Theatre Manager – Ophthalmology: Sponsorship Available

Barts Health NHS Trust

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and dynamic Theatre Manager to join the Ophthalmology Service at Whipps Cross University Hospital.

We are seeking an inspirational Registered Nurse (RN) or Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) with substantial theatre experience and a passion for delivering high-quality patient care. This is a key leadership role within our Eye Treatment Centre, providing professional, operational, and clinical leadership across the Ophthalmic Theatre Service.

The successful candidate will lead and support multidisciplinary scrub, anaesthetic, and recovery teams, ensuring the safe, effective, and efficient delivery of ophthalmic surgical services. Working closely with the Matron, Senior Nurse, Consultants, and the wider multidisciplinary team, you will be responsible for workforce management, theatre productivity, clinical governance, patient safety, service improvement, and staff development.

While ophthalmology theatre experience would be advantageous, it is not essential for candidates who can demonstrate theatre management experience, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to service excellence.

This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated and forward-thinking individual to contribute to the continued development and success of our ophthalmology surgical services.

Main duties of the job

The Ophthalmology Theatre Manager will provide professional, operational and clinical leadership within the Ophthalmic Theatre service, ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality, patient-centred care in accordance with Trust objectives, national standards and evidence-based practice. The post holder will act as an expert clinical role model, promoting excellence in surgical, anaesthetic and recovery practice through the education, development and support of the multidisciplinary theatre team.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • oFirst-level degree in Nursing, Operating Department Practice or related healthcare profession.
  • oCurrent NMC or HCPC registration.
  • oEvidence of continuing professional development relevant to theatre management, leadership and ophthalmology services

Desirable

  • oOphthalmic specialist qualification.
  • oLeadership or Management qualification.

Experience

Essential

  • oSignificant post-registration experience within an operating theatre environment
  • oSubstantial experience within Ophthalmology Theatres.
  • oExperience of coordinating theatre activity, patient flow and service delivery
  • oExperience of managing staff, including appraisal, supervision, performance management and sickness absence
  • oExperience of workforce planning, staffing allocation and skill-mix management.

Desirable

  • oExperience contributing to business cases or service development plans

Knowledge

Essential

  • oKnowledge of ophthalmic surgical pathways and theatre processes.
  • oUnderstanding of infection perioperative prevention and control requirements.
  • oKnowledge of clinical governance, patient safety and risk management frameworks.
  • oUnderstanding of professional and regulatory standards applicable to theatre practice

Desirable

  • oKnowledge of GIRFT recommendations.
  • oKnowledge of theatre utilisation and operational performance metrics.

Skills

Essential

  • oAbility to communicate complex or sensitive information effectively
  • oExperience of managing difficult conversations with patients, relatives and staff.
  • oAbility to influence and negotiate with multidisciplinary teams
  • oAbility to build effective working relationships across organisational boundaries.
  • oCompetent in Microsoft Office applications
  • oAbility to analyse performance information and produce reports

Desirable

  • oExperience presenting reports, audits or service developments to senior groups.

Other

Essential

  • oProfessional, resilient and adaptable
  • oCommitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
  • oAbility to work flexibly to meet service needs

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 19 October 2026

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