About this role
Job summary
Are you an experienced Clinical Coding Manager or Team Lead looking for your next opportunity?
The Clinical Coding Care GroupService Manager is a senior operational and professional leadership role with accountability for the delivery, performance, and quality of clinical coding services across an assigned Care Group(s) at UHD.
The post holder will combine advanced clinical coding practice with formal management authority, holding responsibility for translating Trust-wide clinical coding priorities into effectiveclinicalCare Grouplevel delivery across inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department activity.
*Please note that for this role it is essential for the applicant to holds Accredited Clinical Coder (ACC) status. For further insight into thisrole, please view the recruitment brochure. If you are applying via Trac please click here - Recruitment Brochure - Clinical Coding Department. If you are viewing via NHS Jobs, you can find the brochure under the 'Supporting Links' section.
We are pleased to offer a £6,000 attraction incentive payment for this role, with full details confirmed in line with Trust processes.
Relocation expenses of up to £5000 may also be available, with details confirmed in line with Trust processes.
Base Location: University Hospitals Dorset with cross site and hybrid working. Interview Date: 3rd September 2026
Main duties of the job
The role will act as the primary operational interface between clinical coding services and Care Group clinical and operational leadership, leading structured clinical engagement, theatre and ward-round coding models, and clinician validation activity. The post holder willbe responsible forproviding formal performance feedback and assurance to specialty teams and Care Group leadership, and for ensuring audit and validation outcomes are embedded into operational practice.
The post holder will hold direct line management responsibility for Care Group coding staff, with accountability for workforce performance, capability development, capacity management, and service continuity. The role requires independent operational judgement, authority to manage competing priorities, and responsibility for escalating risks and constraints to the Head of Clinical Coding Operations.
About us
UHD are investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service-specific questions at interview.
If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.
UHD has active networks including Women's, BAME, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.
AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process.
Job description Job responsibilities
Please refer to the job description and person specification for further details relating to this job role.
Why join us
Be part of a service thatvalues expertise, not just qualifications Gain experience in clinically integrated coding models Work in a supportive environment focused on development and progression Contribute to a forward-thinking service preparing for ICD-11 and AI-enabled coding Our approach
We are committed to:
Fair and inclusive progression routes Recognising diverse pathways into expertise Maintaining high standards through robust competency assessment Supporting staff to achieve accreditation alongside career progression
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
National Clinical Coding Qualification (NCCQ) - Accredited Clinical Coder (ACC). Evidence of ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in clinical coding.
Desirable
Leadership or management qualification (e.g. ILM, CMI, NHS Leadership Academy or equivalent) Clinical Coding Auditor or Trainer qualification (or working towards).
Experience Essential
A minimum of three years post-ACC clinical coding experience Experience of formal line management responsibility for staff. Experience of direct clinical engagement, including working with clinicians to resolve documentation and coding queries. Experience of working across inpatient activity, with awareness of outpatient and emergency department coding. Experience of supporting or contributing to audit, validation, or assurance activity. Experience of supervising, mentoring, or supporting the development of other coding staff. Experience of managing competing operational priorities in a pressurised service environment. Experience of working across multiple sites or locations within an NHS organisation, coordinating activity and supporting services operating across more than one base.
Desirable
Experience of leading theatre-based coding, ward-round coding, or specialty-focused coding models. Experience of delivering feedback or performance insight to clinical or operational teams Experience of working closely with Business Intelligence and Analytics Teams Experience of delivering formal training and mentoring sessions to a group of staff
Technical Skills Competencies Essential
Advanced knowledge and application of national clinical coding standards (ICD-10, OPCS-4). Extensive expert-level clinical coding experience across the full range of Trust specialties, with demonstrable ability to independently code: Complex surgical Complex Medical long-stay Maternity and Neonatal Deceased patient / mortality cases Ability to balance hands-on coding with operational leadership and service oversight. Strong analytical skills to interpret coding performance data, audit findings, and validation outcomes. Ability to prioritise workload, manage capacity, and maintain service delivery under pressure. Ability to interpret and apply Trust policies consistently and fairly, exercising professional judgement in people management matters and ensuring decisions are evidence-based, proportionate, and compliant with organisational and employment requirements. Confident user of clinical coding systems and encoder software. Strong IT skills, including confident use of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint).
Desirable
Experience of using performance dashboards or audit reports to inform service improvement. Awareness of ICD-11 developments and future classification changes.
Knowledge Essential
In-depth understanding of the role of clinical coding within the NHS and its impact on patient safety, reporting, benchmarking, and organisational assurance. Knowledge of the relationship between clinical documentation quality and coding accuracy. Understanding of information governance, confidentiality, and data protection requirements Awareness of how coding performance links to audit, validation, and service assurance processes. Advanced knowledge and application of national clinical coding standards (ICD-10, OPCS-4). Knowledge of mortality indicators and assurance frameworks (e.g. HSMR) and the role of accurate clinical coding in supporting robust mortality review and assurance processes. Knowledge of data quality principles, including identification and management of data discrepancies affecting coded activity, KPIs, and statutory submissions.
Desirable
Knowledge of NHS payment mechanisms and the impact of coding accuracy on income. Awareness of national audit, benchmarking, and assurance programmes relevant to clinical coding.
Other requirements specific to the role Essential
Ability to analyse complex and incomplete clinical information and make judgement and decisions on coding and case mix (HRG) outcomes and when to escalate to senior management for further guidance. Excellent communicator with highly developed verbal and written communication skills Ability and willingness to work flexibly across Trust sites and remotely where appropriate, recognising that the role requires a regular on-site presence to support service delivery.
Personal Attributes Essential
Highly organised with excellent attention to detail Professional, approachable, and reliable Confident communicator with the ability to interact effectively with a wide range of staff Proactive and solutions-focused approach to work Ability to remain calm and focused under pressure Commitment to confidentiality and Trust values
Desirable
Interest in service improvement or digital ways of working Willingness to support team communications and engagement activity
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 Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
Address Poole
Poole/Bournemouth
BH15 2JB
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.uhd.nhs.uk/careers (Opens in a new tab)