Chief Operating Officer

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Are you an experienced healthcare leader looking for your next challenge?

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) is seeking an ambitious and dynamic Chief Operating Officer (COO) to join our Board and Senior Leadership Team. This is a unique opportunity to lead operations across our organisation and drive high standards of patient care, operational performance, and service improvements.

About the Role

As COO, you will provide visible, Trust-wide leadership and ensure that our Clinical Collaboratives are delivering on performance, financial, and governance requirements. You'll be part of the Executive Team, working closely with the Chief Nurse and Medical Director to provide executive oversight and accountability for operational delivery, safety, and quality. You'll also be responsible for reporting on performance to the Trust Board as an executive member of the Trust's Senior Leadership Team.

You will lead the implementation of our new Performance and Assurance Framework, ensuring our eight Clinical Collaboratives are aligned with strategic objectives, delivering high-quality care and operating efficiently and effectively for our patients.

We are looking for a forward-thinking leader who can innovate and adapt, especially as we continue to evolve our partnership within the Great North Health Alliance. The role will also involve engaging with local authorities, Integrated Care Boards, and other healthcare partners at a senior level.

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities:

• Day-to-day operational leadership of the Trust's eight Clinical Collaboratives.
• Effective implementation of the Trust's new Performance and Assurance Framework.
• Lead regular demand and capacity modelling to ensure safe, effective, and efficient care.
• Act as a dynamic, innovative leader to ensure hospital and out of hospital services run effectively to budget.
• Provide expert operational advice to the Trust Board, senior clinical, and managerial colleagues.
• Act as the Accountable Officer for Emergency Planning, Resilience, and Response (EPRR).

About You

We're looking for a highly motivated individual with significant operational experience in a large, complex NHS organisation. You should have:

• Proven operational leadership experience within patient-focused healthcare settings.
• Strong influencing, negotiating, and motivational skills, and the ability to work effectively across clinical and operational environments.
• A master's level qualification or equivalent experience.

You must have the ability to lead within a multi-professional team, demonstrate high energy levels, and bring an innovative approach to problem-solving. Strong communication skills and the ability to engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels are essential.

Why Join Us?

This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of health services in the region and be part of an organisation dedicated to improving outcomes for the Cumbrian population.

About us

At NCIC, we have an ambition to deliver outstanding healthcare services to the population of North Cumbria. The Trust is committed to creating a centre of excellence in providing rural and remote healthcare and provides a wide range of community and acute services throughout our county.

Our 5 key principles demonstrate our belief in the delivery of 'safe, high-quality care every time':

• Being a clinically led organisation
• Quality and safety at the heart of our Trust
• A positive patient experience every time
• A great place to work
• Managing our money well

As an organisation we are serious about supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our local community and are very much focused on being an inclusive and compassionate place to work.

Across the North East and North Cumbria, we are working together to deliver our ambition to be the greenest region in England by 2030. All staff are expected to support sustainability.

Job responsibilities

Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information.

If sufficient response is received this post could be closed earlier than the specified closing date, please apply as soon as possible to ensure that your application is considered.

Person Specification Qualifications

• Educated to master's level or equivalent experience
• Further professional qualification.
• Management Qualification and ongoing development
• Evidence of continuous personal and professional development.
• NHS leadership and management qualifications.

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience of working at a Board level of large/complex NHS organisations in a COO or equivalent position.
• Significant operational experience gained in a patient-focused healthcare provider, with responsibility for meeting a wide range of service and business performance targets.
• Experience of increasing staff engagement and motivation to improve performance.
• Experience of working closely with service users and carers to bring about service improvements.
• Experience of managing complex problems.
• Considerable experience working autonomously within defined parameters to meet strategic goals.
• Experience in both Acute and Community NHS settings.

Skills and Aptitudes

• Sound knowledge, problem-solving, and improvement methodologies.
• Ability to influence, negotiate, and persuade regarding complex or sensitive issues.
• Ability to operate effectively in clinical academic operational environment with multiple stakeholders.
• Motivational skills to lead staff to deliver operational objectives and standards.
• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills both verbal, written, and presentation together with excellent listening skills including facilitation.
• Experience of representing an NHS organisation to external stakeholders and partners.

Personal Attributes

• Ability to enable and influence multi-professional team working and problem-solving.
• Ability to think and plan strategically, tactically and creatively.
• High energy levels, an innovative approach and ability to inspire others.
• The intellect and interpersonal skills to command the respect of clinicians and managers as well as external stakeholders.
• Evidence of holding to a clear strategy and set of values while responding appropriately to short-term challenges and priorities.
• Proactive, versatile and problem-solving approach.
• Demonstrate effective system working and excellent collaboration skills.

Other requirements

• Equality and Diversity
• Act in ways that support equality and value diversity
• Support equality and value diversity
• For all with managerial responsibilities: -Promote equality and value diversity -Develop a culture that promotes equality and values diversity
• Ability to travel to various sites across North East and North Cumbria when necessary.

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.

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust

Depending on experience VSM- Per Annum Pro Rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

262-A-24-

Job locations

North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust