Chief Operating Officer: Sponsorship Available in London

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an exceptional Chief Operating Officer to join its Board at a pivotal point in the organisation’s development. Reporting to the recently appointed Chief Executive, Matthew Trainer, this is an opportunity to help lead one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching hospital Trusts as KCH delivers its new five-year strategy and ambitious vision to transform healthcare.

Serving more than 1.5 million patients across south east London and beyond, KCH provides outstanding local hospital services alongside internationally recognised specialist care, supported by pioneering research, education and innovation. As Chief Operating Officer, you will be responsible for leading operational delivery across the Trust, ensuring patients receive safe, timely and effective care whilst improving operational performance, patient flow, productivity and financial sustainability.

Working as a member of the Trust Board, you will work closely with clinical and corporate colleagues to translate the Trust’s strategic ambitions into practical delivery across the organisation. This is a role for an experienced operational leader who is comfortable working in a large, complex organisation and who understands how to deliver improvement through others. You will build strong relationships with clinicians, operational leaders and staff across KCH, providing clear leadership whilst creating the pace, clarity and accountability needed to deliver sustained improvement.

We are looking for someone with a successful Board-level track record of leading operational services within a large and complex healthcare organisation. You will bring sound judgement, resilience and credibility, together with experience of improving performance, leading major change and delivering sustainable operational and financial improvement. Equally importantly, you will value collaboration, develop high-performing teams and create an environment in which people feel supported to deliver their best.

You will also play an important role beyond KCH, working with partners across South East London to strengthen pathways, improve services and support more integrated models of care for local communities. This is an opportunity to join a new executive leadership team at an important moment for KCH. If you are looking for a Board-level role where you can make a lasting contribution to one of the NHS’s largest and most complex teaching hospital Trusts, we look forward to hearing from you.

Main duties of the job:

This is a role for an experienced operational leader who is comfortable working in a large, complex organisation and who understands how to deliver improvement through others. You will build strong relationships with clinicians, operational leaders and staff across KCH, providing clear leadership whilst creating the pace, clarity and accountability needed to deliver sustained improvement.

We are looking for someone with a successful Board-level track record of leading operational services within a large and complex healthcare organisation. You will bring sound judgement, resilience and credibility, together with experience of improving performance, leading major change and delivering sustainable operational and financial improvement. Equally importantly, you will value collaboration, develop high-performing teams and create an environment in which people feel supported to deliver their best.

You will also play an important role beyond KCH, working with partners across South East London to strengthen pathways, improve services and support more integrated models of care for local communities. This is an opportunity to join a new executive leadership team at an important moment for KCH. If you are looking for a Board-level role where you can make a lasting contribution to one of the NHS’s largest and most complex teaching hospital Trusts, we look forward to hearing from you.

Person Specification:

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Essential: Please see attached Job Description.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check: This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship: Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

Closing Date: 7 September 2026

How to Apply: Interested and qualified candidates should apply online for this job.