About this role
Job summary
The Chief Delivery Officer (CDO) provides senior executive leadership for the strategic and operational delivery of Primary Care Alliance (PCA) services, ensuring the effective translation of strategic objectives into high-quality, sustainable services. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the CDO holds significant autonomy and accountability for overseeing performance management, workforce development, HR, financial management, and service delivery governance.
While the CEO sets the organisations strategic vision and oversee corporate stewardship, the CDO is responsible for turning that strategy into operational reality, ensuring that systems, teams, and processes function effectively to deliver on the organisations goals.
As a core member of the executive team, the CDO works collaboratively with the CEO, Head of Strategy and Planning, and Board of Directors to develop, implement, and monitor the organisations Business Plan and strategic priorities. The postholder will lead the continuous improvement of services, ensuring safe, effective, and efficient care delivery within a financially viable and clinically robust framework.
The CDO will provide timely, accurate performance data and operational intelligence to inform decision-making and resource allocation, optimising healthcare outcomes while maintaining financial stability. They will also advise the Board on all operational matters, including finance, HR, and service development.
Main duties of the job
Manage and grow services through integrated bids, business cases, and by engaging external resources when necessary. Lead business development, mobilisation, and decommissioning of services, securing resources with the strategic support of the CEO. Lead the quality, performance, financial management, and service improvement of PCA services and back-office functions, utilising external resources as needed. Line manage the senior management team, working in partnership with Board Directors for clinical accountability. Foster a commercially focused, patient-centric culture across the organisation. Ensure quality and performance in clinical services in collaboration with the Head of Operations. Develop and strengthen partnerships with PCNs, acute hospitals, social care, third sector, and mental health providers. Support the design of innovative, integrated clinical models and patient pathways, promoting care closer to home and effective use of system resources. Collaborate with NHS and local government partners to support population health commissioning and the health and wellbeing agenda. Represent PCA at BOB-wide forums, the Integrated Delivery Board, and national bodies such as NHS England and HEE, ensuring the voice of community services is heard and strategy is informed.
About us
The Primary Care Alliance CIC is a GP-led provider organisation delivering high quality primary care services at scale across Berkshire West.
Representing 36 member practices serving a population of over 580,000 residents, the Alliance works collaboratively with general practice, Primary Care Networks, NHS Trusts, Local Authorities and the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) to design, mobilise and deliver high-quality healthcare closer to home.
Our ambition is to strengthen primary care through collaboration, innovation and operational excellence. Over the next five years the Alliance intends to significantly expand its portfolio of commissioned services, supporting the delivery of neighbourhood health, integrated care and innovative models of primary care across Berkshire West.
Our current portfolio includes the Reading Urgent Care Centre, Women's Health Hub, Lipid Optimisation Programme and Practice Resilience services, with an ambitious programme of growth including Same Day Access, proactive frailty services, neighbourhood health and future commissioned services.
As a Community Interest Company, we exist to improve health outcomes for our local population while supporting the sustainability of general practice across Berkshire West.
