The Christie NHS FT

Deputy Service Manager

The closing date is 22 October 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Clinical Network Services Division in a front line operational management post, leading a team of staff and supporting the clinical teams in the delivery of a world class patient experience. This post is within Networked Services with the post holder partaking in cross-Divisional and Trust projects.

The successful candidate will be highly motivated and driven to improve systems and processes for the benefit of patients. Excellent operational knowledge and experience is essential to ensure that changes and processes are fit for purpose and in line with the needs of patients, the organisation and the team.

The post-holder will have well developed organisational skills, be an excellent communicator (written and oral), be used to managing and delivering to deadlines and have strong analytical skills. Excellent interpersonal skills are paramount for this post together with confidence to engage and work with a range of colleagues at all levels and from all professional groups.

Main duties of the job

To support the Service Manager in the management and development of a wide service portfolio and to deputise for the Service Manager where necessary.

Provide managerial support to clinical services across the division and ensure that performance targets for these services are effectively monitored and achieved. This will include the identification of risks and actions required to mitigate such risks to ensure timely delivery of the objectives.

Identify and undertake business development projects for specific services within the directorate working with other departments to ensure service delivery and improved productivity is supported by robust business cases and options appraisals.

Support services through the production of effective systems and procedures which enable the delivery of services and reporting of activity information by operational staff, linking, where necessary with other departments to co-ordinate arrangements and continuous improvements.

Provide teams with information about performance and systems and ensure that such information is clearly understood to develop ownership and commitment to service delivery.

PLEASE REFER TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR A FULL LIST OF DUTIES.

About us

The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

Details

Date posted

08 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

413-98554-CNS-MS

Job locations

Clinical Networked Services - E00255

Manchester

M20 4BX


Job description

Job responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Operational and service delivery

To support the Service Manager in the management and development of a wide service portfolio and to deputise for the Service Manager where necessary.Provide managerial support to clinical services across the division and ensure that performance targets for these services are effectively monitored and achieved. This will include the identification of risks and actions required to mitigate such risks to ensure timely delivery of the objectives.Provide teams with information about performance and systems and ensure that such information is clearly understood to develop ownership and commitment to service delivery.Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information which may require effective collaboration with others in department, division or trust to enable a positive outcome.Maintain adequate controls on expenditure through the implementation of good budgetary practice for designated staff through effective monitoring.General troubleshooting and dealing with departmental matters and correspondence not dealt with elsewhere.

Delegated responsibility for managing budgets on behalf of the Service Manager where appropriate.

Investigate complaints and clinical incidents within area of responsibility, ensuring that they are appropriately managed and necessary action taken, including any changes in working practices are implemented to ensure the provision of safe and effective care

Lead on Root Cause Analysis (RCA) meetings and present findings and proposed actions at Executive Review Group (ERG) meetings.Attend appropriate meetings ensuring the views of the department are conveyed and actions are implemented. Work closely with other managers to introduce new processes and improvements within the department, division and across the Trust.

Provide cross cover for departmental DSMs as required.

Service ImprovementIdentify and undertake business development projects for specific services within the directorate working with other departments to ensure service delivery and improved productivity is supported by robust business cases and options appraisals.Support services through the production of effective systems and procedures which enable the delivery of services and reporting of activity information by operational staff, linking, where necessary with other departments to co-ordinate arrangements and continuous improvements.To support the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective provision of these Services to the Trust.Works within broad organisational and professional policies

Leads on implementing innovation, technology, and developing new ways of working, contributing to policy and process development. These policy and process changes will impact outside the immediate work area and impact on other teams/departments.

Develops and implements standard operating procedures within areas of responsibility, ensuring review on a regular basis to reflect current practice.

Responsible for the effective planning of the departmental workload and ensuring effective service provision. This will require complex short and mid-term plans to be drawn up but they will be subject to review and change as service requirements change.

Contributes to the development and implementation of long term plans and policies for continued development of the Clinical Oncology service.

Financial Management & Business Planning

Holds delegated budgets.

Authorised signatory for payments.

Undertakes day to day budget management duties, including monitoring spend against designated budgets.

Develops and monitors schemes and action plans to implement cash-releasing efficiency savings targets.

Develops and advises on business cases to enable services to remain financially stable and responsive to the demands placed upon them. Performs detailed and complex option appraisals in order to inform decision making process, to include redesign of service, capital projects.

Ensures organisational procedures are deployed across department for control of activities against budget.

Ensures that departments work to achieve organisational effectiveness and deliver services within available resources.

Uses and analyses financial information systems to ensure robust financial monitoring and budgetary performance, analyses complex financial queries or discrepancies in budget.

4. Human Resources Management

Line management and support of staff within immediate areas of responsibility.

Manage the administration processes for the recruitment and selection of staff (including setting up the interviews & completing the necessary paperwork for the eventual appointments) and induction process.

Manage the administration processes for temporary cover for annual leave, vacant posts and exceptional cover, for example, for sickness or maternity leave ensuring a smooth transition is maintained at all times.

