Chief Executive Officer

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Are you ready to take on a pivotal role in one of the UK's largest acute and community NHS Trusts?

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) is searching for an exceptional Chief Executive to drive forward our mission of delivering safe, compassionate, high-quality joined-up care to the 650,000 people we serve across a wide and diverse geography.

With a dedicated team of over 8,000 hardworking colleagues working across hospitals and community settings, we are committed to placing people and communities at the heart of all we do.

With communities that span urban and rural areas, each with unique health and wellbeing needs, this role offers a rare opportunity to make a lasting difference in shaping services that truly matter.

Apply by: 29 December 2024

Shortlisting will take place on 30 December 2024

Interviews will take place on 9 January 2025

Find out more:

Main Duties of the Job

Why CDDFT?

1. Patients first: At CDDFT, patients are at the heart of everything we do. Every decision we make is guided by our commitment to putting patients first.
2. A people-focused culture: We invest in, value, and support our workforce - because we know that a fulfilled workforce means better patient care and outcomes.
3. Innovation at our core: We embrace cutting-edge research and new approaches to ensure we're always improving outcomes for our patients and local communities.
4. Collaborative spirit: We work together with local organisations, partners, and the wider North East system, delivering integrated care and creating a healthier future together.

Who we're looking for: A leader with a passion for innovation, collaboration, and people. Someone who is ready to champion our values, nurture our workforce, and inspire our teams to deliver safe, compassionate, and joined-up care that is right first time, every time.

About Us

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield, and Weardale, as well as over 80 other community-based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.

Job Responsibilities

The Chief Executive is responsible for the direction and leadership of the Trust, and for implementing the organisation's strategic goals and objectives as established by the Board of Directors.

The Chief Executive has an overall responsibility for the management and performance of the Trust, fulfilling statutory requirements, delivering against clinical and non-clinical performance targets, securing continuous improvement, and providing safe, high-quality, and effective services within financial boundaries.

The Chief Executive will lead on work with commissioners, the Integrated Care System/Integrated Care Partnership, other acute and community, and specialist providers, primary and community care partners, and local councils to transform local health and social care provision in a sustainable system whilst also ensuring that the Trust delivers on its vision, values, and key priorities internally.

The Chief Executive will ensure the delivery of efficient, effective, and safe services for the population served by the Trust.

Person Specification Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent
• Masters qualification in leadership or management related subject and significant experience of senior leadership in a complex health care environment.
• Evidence of continuous professional and personal development

Special Requirements

• Able to travel across Trust sites to meet the requirements of the post

Special Skills & Knowledge

• Excellent and versatile communication skills and highly developed and adaptable presentation skills
• Effective influencing and negotiating skills and highly developed interpersonal skills
• Able to develop effective working partnerships and alliances and build effective teams
• Well-developed strategy formulation skills
• Highly developed business management skills so as to sustain and develop the Trust as a successful organisation
• The determination to achieve excellence and to challenge poor performance
• Good awareness and delivery of Strategic Planning, Change Management, and Quality Management
• A commitment to team working, including collaborative/delegation and the ability to listen to and take into account the views of others
• Energy, resilience, and an understanding of their own strengths and limitations.
• Strength of character, and willingness to make difficult decisions in the interests of the Trust and its patients and the ability to manage conflict
• Role of an NHS Acute Trust Chief Executive and Accountable Officer status and responsibilities
• NHS financial funding and contracting systems
• National health and social care policy
• The ability to identify key influencers and create strategies that involve these individuals in shaping and delivering change and providing support to the Trust;
• A strong commitment to making service improvements and achieving high quality outcomes for patients;
• Experience of delivering effective Public Relations and demonstrable Political Sensitivity

Values and Behaviours

• To commit to delivering the actions in the Trust's Behaviours Framework
• Working together for patients
• Respect and Dignity
• Commitment to quality of care
• Compassion
• Improving lives

Experience

• As a Chief Executive operating at Executive Board level preferably in a Foundation Trust (FT) Acute and/or community Hospital multiple site environment
• Demonstrable record of managing major change within a complex organisation
• Track record of successfully delivering strategic change in complex health and social care systems
• Evidence of well-developed and effective networks, including partnership working across health and social care
• Sustaining effective delivery of clinical and non-clinical performance targets

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.

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

£210,000 to £240,000 a year per annum pro rata depending on experience