extensive experience of teaching, designing educational and learning programmes, and coaching
- Experience in working with executive teams and Boards
- Knowledge of the NHS performance frameworks and approach. Experience of applying improvement methods to performance topics
- Knowledge of the NHS performance frameworks and approach. Experience of applying improvement methods to performance topics
Management knowledge and experience
Essential
- Experience of senior management in a clinical organisation
- Budget management
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).