To lead, supervise and manage staff to ensure that work is done effectively, efficiently and on time.

Handle any concerns of supervised staff relating to both personal and departmental matters and aim to find solutions.

Manage sickness absence in accordance with the policy for the Management of Sickness Absence; undertake return to work interviews.

Identify staffing needs necessary to support new and increasing workload of the directorate.

Regularly assess existing posts within the department, make changes when necessary to assure levels of service and implement more efficient ways of working.

5.Information Management

Assisting the Clinical Director/Clinical Service Manager with information to support reporting requirements, such as cancer targets.

To support, where necessary, preparations for external reviews and quality assurance programmes.

Co-ordinating responses to consultation documents and special initiatives

Support the development of strategic plans for the clinical development of departments

Liaise with the Information and Data Quality Team regarding patient waiting times and investigate and resolve any potential waiting time breaches.

Display effective analytical skills when making service-related decisions. There will often be a range of options and the post holder will be required to effectively analyse situations and make judgements on the appropriate course of action.

Equality and Diversity

To recognise the importance of peoples rights and interpret them in a way that is consistent with Trust procedures, policies and legislation.

To challenge behaviour that infringes the rights of others.

To identify and take action where necessary to address discrimination and oppression.

Health & Safety

Monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others in own work area

Identify and assess potential risks in work activities and help others in how to manage these risks appropriately.

Act a role model and work within legislation and Trust procedures on risk management.

Take immediate and appropriate action including supporting others to manage risks in relation to adverse incident reporting via hospital incident reporting system.

Identify training needs in health and safety whilst identifying appropriate resources .

7. Education, Training, Audit, Research and Development

Ensures training and development plans are in place across all services and those training needs analyses are regularly reviewed in order to determine optimum staff to deliver present and future service.Takes responsibility for personal continuing professional development.Participates in and leads projects and audit, including trust-wide audit.

8. General

Participates in management on-call rota

The above indicates the main duties of the post which may be reviewed in the light of experience and developments within the service. Any review will be undertaken in conjunction with the post holder.

Job description

Job responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Operational and service delivery

To support the Service Manager in the management and development of a wide service portfolio and to deputise for the Service Manager where necessary.Provide managerial support to clinical services across the division and ensure that performance targets for these services are effectively monitored and achieved. This will include the identification of risks and actions required to mitigate such risks to ensure timely delivery of the objectives.Provide teams with information about performance and systems and ensure that such information is clearly understood to develop ownership and commitment to service delivery.Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information which may require effective collaboration with others in department, division or trust to enable a positive outcome.Maintain adequate controls on expenditure through the implementation of good budgetary practice for designated staff through effective monitoring.General troubleshooting and dealing with departmental matters and correspondence not dealt with elsewhere.

Delegated responsibility for managing budgets on behalf of the Service Manager where appropriate.

Investigate complaints and clinical incidents within area of responsibility, ensuring that they are appropriately managed and necessary action taken, including any changes in working practices are implemented to ensure the provision of safe and effective care

Lead on Root Cause Analysis (RCA) meetings and present findings and proposed actions at Executive Review Group (ERG) meetings.Attend appropriate meetings ensuring the views of the department are conveyed and actions are implemented. Work closely with other managers to introduce new processes and improvements within the department, division and across the Trust.

Provide cross cover for departmental DSMs as required.

Service ImprovementIdentify and undertake business development projects for specific services within the directorate working with other departments to ensure service delivery and improved productivity is supported by robust business cases and options appraisals.Support services through the production of effective systems and procedures which enable the delivery of services and reporting of activity information by operational staff, linking, where necessary with other departments to co-ordinate arrangements and continuous improvements.To support the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective provision of these Services to the Trust.Works within broad organisational and professional policies

Leads on implementing innovation, technology, and developing new ways of working, contributing to policy and process development. These policy and process changes will impact outside the immediate work area and impact on other teams/departments.

Develops and implements standard operating procedures within areas of responsibility, ensuring review on a regular basis to reflect current practice.

Responsible for the effective planning of the departmental workload and ensuring effective service provision. This will require complex short and mid-term plans to be drawn up but they will be subject to review and change as service requirements change.

Contributes to the development and implementation of long term plans and policies for continued development of the Clinical Oncology service.

Financial Management & Business Planning

Holds delegated budgets.

Authorised signatory for payments.

Undertakes day to day budget management duties, including monitoring spend against designated budgets.

Develops and monitors schemes and action plans to implement cash-releasing efficiency savings targets.

Develops and advises on business cases to enable services to remain financially stable and responsive to the demands placed upon them. Performs detailed and complex option appraisals in order to inform decision making process, to include redesign of service, capital projects.

Ensures organisational procedures are deployed across department for control of activities against budget.

Ensures that departments work to achieve organisational effectiveness and deliver services within available resources.

Uses and analyses financial information systems to ensure robust financial monitoring and budgetary performance, analyses complex financial queries or discrepancies in budget.

4. Human Resources Management

Line management and support of staff within immediate areas of responsibility.

