Deputy Chief Operations Officer

Location: Manchester (M25 3) (Hybrid Working)

Contract: Temporary until March 2027

Pay Rate: £61.16 per hour

Sector: NHS / Mental Health and Urgent Care Services

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced, strategic and compassionate Deputy Chief Operating Officer with substantial NHS experience to provide senior operational leadership across corporate, urgent care and mental health crisis services.

This is an excellent opportunity for an established NHS leader to work closely with the Chief Operating Officer and wider executive leadership team to drive operational excellence, improve patient outcomes and deliver safe, effective and financially sustainable services across Greater Manchester.

The successful candidate will have a strong track record of senior operational management within the NHS, with a comprehensive understanding of NHS governance, performance management, commissioning, financial frameworks and the wider health and social care system.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Lead the delivery of operational strategies and service improvement plans, ensuring alignment with NHS priorities, Trust objectives and organisational values.
• Operational Performance: Oversee urgent care and mental health crisis services, ensuring delivery against NHS performance targets, contractual requirements and regulatory standards.
• Service Transformation: Drive continuous improvement, transformation initiatives and service redesign to enhance quality, efficiency and patient outcomes.
• Financial Management: Hold budgetary accountability, monitor financial performance and deliver savings, efficiencies and financial sustainability plans.
• Governance and Compliance: Ensure robust arrangements for clinical governance, patient safety, risk management, safeguarding, health and safety and regulatory compliance.
• System Leadership: Build effective relationships with NHS commissioners, integrated care system partners, local authorities and other health and social care stakeholders.
• Patient Flow and Service Delivery: Lead initiatives to improve patient flow, reduce delays and ensure people receive timely, appropriate care in the least restrictive environment.
• Emergency Preparedness: Oversee emergency planning, business continuity and winter planning to maintain service resilience.
• Workforce Leadership: Promote an inclusive, compassionate and high-performing culture, prioritising staff wellbeing, development, engagement and succession planning.
• Service User Engagement: Ensure people with lived experience and their carers are actively involved in service development, redesign and decision-making.

Essential Experience and Skills

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Significant senior operational management experience within the NHS, ideally at director, deputy director or equivalent senior leadership level.
• Substantial experience leading complex NHS services, preferably within mental health, urgent care, crisis services or acute healthcare.
• A proven track record of delivering NHS operational performance targets, service improvements and transformation programmes.
• Strong knowledge of NHS structures, commissioning arrangements, integrated care systems and health and social care partnerships.
• Extensive experience of financial management, budgetary accountability, cost improvement programmes and financial recovery planning within the NHS.
• A thorough understanding of NHS clinical governance, patient safety, CQC requirements, risk management and regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrable experience of managing complex operational portfolios and leading multidisciplinary teams in a challenging healthcare environment.
• Experience of developing and maintaining effective relationships with NHS commissioners, executive teams, clinical leaders and external stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, strategic planning, decision-making and performance management skills.
• A compassionate and inclusive leadership style, with a commitment to patient-centred care, equality, diversity and staff wellbeing.

Why Apply?

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for an experienced NHS professional to influence the strategic direction and operational delivery of urgent care and mental health crisis services across Greater Manchester.

Working closely with senior executive colleagues and system partners, you will help deliver sustainable services, improve patient experience and drive meaningful improvements in quality, performance and efficiency.