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Job summary

Main area
Operational Management
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 8d
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (37.5 hours per week)
Job ref
216-AM-DD7764366
Employer
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Derriford Hospital
Town
Plymouth
Salary
£91,342 - £105,337 £91,342 - £105,337 Per Annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
11/02/2026 23:59
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust logo

Deputy Divisional Director of Operations

NHS AfC: Band 8d

Job overview

The Deputy Divisional Director of Operations is a senior leadership role within University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, providing strategic and operational leadership to support the delivery of high‑quality, safe and effective patient care. Reporting to the Divisional Director of Operations and working closely with the Directorate Clinical Director and Directorate Matron, the postholder plays a key role in delivering a clinically led, operationally delivered healthcare system. The role includes direct accountability for the operational management of an assigned Directorate, alongside broader Divisional responsibilities, and regularly deputises for the Divisional Director of Operations at Divisional and Trust level.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Main duties of the job

The postholder is responsible for providing day‑to‑day operational leadership of the Directorate, ensuring delivery against national and local performance standards including elective and urgent care targets, cancer pathways, diagnostics, workforce metrics and financial plans. Key duties include overseeing demand and capacity planning, managing operational escalation, leading service improvement and transformation initiatives, supporting digital and pathway redesign, and contributing to Divisional and Trust‑wide performance management. The role also includes participation in the senior manager on‑call rota, leading responses to site pressures and major incidents, and representing the Trust at internal and external meetings when required.

Working for our organisation

We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1.     Strategic & Business Planning 

a)     Developing and leading clear service visions and strategic plans for the Directorate in considering all relevant Departments and Services, which are set within the context of the wider Divisional plan and overall direction of the Trust. 

b)     Develop the annual Directorate’s Business Plan in conjunction with the Departments and Service level teams. 

c)     Ensuring that the Directorate’s Senior Management team focuses on the most critical areas; these include the development of key staff groups, processes to facilitate the ongoing achievement of access targets (including the RTT and cancer targets), and efficiency improvements to enable the Directorate to achieve its financial obligations. 

2.     Operational Management 

a)     Lead responsibility with the Directorate for the development of the Business Plan and monitoring progress. 

b)     Lead responsibility for Department/ Service level viability which will include the implementation of the Business Plan and progress monitoring. 

c)     Responsible for all aspects of the operational management of the Directorate.

 

d)     Ensure the delivery of all performance targets contained in the Business Plan including waiting lists, finance and CQC standards, analysis of highly complex, multi- stranded data in order to shape interventions/ address shortfalls in performance.

e)     Responsible for dealing with and responding to complaints, in line with local protocols. 

f)      Lead a range of service improvement projects across the Directorate to deliver improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of services.

 

g)     Ensure that clinical and support processes are mapped, bottlenecks are identified and solutions to these are implemented in order to maximise opportunities for service improvement.

h)     Workforce plans in place that ensure the efficient and effective utilisation of staff 

i)       Take part in the managers’ on call rota.

For further details please see attached JD&PS.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Degree in a relevant subject (or able to demonstrate equivalent level of experience)
  • Proven evidence of commitment to continuing professional development.
  • Post-graduate qualification to master’s degree/MBA or equivalent demonstrable experience, plus significant further proven knowledge and demonstrable experience as above to doctorate level

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria
  • Proven management skills including effective team and people management demonstrable experience
  • Demonstrable experience of successful operational management at a middle/senior management level within a complex organisation.
  • Understanding of Payment by Results and its impact.
Desirable criteria
  • Confident in cross-divisional collaboration and matrix management.

Aptitude & Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to distil key themes and trends from complex information.
  • Manage clinical and business risks, developing action plans to improve performance.
  • Ability to analyse highly complex data and formulate reports.

Disposition / Attitidue / Motivation

Essential criteria
  • Able to work in a busy environment and to tight deadlines.
  • Personal credibility, with the ability to quickly gain the confidence of others including clinicians, managers, staff and users of services.
  • Good team player, capacity to work with clinicians and staff at all levels.
Disability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer. Being positive about mental health.Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Natasha Stokes
Job title
Divisional Director of Operations
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01752431733
Additional information

Please contact our Divisional Coordinator Suzanne Glanville [email protected] to arrange a meeting with Natasha. 

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