Job summary
The New Hospital Programme is more than building hospitals, it's a once in a generation opportunity to shape the future of healthcare in England. We're delivering over 40 new hospitals that will be modern, sustainable and built around the needs of patients and staff. We're looking for people who care about purpose, who thrive in complex environments and who want to help deliver change at scale for future generations.
Main duties of the job
As Head of Hospital Operations, you'll work within a dynamic national team, supporting the Deputy Director to deliver the Hospital Operations strategy. You'll coordinate operational readiness across workstreams, covering commissioning, activation, assurance, decommissioning and post-occupancy learning.
You'll help develop evidence-based operating models for new hospitals, drawing on research and the voices of patients, the public and clinical professionals. You'll contribute to the wider Healthcare Directorate workplan and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
We're seeking someone with:
- Senior operational experience in an acute healthcare environment.
- A strong track record of delivering change in complex systems.
- Excellent analytical, strategic and problem-solving skills.
- The ability to work collaboratively across multiple teams and stakeholders.
About us
Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.
We lead the NHS in England by:
- Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities
- Making the NHS a great place to work, where people can develop and make a difference
- Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care
- Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation
- Delivering value for money
Earlier this year, the Government announced that NHS England will gradually merge with the Department of Health and Social Care, to create a smaller, more strategic centre that reduces duplication and waste.
If successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the process.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in-person.
Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
For more information on the NHP programme
Due to ongoing organisational change and developments, aspects of this role may be subject to change.
By applying for this position, you acknowledge and understand that NHS England is currently undergoing a consultation process to finalise its structure, which may impact this role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
For more information on the NHP programme
Due to ongoing organisational change and developments, aspects of this role may be subject to change.
By applying for this position, you acknowledge and understand that NHS England is currently undergoing a consultation process to finalise its structure, which may impact this role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to master's level or equivalent experience in specialist field.
- Project management or leadership qualification
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of working at a senior operational management level within an acute healthcare environment
- Experience at senior operational level of leading an organisation through a large-scale new hospital build including operational readiness planning, commissioning, activation, decommissioning and post occupancy evaluation
- Subject matter expertise across several key areas relating to operational management and leadership within acute healthcare environments
- Significant knowledge and understanding gained through experience of: - Problem solving - Change management - Quality Improvement - Stakeholder management and communications - Risk management and issue resolution - Experience of service redesign and development
- Experience of delivering against competing priorities and deadlines while also directing the work of teams/individuals
- Experience of a range of management disciplines, including some of the following - finance, people management, risk management and performance management
- Experience of critically analysing service level business cases
Desirable
- Experience of participating in a formal assurance process, either as an assurer or being assured i.e., IPA or CQC
- Experience of writing and/or critically appraising capital project business cases: SOC, OBC, FBC
Skills
Essential
- Negotiate on difficult and very complex and detailed issues
- Strategic thinking - ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise
- Takes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be several courses of action
- Highly developed communication and facilitation skills
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to master's level or equivalent experience in specialist field.
- Project management or leadership qualification
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of working at a senior operational management level within an acute healthcare environment
- Experience at senior operational level of leading an organisation through a large-scale new hospital build including operational readiness planning, commissioning, activation, decommissioning and post occupancy evaluation
- Subject matter expertise across several key areas relating to operational management and leadership within acute healthcare environments
- Significant knowledge and understanding gained through experience of: - Problem solving - Change management - Quality Improvement - Stakeholder management and communications - Risk management and issue resolution - Experience of service redesign and development
- Experience of delivering against competing priorities and deadlines while also directing the work of teams/individuals
- Experience of a range of management disciplines, including some of the following - finance, people management, risk management and performance management
- Experience of critically analysing service level business cases
Desirable
- Experience of participating in a formal assurance process, either as an assurer or being assured i.e., IPA or CQC
- Experience of writing and/or critically appraising capital project business cases: SOC, OBC, FBC
Skills
Essential
- Negotiate on difficult and very complex and detailed issues
- Strategic thinking - ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise
- Takes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be several courses of action
- Highly developed communication and facilitation skills
