Deputy Chief Executive / Chief Operating Officer
VSM
Main area Operations Grade VSM Contract Permanent Hours Full time – 37.5 hours per week Job ref 437-8333087
Site Prestwich Hospital Town Preswtich Closing 13/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 19/10/2026
Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of mental health services. At Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, we are on a journey of improvement and transformation. We are determined to deliver outstanding care, reduce inequalities, improve outcomes and create a culture where every colleague feels valued, supported and able to thrive.
We are seeking an exceptional Deputy Chief Executive / Chief Operating Officer to join our Board and Executive Leadership Team. This is a rare opportunity for an outstanding leader to influence the future of GMMH and help shape the services we provide to our communities.
Interview Date: Monday 19 October 2026
Main duties of the job
As Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer, you will provide collective leadership for a complex and high-profile organisation. You will lead the operational delivery of services across the Trust, ensuring excellence in quality, safety, performance and financial sustainability, while helping to drive large-scale transformation and innovation. Working closely with the Chief Executive, Chair, Board colleagues and partners across Greater Manchester, you will be a visible and influential leader, capable of operating confidently at organisational, system and national level.
We are seeking an accomplished, values-driven executive leader who combines strategic vision with operational credibility. You will bring a strong clinical background as a registered mental health professional, together with board-level leadership experience and a proven track record of delivering sustained improvement within complex NHS organisations.
You will understand the realities of delivering high-quality care, supporting clinical teams and leading services through change, while maintaining a relentless focus on patient safety, experience and outcomes.
Most importantly, you will be a leader who shares our values and work do deliver our vision of ‘great places for care and great places to work’
Working for our organisation
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.
We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford,Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.
Greater Manchester is one of the world’s most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.
Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
See attached job description and person specification for detailed information……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Person specification
Qualifications
- Professional registration in a relevant mental health profession.
- Master’s degree or equivalent experience.
- Leadership qualification or equivalent senior leadership experience.
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
Experience
- Credible Board-level experience within a complex NHS provider organisation
- Substantial senior operational leadership experience.
- Strong track record of delivering sustained operational performance improvement.
- Experience of leading major organisational transformation and change.
- Experience of strategic planning and successful strategy implementation.
- Experience of system leadership and partnership working at IC or equivalent level.
- Strong track record of building productive relationships with regulators and stakeholders.
- Experience of delivering quality, workforce and financial improvements simultaneously.
- Experience of leading large multidisciplinary teams through complexity and change.
Knowledge
- Deep understanding of NHS policy and the mental health landscape.
- Strong understanding of governance, assurance and risk management.
- Ability to translate strategy into delivery.
- Excellent influencing and negotiation skills.
- Strong political awareness and system leadership capability.
- Understanding of quality improvement methodologies and their application.
- Strong digital and transformation leadership capability.
- Ability to lead through ambiguity and complexity.
Important Information about working for GMMH:All positions within the Trust are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, for further information on the checks required please visit the NHS Employers website www.nhsemployers.org
The Trust mandates all post holders who require a DBS for their role to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. You will be required to enrol for this service for a fee of £16 per year and maintain registration throughout your employment with GMMH.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for posts at Greater Manchester Mental Health who have direct experience of mental health, learning disability or drug and alcohol services either as a service user or a carer.
The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We are aspiring to ensure our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve, and we are strongly committed to removing barriers to employment for candidates from under-represented groups, for example BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ communities.
We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored. GMMH reserves the right to follow up with a candidate at the interview on specific responses and those examples used in the supporting statement to explore it further.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications
A candidate may utilise the help of AI when writing job application.The assessment of an application is made on its entirety and most times AI-generated content does not fully grasp the context and requirements of the job one applies for thus producing inaccurate and misleading information, especially in the supporting statement section of an application that can lack real life examples of one’s achievements, success and challenges.
We are proud to be an approved sponsor for the Skilled Worker visa. Applications from individuals who require sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications. Please be aware that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible roles and salary requirements on the UK Government’s website.
If you are offered a role with us and you require sponsorship, we will check your eligibility in line with the information on the above website. Your offer of employment could be withdrawn if the role is not eligible for sponsorship, and you are not otherwise able to evidence your right to work in the UK.
The Home Office introduces new changes from 22/07/2025 that impact the health and care sector.
Do you have experience outside the NHS?
We want to attract and retain people with diverse skills and experience, to deliver inclusive healthcare services to our communities.
We will consider relevant experience outside the NHS to calculate your salary on appointment. Please contact our Recruitment Team for more information.
**Please note, this vacancy may be closed at any time if sufficient applications have been received**
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post will require a submission for Disclosure to be made to check for any unspent criminal convictions.
As a service user, relative or carer using our services, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for help, advice, and support.
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