Assistant Operations Director - Performance and Quality (Childrens)

Nottingham CityCare Partnership is seeking an experienced, values driven Assistant Operations Director (Performance and Quality) to provide senior operational leadership within our 0-19 Children's Services, on a fixed term/secondment basis to 31 March 2027.

At a strategic level, our operational leaders must be agile, responsive and commercially aware, able to navigate an ever-changing environment characterised by significant operational pressures and challenges. You will be expected to respond swiftly to new business and service development opportunities, and flex priorities at pace, while maintaining a relentless focus on quality, safety and outcomes.

This post recognises the scale, value and commissioning complexity of our children's services contract, alongside the strategic importance of being well positioned for future recommissioning. You will work closely with system operational leaders, commissioners and partners across the Integrated Care System (ICS), collaborating in a highly responsive and solutions focused way to shape services, manage demand and deliver against shared objectives.

This is a senior operational leadership role for someone who can build strong, credible relationships across clinical teams, corporate services and external stakeholders, turning strategy into delivery and driving continuous improvement in frontline services.

Main duties of the job include:

• Provide senior operational, clinical and quality leadership across children's services.
• Drive delivery of performance, quality, finance and workforce outcomes, with clear grip, assurance and recovery plans where required.
• Champion patient safety, clinical effectiveness, positive patient experience and safe staffing, embedding a culture of learning and improvement.
• Ensure services are contract ready and operationally resilient, able to respond to changing demand, system priorities and new opportunities.
• Lead service improvement and transformation, using data, insight and staff engagement to improve quality and productivity.
• Support staff through change in a way that is inclusive, transparent and compassionate.

We are seeking a credible, experienced senior operational leader, with a strong track record of delivering quality, performance and patient safety improvements. You will balance strategic thinking with strong operational grip, make sound decisions at pace, and flex priorities while maintaining high standards. Confident working across organisational and system boundaries, you will build trust, influence effectively, and lead with compassion and integrity.

This is an opportunity to contribute to the delivery of the NHS 10-year vision, supporting the continued shift from hospital based care to high quality, integrated community services that make the biggest difference to population health.

About us: We are a provider of NHS Community Health Services, CityCare exists to support the health and wellbeing of all local people, working alongside other health and care partners to achieve this. We are a value driven, people business with a passion for excellence. Our vision and social purpose is to make a difference every day to the health & wellbeing of our communities and our values of kindness, respect, trust and honesty lie at the heart of everything we do, guiding how we work together with partners and each other to consistently deliver high quality compassionate care.

As a social enterprise we aim to add social value by investing in the future of our local communities and helping to make a difference in people's lives. CityCare values the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage applications from candidates who identify as disabled, LGBT+ or from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) background, as they are currently under-represented within our organisation. We are proud to be a forces-friendly organisation and are dedicated to supporting Veterans, Service Leavers, Reservists, and military spouses/partners. We value the unique skills and contributions you bring. CityCare is an equal opportunities employer. We are positive about employing people with disabilities.

Job responsibilities include:

• To work within the Operational Senior Leadership Team, being accountable for both clinical and performance leadership, being a highly respected and influential manager and leader, recognised for setting clear direction and inspiring confidence across the organisation.
• To provide senior operational, professional and quality management and leadership to all care group services to ensure the effective delivery of contracted services which are high quality, clinically safe and delivered by appropriately qualified and trained staff, within the defined resources.
• To lead on clinical service and workforce development and transformation ensuring services are fit for the future and enhance the offer presented by CityCare as a whole.
• To drive and performance manage the implementation of service and workforce delivery plans.
• To be accountable for high professional standards, promoting a culture of learning in which excellence in clinical care will flourish in relation to the key dimensions of health care quality.
• To lead the delivery of quality outcomes securing improvements such as CQC preparedness and quality schedule targets ensuring full engagement within clinical teams.
• To champion delivery of CityCare's organisational and enabling strategies.
• To play a key role in the development and implementation of plans, innovations and initiatives with other Nottinghamshire partners.
• To ensure the uninterrupted provision of services to service users, commissioners, and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with commissioners and health and social care partners to shape and respond to service demand, ensuring flexibility, responsiveness, and a focus on outcomes.
• To always maintain the integrity and reputation of CityCare.

Dimensions: In partnership with the Deputy Director of Operations and other Assistant Directors, be responsible for the leadership and management of clinical and related services within the Care Group, to ensure the provision of efficient, high-quality services.

Lead the Heads of Service and Team Managers to ensure robust accountability for contracted performance, supporting and managing our staff, financial stewardship and the standards of care delivered by the workforce. This will include ensuring efficiency of service delivery, safer staffing, positive staff experience, monitoring dashboards to drive improvement and contributing to the development of the strategic direction of clinical services.

Working with business partners lead on the achievement of the performance, finance, quality and people metrics in the Care Group in accordance with key targets, contracts and outcomes to ensure the services report in a timely manner supporting the sustainability of the organisation and its ability to operate within its financial budget.

Manage budgets totalling up to £20m. Build, develop and nurture strong relationships with service users, external partners including ICSP.

To support the delivery of the company's statutory returns (e.g. CQC, CIC Regulator, Auditors).

Person Specification:

• Qualifications: Masters degree or equivalent level of knowledge and experience gained through senior operational leadership roles. A recognised management or leadership qualification. Professional qualification as a Registered Nurse, Allied Health Professional or Social Worker.
• Knowledge and Skills: Understanding of strategic planning, commissioning intentions and performance frameworks. In-depth knowledge of clinical governance, quality assurance and risk management. Understanding of regulatory and contractual requirements, including CQC and statutory reporting. Highly developed leadership and influencing skills, with the credibility to operate at senior system level. Ability to analyse, interpret and act upon complex performance, quality and financial data. Strong decision making skills, including the ability to balance quality, safety, performance and resources. Excellent communication and relationship building skills. Ability to drive improvement, manage risk and deliver sustainable change at pace.
• Experience: Significant senior operational leadership experience within a complex healthcare or community services environment. Experience of performance management against quality, finance, workforce and contractual targets. Demonstrable experience of working in partnership with commissioners, system partners and external stakeholders to deliver improved patient pathways and outcomes. A proven track record of leading major strategic change, transformation and service improvement. Experience of leading and motivating multidisciplinary teams, including senior managers, to deliver high-quality services. Experience of care pathway development and service redesign to enhance patient experience.

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.