Job summary
- Main area
- General Manager
- Grade
- Band 8b
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 360-B-11551
- Employer
- West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Cross Site
- Town
- Cross Site
- Salary
- £68,852 - £79,638 pa inc HCA
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 19/07/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Band 8b - General Manager – Head, Neck & Urology
Band 8b
Job overview
We are seeking an experienced and ambitious General Manager to join the Senior Leadership Team within our Surgical Division, leading a diverse portfolio including Audiology, Head & Neck (ENT, Oral Surgery, Ophthalmology and Orthodontics) and Urology.
You will provide strategic and operational leadership, working closely with Clinical Directors, Lead Nurses, Matrons and multidisciplinary teams to deliver safe, high-quality, patient-centred services. A key focus will be elective recovery, RTT performance, service improvement, productivity and financial sustainability.
We are looking for a collaborative NHS operational leader with a proven track record of improving performance, leading complex services, building strong clinical partnerships and delivering sustainable change. You will use data to drive improvement, foster a culture of accountability and support teams to achieve ambitious goals.
Based across Watford General Hospital, St Albans City Hospital and occasionally Hemel Hempstead Hospital, the role requires approximately 80% on-site working and participation in the Senior Manager On-Call (Silver) rota.
Join an ambitious division where you can influence strategy, lead meaningful change and make a lasting difference for patients and staff.
Interviews will be held in person at the Watford site.
Main duties of the job
Lead the development of service improvement and business plans aligned with divisional goals.
Introduce innovative management strategies to optimise efficiency across services.
Collaborate with community, social care, and academic partners to support broader healthcare objectives.
Track and report performance against national and local targets, driving improvements.
Ensure that departments within your portfolio are meeting key service and quality standards.
Lead weekly PTL meetings and support escalations to ensure smooth operations.
Oversee budgets, ensuring financial targets are met and income is optimised.
Contribute to cost improvement initiatives and business case development for service reconfigurations.
Ensure the workforce is effectively planned and resourced with the right skills to meet service demands.
Lead, motivate, and develop teams to support continuous performance improvement.
Oversee recruitment, appraisals, and staff development.
Regularly engage with clinical teams, staff, and senior management to ensure transparency and align objectives.
Address sensitive issues, manage complaints, and ensure effective communication throughout the team.
Proven experience in a senior operational or managerial role within healthcare.
Strong understanding of financial management, performance targets, and budget oversight.
Ability to lead teams and influence stakeholders at all levels.
Excellent communication skills and experience working in multidisciplinary teams.
Working for our organisation
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.
We offer a variety of flexible working options as we recognise the importance of a good work life balance. www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/flexibleworking
If you have a disability or long-term health condition and require support or guidance please contact [email protected]
If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for a full list of duties and details about the role.
Person specification
Education and qualifications:
Essential criteria
- Education to degree level or equivalent qualification.
- Studying for/plans to study management qualification.
- Operational management experience in an Acute NHS organisation.
- Evidence of continuing professional development including regular attendance on internal and external study programmes.
Desirable criteria
- Higher professional or management degree (master’s Level) or equivalent knowledge acquired by experience.
- Project Management / quality improvement qualification.
Knowledge:
Essential criteria
- 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.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of current issues in the NHS.
- Understanding the principles of risk management, health and safety legislation.
Experience:
Essential criteria
- Good experience of managing several complex NHS services, preferably within the Acute Sector.
- Demonstrable experience at a senior management level, with clear evidence of responsibility for supporting operational delivery including clinical quality, people management, budget responsibility and successful delivery of performance targets within strict financial controls.
- Evidence of managing in 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.
- Understanding of and experience of managing elective waiting times (RTT, PTL, Diagnostic etc).
Desirable criteria
- Experience working or managing within medical or surgical speciality services.
- Experience leading capital development or service development projects.
- Understanding of medical staffing and rota issues.
- Knowledge and or experience of working closely with integrated care partners, integrated service.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lesley Fuell
- Job title
- PA to Divisional Director and Divisional Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Please contact Lesley Fuell, [email protected] or Lilian Rickard, [email protected] for any questions or to arrange a discussion regarding the role.
If you have problems applying, contact
- Address
-
Watford General Hospital
Vicarage Road
Watford
Hertfordshire
WD18 0HB
- Telephone
- 01442 365234
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