Job Description

ISS
Senior Operations Manager (Healthcare Cleaning)
Contract: Healthcare
Location: Orpington, BR6 8ND
Hours of work: 40
Contract Type: Permanent
We are seeking a Senior Operations Manager to lead the strategic and operational delivery of healthcare cleaning services across multiple NHS sites, ensuring safe, compliant and high-performing environments that support clinical care and positive patient experience.
In this role, you will oversee a large workforce and hold accountability for service quality, governance, sustainability and innovation in line with NHS National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2025.

This is a highly visible senior leadership role, responsible for driving continuous improvement, digital transformation and operational excellence, while ensuring full regulatory compliance and audit readiness.
Working closely with internal stakeholders and Trust representatives, you will embed a high-performance culture, lead service innovation, and ensure consistently safe and clinically compliant cleaning standards across all sites.
Key Responsibilities

• Lead strategic improvement plans and represent the organisation at contract and PFI-related meetings.
• Oversee the operational delivery of daily healthcare cleaning services across patient and non-patient areas.
• Ensure full compliance with the NHS National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2021/2025 and all associated audit requirements.
• Champion innovation through the use of digital tracking tools, data-led audits and real-time performance reporting.
• Build and lead a large multi-site workforce (c.200 staff), developing future leaders and ensuring training compliance.
• Embed infection prevention best practice through close collaboration with IPC teams and clinical stakeholders.
• Drive performance improvement and continuous service development to achieve KPI targets of 98%+.
• Lead on PLACE, CQC, IPC and Trust compliance audits and ensure corrective actions are closed out.
• Manage budgets, resourcing and procurement to ensure efficient and sustainable service delivery.
• Act as the senior point of contact for Trust and stakeholder engagement, representing services at reviews and planning meetings.

Professional and Personal Competencies/Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in healthcare cleaning/FM, ideally within NHS or similar complex settings.
• Strong working knowledge of the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2021/2025.
• Proven success managing multi-site, unionised teams with a focus on coaching and performance.

Solid FM operational background, ideally with exposure to security and portering services. * Skilled in CAFM platforms, cleaning task management systems, Microsoft Office, and audit/reporting tools.

• Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and conflict resolution skills.
• SIA Licence holder.
• Previous management experience within NHS or PFI environments (preferred but not essential).
• Full UK driving licence (multi-site role).

The Company
ISS is a world-leading workplace and facility management company, connecting people and places to make the world work better. Working with customers day by day, side by side, we understand every aspect of the user experience.
Through a unique combination of intelligent solutions, high standards and people who care, to help our customers achieve their purpose, whether it's hospitals healing patients, businesses producing the next great innovation, or airports bringing passengers home to their families. ISS is committed to doing business the right way, taking its corporate responsibility very seriously. Our passion is people.
We offer you a challenging and exciting career in an organisation with people at its heart. In ISS, everyone has the opportunity to develop, grow and make a difference. #ISSGreatPeople #ISSTalent #PeopleMakePlace
ISS is proud to be a diverse and inclusive employer.
ISS welcomes all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender identity or gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race (which includes race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin and caste), religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or educational background.
We are a Disability Confident Committed (Level 2) employer, proudly supporting and promoting inclusive hiring practices in line with the UK government's Disability Confident scheme.
Our passion for inclusivity and diversity makes ISS a more creative, productive and happy place to work.
If you have any further queries regarding this role, please contact the Resourcing Team by emailing
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Skills Required