Job summary
- Main area
- Operations
- Grade
- Band 8c
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 246-WSU8002063
- Employer
- Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Wedgwood House
- Town
- Bury St. Edmunds
- Salary
- £79,504 - £91,609 gross per annum/pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 19/08/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Associate Director of Operations
Band 8c
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust provides child and adult mental health services, learning disability, wellbeing, older people's and eating disorder services across Norfolk and Suffolk.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and want to reflect the diversity of our local communities within our teams. We welcome applications from all talented individuals with the relevant qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience.
Please note due to the nature of our roles and patient demographic, you will be required to undertake physical intervention training and remain trained, as required by your role.
Job overview
This is a pivotal senior leadership role within Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, offering the opportunity to shape and deliver high-quality, responsive services across a complex and evolving system.
As Associate Director of Operations, you will work as part of a multi-professional leadership team to deliver safe, effective and high-performing services across your clinical network. You will be accountable for operational performance, quality, workforce, and financial delivery, ensuring services meet the needs of our population and align with Trust and system priorities.
You will lead with clarity and credibility, working across organisational boundaries to strengthen pathways, improve outcomes, and deliver sustainable transformation. This role requires someone who can operate confidently at scale, influence across systems, and bring together people, services and partners to deliver meaningful change.
Main duties of the job
The Associate Director of Operations will work closely with the Associate Director(s) of Nursing and Associate Medical Director(s) to ensure that high quality care is delivered within the Locality services and providing professional leadership to operational colleagues across the locality.
You will promote a culture of learning and openness and ensure clinical staff have the knowledge, capability, systems and support to deliver evidence based care and embed lessons learned in practice for the improvement of patient experience.
Working for our organisation
We are looking to appoint an individual who has a passion for our work and a track record of achievement in influencing colleagues and partners to deliver high quality care. We are seeking an inspirational and compassionate leader who will develop their teams to provide outstanding care. Previous experience working in a mental health operations setting is essential.
If you have a reputation for leadership, people development, quality and improvement alongside a passion for improving outcomes with a focus on equity and inclusion to ensure that mental health provision has parity across our partners, then please do consider applying for this role.
We are determined to create a safer, kinder and better organisation.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will be an experienced senior operational leader with a strong track record of delivering improvement within complex NHS environments. You will be comfortable working in ambiguity, managing competing priorities, and leading through periods of change.
You will bring:
- Proven experience of delivering operational performance and service improvement at scale
- Strong system leadership and partnership working across health and care
- The ability to lead, influence and motivate multidisciplinary teams
- Experience of delivering transformation and embedding new ways of working
- A values-driven approach, with a clear focus on quality, safety and outcomes
Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!
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Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Degree level education supplemented by postgraduate study and management or clinical experience to master’s degree level or equivalent.
Desirable criteria
- Other professional qualifications relevant to the role
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant budgetary and staff management experience.
- Demonstrable experience of business planning, and the production of comprehensive and complex business cases
Desirable criteria
- Engaging with appropriate stakeholders to shape delivery of healthcare services
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Good understanding of current emerging health issues, commissioning systems and performance standards.
- In depth knowledge of the NHS, recent reforms including Health and Social Care Act 2012.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Elaine Deazley-Morgan
- Job title
- Locality Director of Operations
- Email address
- [email protected]
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