Divisional Director – Acute and Urgent Care: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

This role offers an opportunity to lead HPFT’s Adult Acute and Urgent Care Division. As Divisional Director, you will provide visible, ambitious and values-led leadership across services that make a profound difference to people, families and communities at some of the most critical points in their lives.

Working as part of the Trust’s senior leadership team and reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will shape and deliver the Division’s strategy, business plan and transformation priorities. You will bring together operational grip, financial stewardship, and compassionate leadership to ensure services are safe, effective, sustainable and continuously improving.

Main duties of the job

The role offers significant scope to influence the future of acute and urgent mental health care, working across HPFT and with system partners including primary care, the Integrated Care Board, local authority colleagues, acute providers and voluntary and community organisations. You will lead with purpose, strengthen partnerships, drive performance and help create innovative models of care that improve outcomes and experience.

We are looking for an inclusive, credible and resilient leader who can inspire teams, empower staff and keep service users and carers at the centre of every decision. If you are motivated by improving quality, reducing inequalities, delivering transformation and leading high-performing services in a complex health and care environment, this role provides an outstanding platform to make a lasting impact.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Postgraduate management qualification at Masters level or equivalent level of experience
• Continuous management and personal development

Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience at a senior management level in the NHS or other public sector organisation of running operational services.
• Significant experience of working with senior clinicians and multi professional teams in achieving service improvement
• Significant experience of working with partners and stakeholders in delivering sensitive changes to services
• Evidence of achieving targets and objectives within a challenging environment
• Experience of planning and implementing long term strategy
• Track record in delivering financial plans and cost improvement programmes

Knowledge

Essential

• In depth professional specialist knowledge of a number of disciplines acquired through training and experience over a significant period.
• Breadth of knowledge across all health and social care services from primary to tertiary care
• Knowledge of National NHS and local Government strategies, policies and plans policy and standards of governance in particular those linked with the reshaping of Mental Health services.
• Understanding of the regulatory framework for Health and Social Care

Closing Date: 13 September 2026