Head of Operations
West Kent Primary Care
Tunbridge Wells, TN2 4TA
Salary
£64,000 to £77,000
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Not specified
Closing date
16 September 2026
16 days left
Job description
Are you keen to lead exciting transformational change with the 10-year neighbourhood plan for Primary and community services? An exciting opportunity ...
The post holder will be pivotal to overseeing
and implementing change to ensure WKPC continues to support practices/Primary
care networks as they move into neighborhoods working with other local system
providers in West Kent such as the Kent Community Health Trust, the Mental
Health Trust, the voluntary sector and the local authority. WKPC will
look to support Primary care to display and engage with a collaborative integrated
approach across services, ensuring innovation and creativity is always present
within transformation of services.
This is an exciting time to
join WKPC during a period of system transformation, growth and expansion. The post holder will
have the opportunity to lead on major collaborative activities across the West Kent footprint and
work in partnership with providers across the Health Care Partnership (HCP).
This post will report into the CEO
and support the Director of Finance and Director of Nursing & Quality who
form the SMT. They will also work closely with the governance, workforce and
digital teams to communicate and embed strategic direction and organisational
change in West Kent community and Primary care services. You will participate in
the manager on-call arrangements to ensure that effective leadership is in
place to support the delivery of safe operational services.
Lead operational oversight, and implementation of comprehensive service strategies
integrating digital, financial, workforce, and governance aims. Track progress
against objectives and ensure benefits realisation
Oversee day-to-day operations of
federation services (e.g. Post-Viral, frailty pathways, diabetes, UTC support, enhanced
access), monitor KPIs such as referral volumes, waiting times, utilisation, and
savings
Bid/Tender Process and Contract
Management. Lead preparation and submission of bids/tenders for new services,
manage full contract lifecycle including negotiation, SLAs with ICB/External
partners, performance reporting, renewals, and compliance with CQC/NHS England
standards
Line manage Clinical Services
Managers/Leads/Operations/Admin/pharmacy staff. Support recruitment, training,
appraisals, caseloads, and contingency planning for peaks/troughs, personal
development and, where appropriate, resolve any disciplinary or capability
issues
Drive service transitions, digital
transformation (EMIS/CoordinateRx/EPR), MDT coordination, and quality
improvements
Chair operational groups, maintain
and monitor operational risk registers (operational/strategic risks), support
incident investigations, and present Board-level reports on
performance/risks/mitigations.
West Kent Primary Care will act as employer for this role. We are a collaborative and ambitious GP Federation working with GP practices across Sevenoaks, Weald, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Malling, and Maidstone to improve General Practice provision in the area. West Kent Primary Care are a supportive and friendly organisation whose aim is to provide high quality, seamless health care that enables people to lead healthier lives, whilst feeling supported and cared for.
Our Values
- Respect
- Kindness
- Communication
- Collaboration
What we can offer
- Favourable terms and conditions
- Match NHS Annual Leave entitlement
- NEST and NHS Pension
- A comprehensive induction into the company followed by a local induction to introduce you to the role
- Training, support, and development in your career
- Flexible working arrangements
- Recognition via Employee of the Month scheme
- Wellbeing support and Employee Assistance Programme
- Due to travel requirements for the role it would be beneficial for applicants to have a full driving license
Office Contact: 01892 481821
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree-level qualification or equivalent senior healthcare management experience.
- Evidence of continued professional development relevant to operational leadership.
Desirable
- Management, leadership, or project management qualification.
- Masters-level qualification or equivalent experience.
- Registered Clinical Professional (Nurse/AHP)
Experience
Essential
- Operational management experience within primary care, the NHS, or a comparable healthcare environment.
- Experience managing services, teams, workloads, and operational priorities.
- Experience of staff management, including recruitment, appraisal, performance support, and workforce planning.
- Experience of contract monitoring, compliance, or service-level agreement management.
- Experience of performance monitoring, reporting, data analysis, and service improvement.
Desirable
- Experience working with ICBs, GP federations, PCNs, or other healthcare partners.
- Experience preparing bids, tenders, service proposals, or contract documentation.
- Experience supporting digital, operational, or quality improvement projects.
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of primary care services, PCN arrangements, commissioned pathways, and healthcare governance.
- Understanding of quality assurance, risk management, patient safety, and information governance.
- Knowledge of relevant NHS guidance, contractual requirements, governance standards, and organisational policies.
Desirable
- Knowledge of Kent and Medway primary care or community services.
- Knowledge of EMIS or other primary care information systems.
How to apply
Applications are handled entirely by the employer on the original advert. We do not collect CVs, supporting statements or application data.
Provenance
Source
NHS Jobs
First seen
26 August 2026
Last checked
28 August 2026
Salary, closing date and description are taken from the employer's advert. The original advert always takes precedence.
About the employer
NHS organisation
This listing was structured from NHS Jobs. Vacancy details and the application process remain the responsibility of the original source.
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