Skip to main content
Please wait, loading

Job summary

Main area
Executive
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 9
Contract
Fixed term: 9 months (Secondment accepted also)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
285-9575-CORP
Employer
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Wolverhampton Civic Centre
Town
Wolverhampton
Salary
Dependant on experience
Closing
06/08/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust logo

Deputy Chief Operating Officer

NHS AfC: Band 9

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is growing and changing. We provide specialist mental health, learning disability and community services across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. We’re looking for people who care about others, take responsibility, treat people with respect and have the confidence to speak up and shape what comes next.

We’re focused on the future, with a clear Trust Strategy and our Best for the Black Country programme driving improvement across our services and communities.

What we do

·       Adult and older adult mental health

·       Children and young people’s mental health

·       Specialist learning disability services

·       Community healthcare for children, young people and families in Dudley

Why join now

We’ve got real momentum. Clear priorities and our Best for the Black Country work mean things are moving in the right way, fast.

Our culture is built around being compassionate, accountable, respectful and empowering each other - you’ll see this in how teams support patients and colleagues every day.
You’ll be looked after. Flexible working, family-friendly policies, supportive teams, proper wellbeing support and opportunities to learn and develop.

There’s room to grow. A wide range of services, space to try ideas and a voice that’s heard.

It’s a great place to live. Diverse communities, good transport links, strong schools and green space, with a lower cost of living than many city regions.

What it’s like to work here

You’ll join friendly, skilled teams who look out for each other. We plan together, share pressures and celebrate wins. You’ll be encouraged to take ownership, speak up and learn from experience. New starters get a warm welcome and clear induction; early careers colleagues have preceptorship and buddying; experienced staff can lead, teach and innovate.

Who we are

We’re 4,000+ colleagues from many backgrounds, committed to improving health and wellbeing for our communities and for each other. If you’re interested in the role but don’t meet every requirement, please apply — we value potential, different perspectives and people who want to grow.

Job overview

Following the successful recruitment of the Deputy Chief Operating Officer to the permanent Chief Operating Officer role, Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is pleased to offer an exciting 9-month secondment / fixed term opportunity.

We are seeking an exceptional, values-led Deputy Chief Operating Officer to provide senior operational leadership across Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, CAMHS and Children’s operational services.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the post holder will play a pivotal role in the strategic and operational delivery of safe, high-quality and effective clinical services across the Trust. The role is central to operational performance, service improvement, financial management, workforce planning and delivery against key regulatory and performance standards.

The post holder will deputise for the Chief Operating Officer at board level and gain valuable experience for candidates aspiring to an executive director role.

This will require a highly motivated, strategic thinking, innovative and experienced senior manager with evidence of a successful track record of achieving results and delivering against challenging performance targets in a senior leadership role in an NHS Trust.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer and work closely with other Executive directors and their teams. They will also provide support and guidance leadership to deliver on Trust objectives and ensure the effective day to day running of the Trust.

The Deputy Chief Operating Officer will lead on the delivery of key national constitutional standards and assist the Chief Operating Officer in driving improvements in performance, they will also lead transformation programmes as identified by the Chief Operating Officer, working closely with the clinical divisions, corporate teams and external stakeholders.

You must be able to lead by example, motivate and empower teams to ensure consistently high standards, with a focus on compassionate and inclusive leadership. You must also have the ability to rapidly gain insight into services and drive improvement where opportunities arise. Your values will be aligned to our Trust core values and you will demonstrate honesty and professional integrity.

Working for our organisation

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country. Across the whole of the region, we provide:

Adult and older adult mental health services

Specialist learning disability services

CAMHS

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, after NHS England and NHS Improvement approved the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust.

Combining resources, strategies and talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services that are based on best practice and are continually improving.

As a public body, we are accountable to the people we serve. The Trust Board is responsible for determining the strategy and overall direction of the Trust in an open, honest, and transparent manner.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

·       Provide senior managerial and leadership support to the Chief Operating Officer.

·       Lead operational performance and delivery of services across the Trust’s divisions.

·       Ensure divisional service improvement, finance and workforce plans are developed, monitored and delivered against agreed performance criteria.

·       Support compliance with required performance measures, including CQC improvement and robust financial management.

·       Promote safe, high-quality services and a positive staff and patient experience.

·       Lead and embed effective governance, risk management and regulatory compliance across operational services.

·       Develop strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders across the local health and social care system.

·       Support service transformation, revised pathways and new models of care aligned to improved patient safety, experience and outcomes.

·       Ensure effective financial management, cost improvement planning and value for money across operational areas.

·       Participate in the Director on-call rota and act up into the Chief Operating Officer role when required.

 

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details of the role and responsibilities.

Person specification

TBC

Essential criteria
  • Masters level qualification or Postgraduate Qualification

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyAge positiveDisability confident leaderCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Bronze Award

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Paula Lloyd Knight
Job title
Chief Operating Officer
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07435809294
Apply online nowAlert me to similar vacancies