Job summary
- Main area
- Administration
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job ref
- 188-AC071026
- Employer
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Southampton General Hospital
- Town
- Southampton
- Salary
- £49,387 - £56,515 per annum per annum pro rata
- Closing
- 28/10/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 05/11/2026
Employer heading
Operations Manager
Band 7
Job overview
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
Job Title: Operations Manager
Contract Type: Permanent
Main duties of the job
Join our team in the T&O care group you can expect to be busy; in addition to your operational, day-to-day work for your services, you will also work with the rest of the teams to share ideas, deliver projects and work together to meet various deadlines and trust wide objectives e.g. strategic plans, reporting, transformation objectives.
Drawing on your existing experience and understanding of operational pressures with a busy acute setting, you'll need to rapidly assimilate both a breadth and depth of information to inform your decision making whilst being able to build your network across the trust due to the interdependencies in our patient pathways.
You'll need to take the issues from the everyday and use your learning to develop and implement ways to fix systemic challenges. You need to be curious and able to turn an idea into something tangible and have the tenacity to drive forward work on behalf of our patients and teams. You also need to be a leader who is passionate about the patient experience and values the contribution that each person makes to the success of the outcome.
However, you won’t be alone, you will be working with amazing teams of brilliant individuals who will support you into this post. So if you want to be part of a team where your commitment to patient care can bring about positive change and where your experience and learning will be pushed (and supported) then we look forward to hearing from you.
Working for our organisation
As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.
We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.
Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 30% lower than London and 17 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.
We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
In this role, your key responsibilities will include providing operational leadership within the Care Group, supporting the effective day-to-day delivery of services and acting on behalf of the Operations or Service Manager when required. The role is responsible for resolving operational pressures affecting capacity, patient flow, safety and experience, while working collaboratively with clinical and nursing teams to deliver national and local performance standards, including Referral to Treatment, cancer and emergency care targets.
The postholder leads service improvement and change initiatives, using performance and activity data to align capacity with demand, improve data quality and streamline processes. They work closely with colleagues and stakeholders across the Trust, identify emerging risks relating to staffing, capacity, complaints and service delivery, and develop practical solutions. The role also includes monitoring delegated budgets, contracts and the accurate recording of patient activity, alongside responsibility for the Care Group’s working environment, estates matters and health and safety.
As a line manager, the Operations Manager leads, develops and supports staff through effective recruitment, appraisal, performance management and attendance management. The postholder must communicate effectively, manage competing priorities and deliver objectives within tight deadlines, while demonstrating strong leadership, negotiation, analytical and problem-solving skills. They are also expected to deputise for the Service Manager and provide senior operational cover when required.
Person specification
Qualifications, knowledge and experience
Essential criteria
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
- Evidence of continued study / professional development to post graduate level or able to demonstrate experience to this level.
- Leadership training
- Management training
- Experience of working in a leadership position in a busy operational delivery / management role within a healthcare or similar environment
- Evidence of communicating and presenting a variety of complex or contentious information in a range of formats e.g. presentations, reports, to different audiences (both individuals and groups)
- Evidence of undertaking a key role in change management initiatives
- Demonstrates experience of providing a pragmatic and business focussed approach in guiding and advising colleagues.
- Day to day staff management experience (e.g. work allocation, recruitment, appraisals, other HR related issues)
- Demonstrates knowledge of national and local NHS targets, initiatives and standards and how they impact upon delivery of patient care e.g. NICE guidance
- Ability to analyse and interpret a variety of complex data to facilitate operational decisions and to support delivery of key performance targets
- Financial and/or budgetary management knowledge
- Ability to analyse complex problems and develop practical and workable solutions to address them
- Computer literacy at least to intermediate level across a range of Microsoft applications (e.g. Excel)
Desirable criteria
- Project Management Qualification
- Knowledge / understanding of specialist area
- Understanding of financial initiatives in the NHS (e.g. CQUIN, Cost Improvement Programmes)
Trust Values
Essential criteria
- Patients First
- Always Improving
- Working Together
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Caroline Davis
- Job title
- Service Manager T&O
- Email address
- [email protected]
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