East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Cancer Pathway Operations Manager

The closing date is 11 March 2026

Job summary

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and ambitious individual to join the Urology, General Surgery and Gastroenterology CDG as Cancer Pathway Operations Managers.

You will be based at Colchester Hospital, with the need for occasional cross cover.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to further develop their operational management experience within a fast-paced, performance-driven environment.

You will be responsible for the day-to-day operational management of cancer pathways within Urology, Upper and Lower GI, ensuring patients receive timely care in line with national cancer standards, including the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard and 31- and 62-day targets. You will actively manage pathway flow, identify and resolve delays, and lead daily Red to Green meetings to support delivery of performance objectives.

As Cancer Pathway Operations Manager, you will work closely with the Service Manager, Cancer Leads and clinical teams to ensure effective operational oversight, demand and capacity management across clinics, diagnostics and theatres, and robust cancer performance governance, including attendance at Cancer PTL meetings.

This is a busy and dynamic role, requiring strong prioritisation skills and the ability to work autonomously and proactively.

Alongside day-to-day pathway management, you will support service improvement, strategic planning and funding bids, contributing to the ongoing development and sustainability of cancer services.

Main duties of the job

Provide operational management of cancer pathways across Urology, Upper GI and Lower GI services, ensuring delivery against national cancer standards
Manage and oversee patient pathways in line with the 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) and 31- and 62-day cancer waiting time targets
Lead and coordinate daily Red to Green meetings, ensuring timely actions to progress patients and reduce pathway delays.
Attend and actively contribute to Cancer PTL meetings, providing assurance, challenge andoperational oversight.
Proactively identify, manage and escalate pathway risks in accordance with Divisional andTrust Cancer Escalation SOPs.
Assess and balance demand and capacity across clinics, diagnostics and theatres to supporttimely patient care.
Work closely with Cancer Leads, Consultants and MDTs to optimise pathway flow and service delivery

About us

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients' own homes.

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what's widely regarded as the world's best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.

Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A

Date posted

06 March 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

432-HR1362-25

Job locations

Colchester Hospital

Colchester

CO4 5JL

Job description

Job responsibilities

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Previous senior administrative, operational or pathway management role
Working collaboratively as part of a team
Advanced IT Systems including - Microsoft Office
Experience of communicating with a range of people both within and external to the organisation
Experience of dealing with complex administrative matters
Experience of analysing and interpreting complex data

Desirable

Experience of working within cancer services or elective pathways.
Experience of attending or supporting PTL or performance meetings.
Line Management
Project management

Qualifications

Essential

Relevant degree or equivalent experience plus further training and experience to post graduate diploma equivalent

Desirable

Post graduate diploma

Knowledge

Essential

Understanding of pathway management, performance standards and escalation processes.
Understanding of demand and capacity principles within healthcare services.
Confidentiality and Data Protection
Knowledge of relevant work area and specialist terminology
Project Management
Business Case procedures

Desirable

Knowledge of national cancer waiting time standards
Knowledge of NHS complaints procedures.
Knowledge of cancer pathway escalation and recovery processes.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Previous senior administrative, operational or pathway management role
Working collaboratively as part of a team
Advanced IT Systems including - Microsoft Office
Experience of communicating with a range of people both within and external to the organisation
Experience of dealing with complex administrative matters
Experience of analysing and interpreting complex data

Desirable

Experience of working within cancer services or elective pathways.
Experience of attending or supporting PTL or performance meetings.
Line Management
Project management

Qualifications

Essential

Relevant degree or equivalent experience plus further training and experience to post graduate diploma equivalent

Desirable

Post graduate diploma

Knowledge

Essential

Understanding of pathway management, performance standards and escalation processes.
Understanding of demand and capacity principles within healthcare services.
Confidentiality and Data Protection
Knowledge of relevant work area and specialist terminology
Project Management
Business Case procedures

Desirable

Knowledge of national cancer waiting time standards
Knowledge of NHS complaints procedures.
Knowledge of cancer pathway escalation and recovery processes.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Colchester Hospital

Colchester

CO4 5JL

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Colchester Hospital

Colchester

CO4 5JL

Employer's website

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