Job Description

Job Title: Chief Officer
Location: Office based with regular travel across West Lancashire
Remuneration: Excellent pro-rate package including NHS pension and 30 days annual leave
Hours: 0.6 WTE
Reporting arrangements: OWLS CIC Board
Relationships:The post-holder will work closely within the Board, Management Team, Clinical Teams, Independent Contractors and Member Practices.
Job Purpose
The Chief Officer oversees the overall direction of OWLS. You will have a job to do, our sheer size and numbers (small) mean this isn't a role for endless delegation, you will need to role your sleeves up and get stuck in and provide the visible leadership needed to bring our people, practices, and stakeholders together to ensure that OWLS and our member practices are well positioned within the changing healthcare environment.
The ideal candidate will have a combination of significant experience, strong leadership qualities, and the ability to navigate the Health and Social Care Landscape.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.
Main duties of the job
You will be key in developing and shaping and delivering our plans, setting objectives to ensure efficiency and performance to meet our contractual obligations and targets for each service line.
You will be equally comfortable as a team leader and team player. Your experience to date matters less that your drive, enthusiasm and focus.
About us
OWLS is the not-for-profit GP Federation for West Lancashire. We have full membership our members are the fifteen GP Practices in West Lancashire covering a population of 118,000 across three Primary Care Networks (PCNs). Originally established by local GPs in 2000 as an out of hours provider, we became the GP Federation in 2017.
Our vision is:
A thriving general practice community in West Lancashire, providing high quality services, directly and at scale, working with partners to improve the health and wellbeing of all our residents.
We do this by:
Working with Primary Care Networks to ensure General Practice is front and centre within the Neighbourhood Health Service
Supporting general practice in West Lancashire, providing services for practices and PCNs where required
Acting as an honest broker for members and across services
Facilitating at scale service delivery, directly and in partnership with others
Playing an active part in building and training the primary care workforce of the future
Details
Date posted
05 December 2025
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
65,000 to 75,000 a year pro rata, depending on experience
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time
Reference number
B0349-25-0018
Job locations
10 Tithebarn Street
Upholland
Skelmersdale
Lancashire
WN8 0HG
Job description
Job responsibilities
Strategic Leadership: Convert the company's high-level strategy into detailed business and operational plans and procedures in collaboration with the Board and execute these to drive performance and growth.
Operational Management: Ensure the organisation is well run, overseeing daily business functions, including human resources, operations, and finance to ensure that we deliver high quality services for patients, member practices and Primary Care Networks
Financial Oversight: Work with the Finance Director to develop and manage budgets, ensuring operational activities align with financial objectives.
Leadership and Talent Management: Lead, motivate, and mentor multidisciplinary teams, foster a positive culture, oversee recruitment and ensure effective performance management and staff retention across the organisation. Provide Line Management to members of the Management Team.
Risk and Compliance: Establish and maintain systems and procedures to ensure legal and regulatory compliance and mitigate operational risks.
Stakeholder Relations: Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including employees, members, local providers, and commissioners in the changing healthcare environment
Performance Reporting: Assess departmental/service performance through data analysis and key performance indicators (KPIs), report results recommend improvement strategies to the board and oversee their implementation.
Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical or support services or transferrable best practice, overseeing the implementation of changes to boost quality and productivity.
Business Development: Identify and develop new income streams for OWLS, Primary Care Networks and member practices, directly and/or in partnership with other providers. Job description
Job responsibilities
Strategic Leadership: Convert the company's high-level strategy into detailed business and operational plans and procedures in collaboration with the Board and execute these to drive performance and growth.
Operational Management: Ensure the organisation is well run, overseeing daily business functions, including human resources, operations, and finance to ensure that we deliver high quality services for patients, member practices and Primary Care Networks
Financial Oversight: Work with the Finance Director to develop and manage budgets, ensuring operational activities align with financial objectives.
Leadership and Talent Management: Lead, motivate, and mentor multidisciplinary teams, foster a positive culture, oversee recruitment and ensure effective performance management and staff retention across the organisation. Provide Line Management to members of the Management Team.
Risk and Compliance: Establish and maintain systems and procedures to ensure legal and regulatory compliance and mitigate operational risks.
Stakeholder Relations: Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including employees, members, local providers, and commissioners in the changing healthcare environment
Performance Reporting: Assess departmental/service performance through data analysis and key performance indicators (KPIs), report results recommend improvement strategies to the board and oversee their implementation.
Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical or support services or transferrable best practice, overseeing the implementation of changes to boost quality and productivity.
Business Development: Identify and develop new income streams for OWLS, Primary Care Networks and member practices, directly and/or in partnership with other providers.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Degree level or relevant role-related experience

Key Skills
Essential

• Exceptional leadership, organisational, and decision-making abilities
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication abilities
• Extensive experience and understanding of a range of business functions (HR, Finance, IT, etc.)
• Proficiency in data analysis

Experience
Essential

• Substantial background in senior management or operations management, with a proven record of driving change and delivering results.
• Demonstrable understanding of primary care, the broader health and social care system and the commissioning landscape

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Degree level or relevant role-related experience

Key Skills
Essential

• Exceptional leadership, organisational, and decision-making abilities
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication abilities
• Extensive experience and understanding of a range of business functions (HR, Finance, IT, etc.)
• Proficiency in data analysis

Experience
Essential

• Substantial background in senior management or operations management, with a proven record of driving change and delivering results.
• Demonstrable understanding of primary care, the broader health and social care system and the commissioning landscape

Skills Required