Band 8b- General Manager, Private Care in Watford

We are seeking an exceptional and driven General Manager to lead and grow Private Care services across the Trust. This is a rare opportunity to take the lead in shaping the future of Private Care at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. We are looking for an ambitious, commercially astute General Manager to drive growth, innovation, and excellence across a rapidly developing service at a pivotal moment in the Trust’s journey. You will be at the forefront of transformation—building and scaling a high‑quality, patient‑centred private care offer that complements our NHS services. With real scope to influence strategy and delivery, you will work closely with clinical and corporate leaders to modernise pathways, elevate patient experience, and position the Trust as a provider of choice for private healthcare.

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a core population of around half a million people, with specialist services reaching across North London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and East Hertfordshire. With nearly 6,000 staff and close to a million patient contacts each year, we are one of the largest and most important organisations in the region. Our services span four sites: Watford General Hospital, St Albans City Hospital, Hemel Hempstead Hospital and Abbots Langley outpatient therapy unit. The role involves driving growth and innovation in Private Care, leading change, forging partnerships across the organisation, and delivering results in a complex environment.

Main duties

Education and qualifications:

• Education to degree level or equivalent qualification
• Operational management and Service delivery experience in a Private Healthcare Care Unit or an Acute NHS organisation
• Evidence of continuing professional development including regular attendance on internal and external study programmes
• Higher professional or management degree (Masters Level) or equivalent knowledge acquired by experience
• Studying for/plans to study management qualification

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:

• Demonstrable experience at a senior management level, with clear evidence of responsibility for supporting operational service delivery including clinical quality, people management, budget responsibility and successful delivery of performance targets within strict financial controls.
• Evidence of managing 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
• Experience of private healthcare within an NHS hospital or independent sector