Job summary
- Main area
- Admin
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8d
- Contract
- Permanent: On call
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Post holder will be part of the on call rota.)
- Job ref
- 247-A&E-AHO-1026
- Employer
- East of England Ambulance Service Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- 1. Central East or 2. Norfolk, Waveney & Suffolk
- Town
- Melbourn
- Salary
- £94,356 - £108,814 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 15/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Area Head of Operations
NHS AfC: Band 8d
EEAST is a great place to work, great people, great career opportunities and a career that can take you anywhere. No two days are the same, if you are looking for a varied and supportive environment EEAST can offer you that and more!
Hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work:
- Great employee benefits: https://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/join-the-team/working-for-us/employee-benefits
- Our equality networks: https://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/about-us/equality-diversity-and-inclusion/our-equality-networks
- Our vision & values: https://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/about-us/our-vision-and-value
Before you apply, please visit our how to apply page for full guidance: https://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/join-the-team/working-for-us/how-to-apply
#Careerforlife
Job overview
As Divisional Cluster Lead, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of urgent and emergency care across the East of England. This is a high-profile senior leadership position, responsible for leading complex operational services that make a tangible difference to the lives of thousands of patients every day.
You will provide visionary leadership across a large and diverse operational portfolio, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate services while driving innovation, transformation and continuous improvement. Working closely with executive leaders, healthcare partners and Integrated Care Systems, you will influence strategic decision-making, champion exceptional patient outcomes and help shape the future of pre-hospital care.
This role offers a unique opportunity to lead at scale, inspire high-performing teams, develop future leaders and strengthen the Trust's position as a trusted healthcare provider and partner of choice. Combining strategic vision with operational excellence, you will create lasting improvements for patients, communities and colleagues while helping to deliver the Trust's ambitious goals for quality, performance and sustainability.
Main duties of the job
• Lead the delivery of outstanding urgent and emergency care services, ensuring patients receive safe, effective and compassionate care whenever they need us most.
• Inspire, motivate and develop a highly engaged workforce, creating an inclusive culture where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered to achieve their full potential.
• Drive transformational change across operational services, identifying opportunities for innovation, service redesign and continuous improvement that enhance patient outcomes and operational performance.
• Provide visible and inspiring leadership across the Division, balancing strategic priorities with operational demands while maintaining a relentless focus on quality, safety, performance and value for money.
• Build and nurture influential partnerships with Integrated Care Systems, NHS organisations, emergency services, local authorities and wider stakeholders to improve care pathways and strengthen health outcomes for local communities.
• Lead the development and delivery of strategic plans and major improvement programmes, ensuring services are responsive to changing patient needs and emerging healthcare challenges.
• Use insight, data and evidence to inform decision-making, tackle inequality, improve performance and deliver sustainable, patient-centred services.
• Act as a senior ambassador for the Trust, positively influencing local, regional and national partners while promoting the organisation's reputation for excellence, innovation and collaboration.
• Provide decisive leadership during major incidents, system pressures and periods of organisational change, ensuring resilience, effective decision-making and continuity of high-quality care.
• Champion the Trust's values through inclusive, compassionate and authentic leadership, creating an environment where patients, communities and colleagues can thrive.
Working for our organisation
You'll have the opportunity to work in one of the most diverse regions in the country, with the vibrant capital city just a stone's throw away and the invigorating North Sea coast to the east.
The East of England offers a unique blend of innovation and opportunity, surrounded by picturesque countryside, historic towns, and quick access to both the bustling capital and serene coastlines.
At EEAST we bring together all our skills to provide 24 hour, 365 days a year urgent care to those in need of emergency and non-emergency medical treatment and transport in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.
We are always looking to innovate our approaches and work together to offer the best possible patient care across our counties.
We aim to represent and value the diversity of our local communities through our workforce and service provision. We therefore positively encourage applications from under-represented groups, such as Black, Asian, or other ethnic groups, individuals with a Disability, or LGBTQ+ individuals who meet the specific criteria.
We at EEAST want to support our employees achieve a balance between work and other priorities, such as caring responsibilities, family commitments, further learning, and other interests. We therefore welcome flexible working requests.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the role, including all its specific requirements and responsibilities, please consult the attached Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides an in-depth overview that will give you a clear and detailed picture of what the position entails.
Please note, should you be successful in your application, you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks, prior to receiving an unconditional offer, if full employment checks cannot be achieved (this will include existing and unserved disciplinary sanctions), then your offer may be withdrawn.
How to apply
Step 1 - Read the advert and the Job Description and Person Specification (attached)
Step 2 - Complete the Supporting Statement - Your statement needs to indicate how you meet each of the criteria contained within the Person Specification.
Step 3 - Complete the online application and upload your statement. Please note, CVs are not accepted.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to master’s level in a relevant subject area (or equivalent), plus further experience of working at a senior level in a specialist area.
- ECU occupational standards Strategic and Tactical Commander accreditation or willing to complete upon commencement in post. o be maintained at the required recertification periods.
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development over a wide period of time.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant experience in a senior leadership role. Specifically within the NHS or Health and Care system.
- Experience of leading, developing and motivating multi-faceted professional teams with compassion, inclusion and resilience.
- Experience of successful interpreting key strategies and policies and delivering against complex key performance indicators and improving operational efficiency of services.
- Experience of raising clinical standards/practice in supporting the professional agenda and organisation objectives.
- Experience of leading large-scale transformation and/or organisational change.
Skills & Knowledge
Essential criteria
- In-depth knowledge across a number of disciplines within the NHS sector, including performance management, workforce and financial management.
- Thorough understanding social, political, financial and business issues facing the NHS, and specifically UK ambulance services.
Personal Qualities, Abilities & Attributes
Essential criteria
- Ability to communicate strategy and demonstrate an organised, clear and confident approach to a range of stakeholders and audiences.
- Results driven / outcome focused approach.
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
- Darren Meads
- Job title
- Chief Operating Officer
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07808776870
- Additional information
Informal conversations for the role will be offered after longlisting if required.
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