About this role
Job summary
Interview Date: 27th August 2026
Based across all our sites across West Sussex
The Associate Director of UEC Recovery will provide senior strategic leadership and hold delegated responsibility for the direction, coordination and delivery of one of the Trust's highest priority improvement programmes: the recovery and transformation of Urgent and Emergency Care across all sites in University Hospitals Sussex. Reporting to the Chief Delivery Officer, the postholder will operate with a high degree of autonomy and delegated authority, providing programme leadership to direct, coordinate, challenge and assure delivery of the Trust's UEC Recovery Programme, with a particular focus on eliminating corridor care, improving patient flow, restoring constitutional standards and delivering a sustainable model of urgent and emergency care.
Main duties of the job
The role is intended to provide focused strategic leadership and to drive delivery of one of the Trust's highest priority transformation programmes. The strategic objectives of the improvement programme are set out below:
Eliminate corridor care across emergency and inpatient settings.
Deliver sustained improvement in 4-hour, 12-hour and ambulance handover performance.
Improve patient flow from arrival to discharge.
Coordinate a single Trust-wide UEC Recovery / Improvement Programme.
Promote and embed continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Strengthen clinical engagement and ownership.
Embed a whole-hospital approach to UEC improvements
Deliver measurable improvements in quality, safety, productivity and patient experience.
Ensure value for money across patient pathways
Identify, evaluate and adopt national best practice to strengthen and accelerate delivery of the Trust's UEC recovery / improvement programme
About us
At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme,for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop.We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.
Candidate Information Pack: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/
Job description Job responsibilities
As a senior leader within the organisation, the postholder will provide strategic leadership for the Trust's Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Recovery Programme, with delegated accountability for developing the Trust-wide programme strategy, delivery framework, governance arrangements and performance trajectories, ensuring the effective delivery of the Trust's priorities to improve patient flow, recover operational performance and eliminate corridor care. The postholder will translate strategic ambition into coordinated, measurable and sustainable transformation across all UEC pathways, developing short, medium and long-term plans that integrate clinical, operational, workforce, estates, digital and financial requirements and providing programme leadership to ensure delivery at pace across all hospital sites.
The postholder is accountable for setting the delivery framework for, leading and coordinating delivery of the Trust's UEC Recovery Programme, ensuring that agreed objectives, milestones, performance trajectories, quality and safety outcomes, financial benefits and long-term strategic outcomes are achieved. Working through divisional, clinical and corporate leadership teams, the postholder will provide programme leadership, set clear delivery expectations, hold senior workstream and divisional leads to account, and provide challenge and assurance to secure sustainable improvements in urgent and emergency care performance, patient flow, quality, patient safety and patient experience.
The postholder will provide authoritative and, where necessary, challenging advice to the Chief Delivery Officer, Executive Management Committee and other senior governance forums on UEC performance, patient safety, quality, financial and delivery risks, investment requirements and the actions needed to secure recovery.
The postholder will be responsible for the effective management and deployment of the UEC Recovery Programmes financial and workforce resources, including a delegated programme budget and for assuring delivery of agreed financial, productivity and non-financial benefits.
The role will operate across organisational boundaries, leading and influencing joint action with commissioners, ambulance, community, mental health, primary care, local authority and other system partners where sustainable UEC recovery depends on shared decisions, resources and delivery
For full details, please see attached Job Description
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Minimum of 1st degree or equivalent experience Management qualification Evidence of continuing personal development Masters degree or equivalent experience
Desirable
Relevant post graduate qualification, e.g. MBA Educated in change management theory and practice. Project management qualification
Experience Essential
An excellent track record of successful healthcare management at a senior level. Demonstrated success in delivering change, performance improvement, and financial savings. Demonstrated experience in programme management and in managing large scale programmes within acute healthcare. Demonstrated experience in improving UEC pathways and delivering clear benefits. Highly effective collaborative working with senior clinical staff. Budget management including responsibility for budgets, and delivery of cost savings programmes / income generation. Experience of transformation programmes and extensive delivery of service improvement programmes including for UEC. Experience of service development and innovation. Proven experience of analysing complex problems and successfully adapting practical and pragmatic solutions. Leadership of a multi-disciplinary team. Proven track record in effecting change management and improvement in financial contribution to Trust bottom line Ability to think strategically and act to change services for patient benefit
Desirable
Experience leading multi-site transformation.
Skills Essential
oExcellent written / verbal communication skills, including presentation skills. oHighly developed interpersonal and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence staff, partners, and relevant organisations at all levels including Executive teams and senior clinicians. oExcellent strategy skills, able to prioritise work programmes in the face of competing demands. oAccomplished at leading and delivering to deadlines and within set resources. oAptitude to engage in constructive collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to achieve success through partnership. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Knowledge Essential
oGood understanding of NHS and its strategic direction oKnowledge of key national policy and regulatory requirements, NHS Constitution & Management Code of Conduct oKnowledge of Specialist Commissioning oKnowledge of data recording issues, (including quality audits), use of patient information systems. oKnowledge of NHS UEC policy and patient flow methodologies
Values and Behaviours Essential
oPut the patient first by being happy, helpful, caring, respectful and patient. oAlways taking opportunities to improve, encouraging excellence. oWork as one team - communicate, collaborate and share. oRespect each other by being polite, pleasant and listening.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Essential
Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
Specific Requirements Essential
Flexibility regarding working hours. Strong commitment to openness and a high level of integrity. Experience of encouraging an environment of learning from mistakes and encouraging openness in systemic fault reporting. Significant resilience with an ability to deal with very complex and or challenging situations involving staff and patients or their carers
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).
Employer details Employer name University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)
Address West Sussex
Worthing
BN11 2DH
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)