Chief Operating Officer

Overview

As COO, you will lead the Trust’s strategic operations across multiple sites to deliver sustainable, high-quality, patient-centered care. You’ll build a unified operating model, drive disciplined delivery, and enable clinical and operational leaders to own performance improvements. You’ll respond to emergencies with calm, decisive leadership and steer system-wide transformation in line with the NHS plan. This is a high-visibility role that combines strategic breadth with hands-on execution to improve patient outcomes and staff support.

Pay / Benefits

• funding for professional development (care certificate, degree, leadership qualifications)
• flexible working schemes and family-friendly policies
• 27–33 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• occupational health services and wellbeing programs
• staff discounts and salary sacrifice options (nursery, car leases)
• NHS Pension scheme and Cycle to work scheme

Responsibilities

• Build and embed a single, high-performing operating model across the Trust
• Strengthen accountability, governance and execution with clinical and operational leaders
• Improve access and flow, accelerate elective recovery, strengthen urgent and emergency care
• Increase productivity and resilience during periods of pressure and escalation
• Lead continuous improvement using GIRFT and 3Rs to reduce variation and improve quality
• Act as Accountable Officer for Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) and participate in on-call rota

Key requirements

• Substantive COO or Deputy COO experience in a large multisite acute NHS trust
• Proven track record of delivering sustained improvements in performance, productivity, quality and patient experience
• Ability to balance strategic range with operational grip under pressure
• Strong stakeholder management with clinicians, staff, partners, and regulators
• Capability to challenge norms and drive change while maintaining integrity and compassion

• decisive under pressure
• curious and challenging of convention
• inclusive and collaborative leadership
• continuous improvement approaches (GIRFT, 3Rs)
• change management in turnaround contexts
• emergency preparedness and response (EPRR)

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