Band 8b - General Manager – Head, Neck & Urology in Watford

We are seeking an experienced and ambitious General Manager to join the Senior Leadership Team within our Surgical Division, leading a diverse portfolio including Audiology, Head & Neck (ENT, Oral Surgery, Ophthalmology and Orthodontics) and Urology. You will provide strategic and operational leadership, working closely with Clinical Directors, Lead Nurses, Matrons and multidisciplinary teams to deliver safe, high-quality, patient‑centred services. A key focus will be elective recovery, RTT performance, service improvement, productivity and financial sustainability.

We are looking for a collaborative NHS operational leader with a proven track record of improving performance, leading complex services, building strong clinical partnerships and delivering sustainable change. You will use data to drive improvement, foster a culture of accountability and support teams to achieve ambitious goals. Based across Watford General Hospital, St Albans City Hospital and occasionally Hemel Hempstead Hospital, the role requires approximately 80% on‑site working and participation in the Senior Manager On‑Call (Silver) rota. Join an ambitious division where you can influence strategy, lead meaningful change and make a lasting difference for patients and staff. Interviews will be held in person at the Watford site.

Main duties of the job:

• Lead the development of service improvement and business plans aligned with divisional goals.
• Introduce innovative management strategies to optimise efficiency across services.
• Collaborate with community, social care, and academic partners to support broader healthcare objectives.
• Track and report performance against national and local targets, driving improvements.
• Ensure that departments within your portfolio are meeting key service and quality standards.
• Lead weekly PTL meetings and support escalations to ensure smooth operations.
• Oversee budgets, ensuring financial targets are met and income is optimised.
• Contribute to cost improvement initiatives and business case development for service reconfigurations.
• Ensure the workforce is effectively planned and resourced with the right skills to meet service demands.
• Lead, motivate, and develop teams to support continuous performance improvement.
• Oversee recruitment, appraisals, and staff development.
• Regularly engage with clinical teams, staff, and senior management to ensure transparency and align objectives.
• Address sensitive issues, manage complaints, and ensure effective communication throughout the team.

Person specification:

• Education to degree level or equivalent qualification.
• Studying for/plans to study management qualification.
• Operational management experience in an Acute NHS organisation.
• Evidence of continuing professional development including regular attendance on internal and external study programmes.
• Higher professional or management degree (master’s Level) or equivalent knowledge acquired by experience.

Knowledge:

• Key issues and pace of change facing the NHS nationally and locally, assess and describe impact on services.
• Knowledge and understanding of governance arrangements and standards in the NHS and the wider health and social care economy.
• Knowledge of current issues in the NHS.
• Understanding the principles of risk management, health and safety legislation.

Experience:

• Good experience of managing several complex NHS services, preferably within the Acute Sector.
• Demonstrable experience at a senior management level, with clear evidence of responsibility for supporting operational delivery including clinical quality, people management, budget responsibility and successful delivery of performance targets within strict financial controls.
• Evidence of managing in a busy, complex and dynamic environment.
• Understanding of principles of budgetary management.
• Experience of using numerical analysis in problem solving.
• Experience of budgetary management.
• Experience of and familiarity with business planning and preparation of business cases.
• Understanding of and experience of managing elective waiting times (RTT, PTL, Diagnostic etc).
• Experience working or managing within medical or surgical speciality services.
• Understanding of medical staffing and rota issues.
• Knowledge and or experience of working closely with integrated care partners, integrated service.

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust provides acute healthcare services to a core catchment population of approximately half a million people living in west Hertfordshire and the surrounding area. The Trust also provides a range of more specialist services to a wider population, serving residents of North London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and East Hertfordshire. As an employer of nearly 6,000 people the Trust is one of the biggest employers in the area and sees nearly a million patients each year.