(**) Director of Operations – Basildon and Broomfield: Sponsorship Available

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

We are seeking an exceptional Director of Operations to join our Senior Leadership Team, We have a vacancy available at each of our sites, Basildon and Broomfield. Reporting to the Hospital Chief Executives, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, driving performance, service transformation, and the delivery of high-quality patient care.

Working closely with clinical, corporate, and system partners, you will lead operational performance across the division, ensuring compliance with national standards, regulatory requirements, and financial objectives while championing continuous improvement.

At MSE, we are committed to developing our future leaders and are dedicated to investing in your professional growth and development.

This is an excellent, unique opportunity for an experienced, values-driven leader to make a significant impact on patients, staff, and services across one of the largest NHS organisations in the country.

If you’re ready to use your operational experience to make a real difference and help drive positive change across our organisation, we’d love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

If successful, some of your duties will include:

  • Provide strategic and operational leadership across a large and complex healthcare portfolio.
  • Lead, inspire, and develop high-performing operational and clinical teams to deliver exceptional patient care.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, empowerment, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  • Drive delivery of key organisational objectives, performance targets, and transformation programmes.
  • Champion quality, patient safety, and patient experience in all aspects of service delivery.
  • Work in partnership with Clinical Directors and multidisciplinary teams to improve outcomes and operational effectiveness.
  • Lead major service improvement and productivity initiatives to enhance efficiency and patient access.
  • Build strong relationships with system partners, commissioners, local authorities, and external stakeholders.
  • Ensure robust governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance across operational services.
  • Use performance data and insight to drive informed decision-making and continuous service improvement.
  • Act as an ambassador for the Trust’s values, vision, and long-term strategic objectives.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to Degree standard (or equivalent)
  • Educated to Doctorate Level or advanced theoretical or practical knowledge
  • Evidence of continuing professional development

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working at a senior managerial level within the NHS
  • Experience of applying national best practice standards for UEC
  • Broad experience of leading large teams of professional staff within a performance management culture
  • Evidential success of leading teams within an acute hospital to high performing clinical services
  • Experience of working with other statutory and voluntary organisations and the development of joint projects
  • A record of achievement in leading and managing the delivery and improvement of clinical services – an acute hospital
  • Experience with conflict resolution and management

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 12 November 2026

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.