General Manager in Cowbridge

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic General Manager to lead the strategic and operational delivery of Cardiothoracic services within the Specialist Services Clinical Board. This pivotal role offers the opportunity to shape and drive service excellence across a complex portfolio of specialist clinical areas. Reporting to the Director of Operations, the post holder will work closely with the Clinical Director and Lead Nurse to ensure high-quality, safe and efficient patient care aligned with national and local priorities. This is an exciting, high-impact role for a forward-thinking leader with a proven track record in healthcare management, change leadership and stakeholder engagement. The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Main duties of the job

• The successful candidate must possess excellent organisational, problem solving and communication skills.
• They must be capable of working under pressure to meet deadlines and have the ability to confidently engage with colleagues at all levels of the organisation.
• The post holder will be required to work autonomously to drive forward their own programme of work and will need to use innovation to overcome challenges.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Strategic leadership and service development across multiple specialist areas.
• Oversight of performance targets, financial management and business planning.
• Line management of non-clinical staff and budgetary accountability.
• Driving innovation, service redesign and continuous improvement.
• Leading business development initiatives and supporting capital projects.

About us

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 17,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services. Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving over 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone, delivering excellent care and support.

Our mission is "Living Well, Caring Well, Working Together", and our vision is that every person's chance of leading a healthy life should be equal. Our 10-year transformation and improvement strategy, Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, is our chance to work collaboratively with the public and our workforce to make our health board more sustainable for the future.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Essential: Qualification to Masters Degree level (or equivalent experience).
• Recognised management qualification (Diploma level or higher).
• Evidence of Management development through continuous Professional Development, and/or formal management courses.
• Desirable: IHM membership or equivalent managerial professional body, Prince Project Management.

Experience

• Essential: Demonstrable NHS manager experience including line management responsibility for multi-disciplinary teams.
• Evidence of strategic management planning and achievements in complex management situations.
• Responsibility for performance management (including waiting lists) and meeting challenging targets.
• Responsibility for managing an expenditure budget (>5m).
• Evidence of managing projects.
• Development of policies and procedures.
• Evidence of managing a service through change.
• Experience of developing successful business cases.
• Desirable: Effective internal and external stakeholder management, commissioning services and/or negotiation of contracts, experience with audits, inspections, etc.

Skills

• Essential: Capacity to operate and think laterally at strategic and operational level.
• Capacity to build and develop teams and maintain constructive working relationships at all levels and disciplines.
• Ability to develop strategic vision and ensure implementation to achieve the specified outcomes.
• Proven ability to meet deadlines and maintain consistently high quality of work.
• Demonstrable ability to deal with complex situations.
• Able to make and take sometimes difficult decisions after analysis of options and implications.
• Able to multi-task and continue to function to a high standard when under pressure.
• Desirable: Knowledge of Research methodologies and application, effective stakeholder management, demonstrates intellectual flexibility, political astuteness and drive for results.

Special Knowledge

• Essential: Detailed understanding and experience of the management of the NHS.
• Knowledge and experience of quality improvement methodologies.
• Good understanding of IT systems, their application and potential.
• Knowledge and experience of service improvement skills, tools and techniques.
• Desirable: Knowledge and understanding of current policy and issues in professional practice, compliance standards and the wider NHS.

Personal Qualities

• Essential: Effective delegation and change management skills.
• Leadership and influencing skills, and motivational and organisational skills.
• Managing conflict within service priorities and staff.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective multidisciplinary working relationships, particularly during change.
• Ability to focus on major policy issues whilst maintaining and continuously improving a busy operational service.
• Desirable: Ability to communicate highly complex information in a hostile environment, of a sensitive or contentious nature.

Other

• Essential: Self-confident and emotionally resilient.
• Ability to work flexibly and to cope with a large and unpredictable workload.
• Ability to travel in a timely manner.
• Desirable: Personal credibility with Health Board clinical and managerial body, ability to think creatively and laterally, ability to speak Welsh.