Head of Clinical Operations - Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

EEAST is a great place to work, great people, great career opportunities and a career that can take you anywhere. No two days are the same, if you are looking for a varied and supportive environment EEAST can offer you that and more!

Hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work:

-Great employee benefits:

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Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced leader to join as a Head of Clinical Operations in the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST). Reporting to the Deputy Chief of Clinical Operations of the Trust, you will have a focus and passion for driving change for patient benefit. The service is at a critical point and the successful applicant will play an integral role in EEASTs improvement journey and achieve our vision of providing outstanding care, with exceptional people every hour of every day.

Please note that this vacancy is for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with travel across the region expected.

This is for a 12 month secondment starting 01/03/2026 – to end on 28/02/2027.

Interviews for this role will take place on 09/02/2026.

Main duties of the job

As a member of the Senior Management Team, you will lead a team aspiring to foster a culture of improvement and to support a shift in organisational culture making EEAST an exceptional place to work while providing outstanding quality of care and performance.

The successful candidate will be accountable for all quality, performance, and financial key performance indicators for the sector, and engagement with internal business partners within the sector business unit. They will be a key figure for the public and stakeholder engagement for the Trust.

Critical to the success of the role is the ability to interpret the Trust strategy, service development and priorities and turn these into quantifiable service delivery actions and results in a defined business unit of the Directorate.

The role operates across the strategic and tactical levels of the Trust business and as such the role time-spend should provide a broadly equal amount of time at these levels. As a key role in the delivery of service, the post holder will operate as part of the Strategic Command Team in a ‘Gold Support’ role, supporting the Strategic Commander. This is via an on-call rota and so whilst the standard working week is 37.5 hours, you must be flexible to meet the requirements of the role which may include unsocial hours at times.

Working for our organisation

You\’ll have the opportunity to work in one of the most diverse regions in the country, with the vibrant capital city just a stone\’s throw away and the invigorating North Sea coast to the east.

At EEAST we bring together all our skills to provide 24 hour, 365 days a year urgent care to those in need of emergency and non-emergency medical treatment and transport in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

We are always looking to innovate our approaches and work together to offer the best possible patient care across our counties.

We aim to represent and value the diversity of our local communities through our workforce and service provision. We therefore positively encourage applications from under-represented groups, such as Black, Asian, or other ethnic groups, individuals with a Disability, or LGBTQ+ individuals who meet the specific criteria.

We at EEAST want to support our employees achieve a balance between work and other priorities, such as caring responsibilities, family commitments, further learning, and other interests. We therefore welcome flexible working requests.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the role, including all its specific requirements and responsibilities, please consult the attached Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides an in-depth overview that will give you a clear and detailed picture of what the position entails.

Please note, should you be successful in your application, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks, prior to receiving an unconditional offer, if full employment checks cannot be achieved (this will include existing and unserved disciplinary sanctions), then your offer may be withdrawn.

How to apply
Step 1 – Read the advert and the Job Description and Person Specification (attached)
Step 2 – Complete the Supporting Statement – Your statement needs to indicate how you meet each of the criteria contained within the Person Specification.
Step 3 – Complete the online application and upload your statement. Please note, CVs are not accepted.

Person specification

Analytical Skills

Essential criteria

Problem-solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.

Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options.

Takes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action.

Strategic thinking – ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise.

Desirable criteria

Ability to carry out procurements for highly detailed, high value contracts that require analysis, comparison and assessment.

Management Skills

Essential criteria

Skills for delivering results through managing through others and using a range of levers in the absence of direct line management responsibility.

Skills for managing relationships with a range of different stakeholders.

Skills for direct line management and job management.

Autonomy

Essential criteria

Manages Team within the constraints of NHS strategic plan.

Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues.

Ability to work on own initiative and organise workload, allocating work as necessary.

Planning Skills

Essential criteria

Plans and organises a broad range of complex activities, formulating and adjusting plans to reflect changing circumstances.

Inputs to strategic plans across NHS and within the specific teams.

Works with stakeholders to develop performance improvement plans and to develop plans for innovation and opening up the market.

Good use of available information sources to enable efficient and effective planning.

Ability to work under pressure and to tight and often changing deadlines.

Knowledge, Training and Experience

Essential criteria

Master’s, or equivalent level, management qualification, or equivalent experience.

Must have an understanding of relevant government policies in relation to health and social care policy.

Full, UK compatible driving licence.

NARU occupational standards Tactical/Strategic Commander accreditation, or willing to complete within the next 12 months.

Where appropriate have completed, or be willing to complete, Blue Light driver course to enable a response to a major or critical incident.

Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.

Desirable criteria

Should have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health, NHS England, and individual provider and commissioning organisations.

Member of relevant professional body.

Communication Skills

Essential criteria

Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups.

Persuade board and senior managers of the respective merits of different options, innovation, and new market opportunities.

Negotiate on difficult and very complex and detailed issues.

Physical skills

Essential criteria

Working knowledge of Microsoft Office with intermediate keyboard skills.

Equality & Diversity

Essential criteria

Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of equality of opportunity and diversity, taking into account and being aware of how individual actions contribute to, and make a difference to, the equality agenda.

Ensures staff for whom the postholder has line management responsibility.

Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of equality of opportunity and diversity.

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Candidates who require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the United Kingdom can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for this position by assessing their circumstances against the criteria specified on the Check if you need a UK visa – website. We encourage all applicants to review these criteria carefully to understand their eligibility for sponsorship.

References and Employment History: All references from current and previous employers, will be sought via their Human Resources Department and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and email address of the Human Resources Department and indicate your current/previous line manager and their departmental details.

All appointments will be subject to currently having a clean disciplinary record.

Please be advised that a No Smoking Policy is in operation throughout the Trust.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme – Under the Trust\’s commitment \’Positive about Disabled People\’, if you consider yourself as having a disability and you meet the minimum selection criteria for any post, you will get an automatic interview. By minimum selection criteria we mean that you must provide us with evidence in your application form which demonstrates the essential requirements as set out in the person specification and advertisement for a post.

We aim to represent and value the diversity of our local communities through our workforce and service provision. We therefore positively encourage applications, regardless of age, race, religion & belief, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marriage & civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity or disability.