Directorate Manager – Specialist Palliative Care in Hengoed

We are looking for an organised and motivated Directorate Manager to support the effective delivery of Specialist Palliative Care services across Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. Working with the Divisional Senior Leadership team, Clinical Leads and wider multidisciplinary teams, the post holder will help ensure that services are well‑coordinated, patient‑focused and aligned with Health Board priorities. The role involves overseeing day‑to‑day operational management, supporting service planning, monitoring performance and helping to drive improvements across the Directorate.

You will work closely with clinical leads and third‑sector partners, contribute to service development projects and ensure that resources are used efficiently to meet activity, quality and financial requirements. The post holder will manage the Assistant Directorate Manager and administrative teams, support complaint investigations, and produce reports and information to assist decision‑making. Strong communication, organisational and problem‑solving skills are essential, along with the ability to work independently and manage a varied workload.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with NHS operational management experience who is looking to further develop their leadership skills within a supportive and collaborative environment. The base location will be agreed, with flexibility required to work across Health Board sites.

Main duties

Reporting to the General Manager, the Directorate Manager is a senior operational role within Aneurin Bevan Health Board. Working with the Divisional Director, General Manager, Clinical Director, the Directorate Manager will be expected to provide operational management support, leadership and expertise to ensure that Palliative Care services are effectively and efficiently delivered in line with Health Board and Divisional objectives and policies.

Qualifications and Knowledge

• Essential criteria: Masters qualification or equivalent level of work experience relevant to the post. Good knowledge of NHS. Working knowledge of patient pathways in an acute setting. Comprehensive up‑to‑date knowledge of service issues. Detailed knowledge of personnel procedures and policies such as PADR, Disciplinary, recruitment and selection, equal opportunities.
• Desirable criteria: Knowledge of Welsh Assembly strategy. Leadership/management qualification.

Experience

• Essential criteria: Extensive experience managing an NHS service department. Experience working operationally in a senior capacity in health. Experience planning and implementing long‑term strategy. Proven track record of successfully introducing service improvement or managing significant organisational change in a complex environment. Experience working in an environment where the interests of a variety of stakeholders must be considered and balanced while maintaining good working relationships. Demonstrable success in building, leading, motivating, managing and developing teams. Participation in significant change management projects. Developed partnership arrangements or partnership working. Experience working with budgetary constraints and targets.
• Desirable criteria: Managed in a multi‑disciplinary setting. Specific project management experience. Produced reports and presented to a variety of audiences.

Skills and Attributes

• Essential criteria: Ability to prioritise, make judgments and problem‑solve. High‑level communication and interpersonal skills, able to explain complex information to service users, Health Board management and other agencies. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written. Well‑established personnel, team management and team‑working skills. Able to motivate staff to meet targets and deliver a quality service. Ability to work in partnership with external agencies. Planning skills to maintain and develop service delivery. Understanding of organisational culture and how service users view it. Excellent organisational and planning skills. Commitment to corporate objectives. Energetic, determined and task‑focused. Resilience, stamina and reliability under sustained pressure.
• Desirable criteria: Ability to prepare complex documents (e.g. strategy documents). Ability to speak Welsh. Experience working in partnership with third‑sector providers to deliver joint outcomes.

Other

• Essential criteria: Satisfactory standard/enhanced DBS clearance including an adults and children’s barred list check. Ability to move between sites within the Health Board as required by the job role. Commitment to lifelong learning.