Senior Operational Manager Sterile Services and Medical Engineering in Warwick

Location: Warwick Hospital, with cross-site responsibility across Warwick and George Eliot Hospitals.

SWFT Clinical Services is looking for an ambitious, experienced Senior Operational Manager to help shape the future of Sterile Services and Medical Engineering. This is a high-impact leadership role at the heart of safe, effective healthcare delivery.

You’ll work with the Head of EBME and Sterile services to drive performance, standardisation, innovation and continuous improvement across two essential specialist services — helping ensure the right equipment, the right processes and the right standards are in place to support excellent patient care.

What you’ll do:

• Lead operational management across EBME and Sterile Services.
• Oversee quality, compliance, governance and performance.
• Drive service improvement, innovation and value for money.
• Manage budgets, procurement, contracts and capital planning.
• Manage, support and develop multidisciplinary teams.

What we’re looking for:

• Strong healthcare or similar large organisation management experience.
• A background in healthcare, medical engineering, decontamination, estates or facilities.
• Proven skills in budget control, service improvement and governance.
• Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.

Main duties of the job:

• To provide Senior Operational Management across South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) and George Eliot Hospital (GEH) for the safe, effective and compliant management of medical devices.
• Provide Senior Operational Management and the delivery of decontamination and sterile services for SWFT.
• To ensure the provision of high-quality healthcare engineering and decontamination services that support clinical services across acute and community settings, ensuring compliance with national procurement frameworks, risk management standards, statutory regulations and best practice guidance.
• To lead the development, alignment and continuous improvement of EBME and Sterile Services functions across South Warwickshire, promoting innovation, patient safety, operational efficiency and value for money.

Working for our organisation:

SWFT Clinical Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of the South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT). The company provides a number of services such as outpatient pharmacy facilities at various hospitals; estates and facilities management; private patient service and consultancy services to NHS Trusts.

Subject to the Company and individual’s performance, an annual discretionary bonus will be awarded. There is automatic enrolment to the Company pension scheme, with the Company contributing 5%. A benefits package is available to the appointed candidate upon successful completion of the six month probationary period.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

Key Result Areas:

• Deliver highly developed planning, organisational and analytical expertise to ensure timely and effective delivery of high-quality services across SWFT and associated Trusts.
• Work autonomously to anticipate and respond to emerging national policy, legislation and guidance, supporting the development of strategies, policies and procedures to support compliance with national standards and Trust objectives.
• Align policies, strategies and operational best practices across sites to ensure standardisation and consistency of service delivery.
• Support development and implement qualitative and quantitative performance measures to monitor compliance with Head of service strategies and national requirements.
• Present performance updates, KPI reports and strategic recommendations at senior management forums, committees and Boards.
• Ensure organisational strategies are effectively cascaded and implemented across all operational teams.
• Promote innovation, service improvement and adoption of emerging healthcare technologies to enhance patient care and operational productivity.

Operational Management:

• Oversee and align operational activities across both EBME and Sterile Services departments, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and prioritisation of workloads.
• Ensure effective management of medical device servicing, maintenance, repair and calibration activities in accordance with national standards and operational requirements.
• Oversee the management and continual development of externally accredited quality systems, including ISO compliance.
• Ensure robust systems are in place for monitoring maintenance plans, project milestones, risks and operational performance.
• Support and oversee equipment replacement programmes and medical equipment capital replacement planning across both Trusts.
• Ensure all procurement activities relating to medical devices and sterile services are aligned across both Trusts, promoting standardisation and value for money.

Clinical and Technical Governance:

• Provide specialist scientific, technical and operational expertise relating to medical devices, sterile services and decontamination processes.
• Advise clinical, scientific, technical and managerial staff on risks associated with medical devices and decontamination services.
• Develop detailed technical specifications, conduct product evaluations and provide evidence-based recommendations to clinicians and senior managers.
• Represent both Trusts on relevant national safety networks and professional groups.
• Ensure full compliance with MHRA, NHS England and Central Alerting System (CAS) requirements.
• Oversee the investigation and management of all medical device and sterile services safety incidents.
• Provide Trust-level assurance regarding the safe use, management and governance of medical devices and sterile services.

Financial and Commercial Management:

• Hold budgetary responsibility for EBME and Sterile Services functions across both Trusts.
• Monitor departmental expenditure and ensure services operate within agreed financial limits while maintaining high-quality standards.
• Evaluate value for money in relation to equipment procurement, service contracts and operational delivery.
• Support development and deliver annual cost improvement and efficiency programmes.
• Identify and implement opportunities for income generation and commercial service provision to external organisations where appropriate.

Leadership and Workforce Development:

• Provide visible, effective and inspirational leadership to multidisciplinary healthcare engineering and sterile services teams.
• Develop and maintain a highly skilled workforce through training, mentoring, succession planning and professional development.
• Promote strong working relationships between EBME, Sterile Services, clinical teams and wider NHS professionals.
• Manage staff performance, conduct, welfare and development in accordance with Trust policies and procedures.

Communication and Stakeholder Management:

• Lead complex projects and present progress updates, risks and outcomes to a wide range of stakeholders.
• Communicate highly complex, sensitive and technical information clearly and effectively to staff at all levels.
• Influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders internally and externally to secure service improvements and strategic objectives.

Person specification:

• Degree/Masters level qualification in a relevant area to this role and/or a long term equivalent level of senior management experience in a related field.
• Must have in-depth professional specialist knowledge across multiple disciplines acquired through training and experience over a significant period.
• Significant proven and demonstrated experience at a senior level within Healthcare or similar environment for a minimum of 5 years.
• Experience of operational and technical interpretation, negotiation and service development across a range of service functions.
• Proven experience and track record of commercial activities; identifying developing and realising business growth opportunities.