Manage the administration processes for the recruitment and selection of staff (including setting up the interviews & completing the necessary paperwork for the eventual appointments) and induction process.

Manage the administration processes for temporary cover for annual leave, vacant posts and exceptional cover, for example, for sickness or maternity leave ensuring a smooth transition is maintained at all times.

To lead, supervise and manage staff to ensure that work is done effectively, efficiently and on time.

Handle any concerns of supervised staff relating to both personal and departmental matters and aim to find solutions.

Manage sickness absence in accordance with the policy for the Management of Sickness Absence; undertake return to work interviews.

Identify staffing needs necessary to support new and increasing workload of the directorate.

Regularly assess existing posts within the department, make changes when necessary to assure levels of service and implement more efficient ways of working.

5.Information Management

Assisting the Clinical Director/Clinical Service Manager with information to support reporting requirements, such as cancer targets.

To support, where necessary, preparations for external reviews and quality assurance programmes.

Co-ordinating responses to consultation documents and special initiatives

Support the development of strategic plans for the clinical development of departments

Liaise with the Information and Data Quality Team regarding patient waiting times and investigate and resolve any potential waiting time breaches.

Display effective analytical skills when making service-related decisions. There will often be a range of options and the post holder will be required to effectively analyse situations and make judgements on the appropriate course of action.

Equality and Diversity

To recognise the importance of peoples rights and interpret them in a way that is consistent with Trust procedures, policies and legislation.

To challenge behaviour that infringes the rights of others.

To identify and take action where necessary to address discrimination and oppression.

Health & Safety

Monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others in own work area

Identify and assess potential risks in work activities and help others in how to manage these risks appropriately.

Act a role model and work within legislation and Trust procedures on risk management.

Take immediate and appropriate action including supporting others to manage risks in relation to adverse incident reporting via hospital incident reporting system.

Identify training needs in health and safety whilst identifying appropriate resources .

7. Education, Training, Audit, Research and Development

Ensures training and development plans are in place across all services and those training needs analyses are regularly reviewed in order to determine optimum staff to deliver present and future service.Takes responsibility for personal continuing professional development.Participates in and leads projects and audit, including trust-wide audit.

8. General

Participates in management on-call rota

The above indicates the main duties of the post which may be reviewed in the light of experience and developments within the service. Any review will be undertaken in conjunction with the post holder.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Post graduate/masters level qualification equivalent management experience.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working in a management role within an NHS trust
  • Track record of achieving performance targets
  • Leadership of service development
  • Experience of working across departmental and organisational boundaries to deliver specific targets and to improve services for patients
  • Evidence of organisational awareness
  • Experience of working under pressure and managing conflict
  • Ability to develop effective working relationships across organisations and professional groups.
  • Analytical and problem solving skills

Skills

Essential

  • Able to motivate a team.
  • Ability to negotiate at senior level
  • Computer literacy
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Collating data for audit and monitoring purposes
  • Presentation skills
  • Able to share expert knowledge and practice with others to meet individual and service needs.
  • Ability to implement and manage change.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Participate in personal development
  • Has insight into strengths and development needs.
  • Identifies training and development needs for self without prompting.

Values

Essential

  • Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

Other

Essential

  • Team player
  • Flexible to meet the needs of the role and the service.
  • Effective communicator.
  • Approachable.
  • Responds positively to constructive criticism.
  • Uses reflection to improve personal and professional performance.
  • Punctual and reliable
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Post graduate/masters level qualification equivalent management experience.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working in a management role within an NHS trust
  • Track record of achieving performance targets
  • Leadership of service development
  • Experience of working across departmental and organisational boundaries to deliver specific targets and to improve services for patients
  • Evidence of organisational awareness
  • Experience of working under pressure and managing conflict
  • Ability to develop effective working relationships across organisations and professional groups.
  • Analytical and problem solving skills

Skills

Essential

  • Able to motivate a team.
  • Ability to negotiate at senior level
  • Computer literacy
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Collating data for audit and monitoring purposes
  • Presentation skills
  • Able to share expert knowledge and practice with others to meet individual and service needs.
  • Ability to implement and manage change.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Participate in personal development
  • Has insight into strengths and development needs.
  • Identifies training and development needs for self without prompting.

Values

Essential

  • Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

Other

Essential

  • Team player
  • Flexible to meet the needs of the role and the service.
  • Effective communicator.
  • Approachable.
  • Responds positively to constructive criticism.
  • Uses reflection to improve personal and professional performance.
  • Punctual and reliable

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

The Christie NHS FT

Address

Clinical Networked Services - E00255

Manchester

M20 4BX


Employer's website

https://www.christie.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

The Christie NHS FT

Address

Clinical Networked Services - E00255

Manchester

M20 4BX


Employer's website

https://www.christie.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Service Manager

Maggie Cox

Margaret.cox13@nhs.net

01614463025

Details

Date posted

08 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

413-98554-CNS-MS

Job locations

Clinical Networked Services - E00255

Manchester

M20 4BX


Supporting documents

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