Deputy Chief Operating Officer

• significant senior operational leadership experience within an NHS provider organisation
• a proven track record of improving operational performance, quality, productivity and patient flow
• experience leading complex community and/or mental health services
• confidence managing senior clinical leaders while building trust and credibility
• the ability to balance supportive leadership with robust performance management
• outstanding communication skills and the emotional intelligence to influence across complex systems

Essential

• Compassionate, collaborative and inclusive leadership style.
• Commitment to service users, carers and communities, with a strong focus on dignity, respect and multicultural sensitivity.
• Commitment to staff engagement, co-production and continuous improvement.
• Positive, resilient and solutions-focused, with a constructive can-do approach.
• Flexible and adaptable, able to work effectively in ambiguity and complexity.
• High levels of integrity, discretion and professional judgement.
• Commitment to NHS values and the Trust's values, including equality, diversity and inclusion.

Essential

• Educated to Master's level, or equivalent senior leadership experience and learning.
• Evidence of continuous professional development.

Desirable

• Additional postgraduate management qualification.
• Professional clinical, operational, managerial or relevant specialist qualifications.

Essential

• Proven track record of senior operational delivery in a complex health or social care setting.
• Experience of managing healthcare services at senior level in a provider organisation across mental health, community health, urgent care, access, flow or place-based services and delivering high standards of service performance, including national and local targets, access standards, productivity and quality objectives.
• Experience of leading complex organisational change, service redesign and clinical service development.
• Experience of business planning, demand and capacity planning, and development of business cases in complex organisations.
• Experience of financial management, including efficiency and productivity programmes.
• Experience of working effectively with parters e.g. primary care, local authorities, A/I Page | 17 VCSE partners etc.
• Evidence of tackling inequalities in access, experience or outcomes.

Desirable

• Experience of leading patient flow, access, bed management, urgent care or productivity programmes.
• Experience of working within a provider collaborative, place-based partnership or integrated care system.

Essential

• Strong understanding of NHS policy, contracting, finance and performance systems.
• Understanding of mental health and community health provision, integrated care, inequalities, co-production and population health.

Essential

• Strategic and operational leadership skills, with the ability to translate strategy into delivery.
• Highly developed operational management and performance improvement skills.
• Ability to work in partnership with clinical and operational leaders and external partners.
• Ability to negotiate, influence and build consensus across a wide range of senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, numeracy and problem-solving skills, including use of data to support delivery
• Business and service planning skills.
• Ability to communicate complex or contentious information clearly, sensitively and persuasively to a range of audiences.
• Ability to write clear reports, business cases and Board-level papers.
• Ability to motivate and engage staff at all levels, improving confidence and supporting teams through change.
• Ability to build personal credibility with peers, partners and Executive Team members.
• Ability to manage a wide range of responsibilities, prioritise effectively and deliver to deadlines.
• Digitally confident and able to use information systems to support operational grip