Job Description

As the Deputy Operational Head of Service for the Adult Specialist Services portfolio, you will play a pivotal role in leading, coordinating and enhancing the delivery of high-quality, patient centred care.
Working in close partnership with the wider senior management team, you'll support both the operational and clinical Heads of Service to deliver outstanding patient care. This is an exciting opportunity to collaboratively lead multidisciplinary teams with an aim of enhancing patient outcomes, championing service excellence, and fostering a compassionate and high-performing team culture.
With your leadership, the services will remain safe, responsive, and consistently high-quality, while your team will be engaged, supported, and empowered to thrive.
We're looking for a dynamic, forward-thinking leader who brings energy, innovation, and resilience to a fast-paced environment.
Main duties of the job
AsDeputy Operational Head of Service, you will take the lead in the operational delivery and day-to-day management of your service portfolio. Working closely with the other Deputy, the Operational and clinical Heads of Service and wider senior leadership team, you'll ensure that services are safe, effective, financially sustainable, and continuously improving.
From analysing performance data and developing targeted action plans to contributing to demand and capacity planning, your strategic insight will ensure the service remains responsive and meets both patient needs and contractual obligations.
In this collaborative leadership role, you'll manage and develop multidisciplinary teams, promoting a culture of compassionate leadership, staff wellbeing, and continuous development. You'll play a key part in workforce planning, recruitment, and implementing policies that uphold consistency and quality across the service.
Your responsibilities will span governance and risk management, addressing concerns and complaints, and driving service improvement.
The successful candidate can expect to develop skills and experience in:

• Supporting and developing teams and individuals
• Service and pathway development
• Finance, performance and quality improvement
• Risk management
• Business planning
• Integrated working with Quality and Safety, HR, Recruitment, Contracts, Performance and QI teams

About us
We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.
Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.
Why work for us?o Positive 2024 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeingo Varied environments: community hospitals, patients' homes, and bases across Sussexo Flexible working options: part-time, flexi-time, annualised hours, and flexi-retiremento Excellent training, development, and research opportunitieso Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brightono Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networkso Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trusto Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast
Our values--Compassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellence--guide everything we do.
We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.
This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.
Details
Date posted
10 October 2025
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 8a
Salary
55,690 to 62,682 a year Per annum/pro rata
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number
150-KB2157-CC
Job locations
Brighton General Hospital
Brighton
BN2 3EW
Job description
Job responsibilities
Whilst each Deputy Operational Head of Service has their own service portfolio, there is an expectation that they will provide support to each others services as needed, work together on Trust wide projects and utilise opportunities across these services for their own or others learning and development.
The Deputy Operational Head of Service will lead on the planning and delivery of service targets and objectives in line with the Trusts business planning round, and actively monitor delivery throughout the year coordinating resources across teams as necessary.
If you are an experienced leader and passionate about leading teams to deliver high-quality, patient centred care while driving operational excellence and innovation, this is your opportunity to make a real impact and we would love to hear from you. Job description
Job responsibilities
Whilst each Deputy Operational Head of Service has their own service portfolio, there is an expectation that they will provide support to each others services as needed, work together on Trust wide projects and utilise opportunities across these services for their own or others learning and development.
The Deputy Operational Head of Service will lead on the planning and delivery of service targets and objectives in line with the Trusts business planning round, and actively monitor delivery throughout the year coordinating resources across teams as necessary.
If you are an experienced leader and passionate about leading teams to deliver high-quality, patient centred care while driving operational excellence and innovation, this is your opportunity to make a real impact and we would love to hear from you.
Person Specification
Qualifications and/or professional registration
Essential

• Bachelor's degree in a health, social care or related area of study.
• Postgraduate Diploma in a relevant clinical or health service management area, or equivalent level of knowledge acquired through experience.

Experience
Essential

• Experience in a leadership role including contributing to operational management of services.
• Experience in management of health services
• Experience of budget management, budget monitoring and review.
• Experience in drafting service level business plans, local standard operating procedures and policies.
• Experience of staff management including recruitment and retention of staff, performance management, and managing sickness and absence.
• Experience of monitoring, analysing and assessing clinical operational performance.

Skills and knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of multidisciplinary team working and an understanding of differing professional role boundaries.
• Able to translate complex information make it meaningful to staff at all levels and across all professions both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to deal with competing demands, priorities and deadlines whilst managing operational imperatives and frequent interruptions.
• Knowledge of NHS Human Resource Policies and Procedures.
• Knowledge of clinical and operational governance and its application to services.
• Word-processing and keyboard skills and ability to use Microsoft Office packages including Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Excellent time management, prioritisation and organisational skills and ability to manage and deliver to agreed deadlines.

Person Specification
Qualifications and/or professional registration
Essential

• Bachelor's degree in a health, social care or related area of study.
• Postgraduate Diploma in a relevant clinical or health service management area, or equivalent level of knowledge acquired through experience.

Experience
Essential

• Experience in a leadership role including contributing to operational management of services.
• Experience in management of health services
• Experience of budget management, budget monitoring and review.
• Experience in drafting service level business plans, local standard operating procedures and policies.
• Experience of staff management including recruitment and retention of staff, performance management, and managing sickness and absence.
• Experience of monitoring, analysing and assessing clinical operational performance.

Skills and knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of multidisciplinary team working and an understanding of differing professional role boundaries.
• Able to translate complex information make it meaningful to staff at all levels and across all professions both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to deal with competing demands, priorities and deadlines whilst managing operational imperatives and frequent interruptions.
• Knowledge of NHS Human Resource Policies and Procedures.
• Knowledge of clinical and operational governance and its application to services.
• Word-processing and keyboard skills and ability to use Microsoft Office packages including Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Excellent time management, prioritisation and organisational skills and ability to manage and deliver to agreed deadlines.

Skills Required