Deputy Director of Operations, WACS in Watford

Do you have a passion for operational leadership and delivering high quality services for women, children and families? Are you looking for a role where you can genuinely shape services, lead improvement and work as part of an ambitious, high performing triumvirate team within a forward thinking organisation? West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking an exceptional Divisional Deputy Director of Operations for Women’s & Children’s to join our senior leadership team. This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious and aspirational operational leader ready to take the next step in their career within a high performing acute trust environment.

You will join an established and supportive divisional leadership team with strong clinical and operational leadership already in place, alongside a culture that is collaborative, ambitious, analytical and delivery focused.

Main duties of the job

• Reporting operationally through the divisional triumvirate structure, you will work closely with the Divisional Director, Divisional Clinical Director and senior nursing leadership team to support the operational delivery, performance and strategic development of Women’s & Children’s services.
• The successful candidate will bring strong operational grip, excellent analytical capability and a track record of delivering improvement within complex acute healthcare environments.
• We are looking for someone who is proactive, solutions focused and able to use their initiative; a builder rather than a follower.
• You will play a key role in driving operational performance, productivity, governance and service improvement across the division, including supporting demand and capacity planning, job planning, efficiency and transformation programmes and the delivery of high quality patient centred services.

Working for our organisation

With a new hospital planned for Watford, work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital and plans for a neighbourhood healthcare centre in Hemel Hempstead, this is an exciting time to join us. We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re‑imagining models of care, working closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare. Staff wellbeing and development are a priority, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience. Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Supporting the day to day operational leadership of the Division
• Delivering against national and local operational performance standards and objectives
• Leading service improvement, productivity and transformation initiatives
• Supporting robust governance, workforce and financial management processes
• Building strong relationships with clinical, nursing and operational colleagues across the organisation
• Using data, insight and analysis to support operational decision making and performance improvement
• Contributing to a positive, inclusive and high performing divisional culture

Person specification

Education

• First degree or equivalent experience
• Of management and leadership training and continuous professional development
• Masters degree in a management related discipline

Knowledge

• Knowledge of NHS Organisation and structures, business systems and the wider political environment
• Understanding of the business processes and systems in acute trusts.
• Knowledge of motivation, change and project management techniques and experience in their application in complex systems

Experience

• Senior management and leadership experience within an NHS acute hospital setting.
• Operational management responsibility for multi disciplinary staff groups.
• Successful financial management including budget control and cost improvements.
• Evidence of working successfully with senior medical staff in delivering services and developments.
• Successful management of changing clinical services.

Skills

• Demonstrable skills in leadership and driving the strategic direction of a team
• High degree of interpersonal skills (listening, persuasion, negotiation, etc).
• Good presentation and strong written and oral skills
• Conceptual skills and application of concepts to practice
• Analytical and interpretive skills in data handling

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.