Job description Job responsibilities
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
The postholder will be responsible for:
Manage and grow services through integrated bids, business cases, and by engaging external resources when necessary. Identify and exploit new commercial opportunities, working alongside the CEO and Head of Planning and Strategy to drive growth and diversify the service portfolio. Lead business development, mobilisation, and decommissioning of services, securing resources with the strategic support of the CEO. Lead the quality, performance, financial management, and service improvement of PCA services and back-office functions, utilising external resources as needed. Line manage the senior management team, working in partnership with Board Directors for clinical accountability. Foster a commercially focused, patient-centric culture across the organisation. Provide leadership and development for a diverse, highly qualified workforce, ensuring staff engagement and succession planning. Ensure quality and performance in clinical services in collaboration with the Head of Operations. Lead the operational response to incidents, including major incidents requiring command and control. Develop and strengthen partnerships with PCNs, acute hospitals, social care, third sector, and mental health providers. Support the design of innovative, integrated clinical models and patient pathways, promoting care closer to home and effective use of system resources. Collaborate with NHS and local government partners to support population health commissioning and the health and wellbeing agenda. Align PCA activities with GPLG to maximise efficiency and reduce duplication. Represent PCA at BOB-wide forums, the Integrated Delivery Board, and national bodies such as NHS England and HEE, ensuring the voice of community services is heard and strategy is informed. LEADERSHIP & CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITIES
Uphold PCAs mission to deliver outstanding, patient-centred services and promote its strategic direction and values. As a senior leader, share responsibility with fellow Directors for achieving organisational performance and financial targets, ensuring high-quality care and service delivery. Lead the operations team and ensure effective budget management, staff appraisals, mandatory training, and ongoing professional development for managerial staff. Develop and maintain effective processes and systems to review the Corporate Risk Register and Board Assurance Framework in relation to operational services. Ensure compliance with statutory regulations, including the Companies Act, and lead operational readiness for regulatory inspections and reporting requirements, including Care Quality Commission compliance. Champion equality, diversity, and inclusion across the workforce and ensure Berkshire West PCA meets all related legal and policy obligations. Exercise joint responsibility for the delivery of both statutory and non-statutory organisational objectives, long-term planning, and the development of strategies, policies, and operational plans. Attend all Board and relevant sub-committee meetings, actively contributing to governance, assurance, and strategic decision-making. KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP
1. Lead the strategic development and operational management of all PCA services, ensuring delivery of high-quality care, achievement of local and national targets, and compliance with governance and regulatory frameworks.
2. Oversee service improvement, transformation projects, and mobilisation/decommissioning of services, maintaining robust systems and procedures across all operational areas.
3. Provide assurance reports to the Board and sub-committees on operational performance, risk, and governance.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
4. Hold budget responsibility for all services and projects, providing effective financial oversight and working closely with the Finance Manager and external accountants.
5. Ensure sound budgetary control, monitoring expenditure, leading financial recovery projects as required, and reporting financial performance to the Board.
6. Support income generation through contract negotiations and new service development.
PARTNERSHIPS AND SYSTEM WORKING
7. Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with the ICB, GP and other NHS providers, and voluntary sector organisations to promote integrated service delivery.
8. Represent PCA at local and national forums, ensuring the voice of community services is heard in system planning and commissioning.
9. Promote service user engagement and incorporate patient feedback into service improvement.
LEADERSHIP AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
10. Provide leadership to direct reports ensuring effective performance management, appraisals, and professional development.
11. Embed PCAs values and ensure compliance with HR policies, statutory/mandatory training, and succession planning.
PERFORMANCE, PLANNING & RISK MANAGEMENT
12. Lead the delivery of operational performance targets and contribute to the development and implementation of PCAs annual business and service plans.
13. Identify, manage, and mitigate operational and organisational risks.
BUSINESS CONTINUITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
14. Lead the organisations business continuity and emergency planning activities, including regular testing and response coordination.
GOVERNANCE AND COMPLIANCE
15. Ensure compliance with statutory requirements including the Companies Act, CQC regulations, infection control, equality, diversity and inclusion, data protection, and safeguarding standards.
16. Uphold confidentiality, health and safety, and professional conduct in line with organisational policies and legal requirements.
FLEXIBILITY AND PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
17. Manage a defined service portfolio and demonstrate flexibility to adapt to changes in commissioning priorities and organisational strategy.
STRUCTURE AND SCOPE OF OPERATIONAL SERVICES PORTFOLIOS AND RESOURCES1. The postholder will report to the CEO but work closely with the relevant Clinical & Service Leads through the Head of Operations.
2. The post holder will lead and manage all services within the portfolio.
3. The post holder will be expected to operate flexibility in response to changes in future commissioning intentions and outcomes and changes in the future strategic direction of the Alliance. This may mean the need to assume responsibility for a different operational service portfolio, as required, and as directed by the CEO. In these circumstances, the post holder will be appropriately consulted, albeit changes may need to happen quickly, to be effective.
GENERAL
HEALTH AND SAFETY/RISK MANAGEMENT
Ensure compliance with all Health and Safety legislation, organisational policies and safe systems of work.
Promote a positive safety culture and ensure incidents, near misses and risks are reported, investigated and acted upon appropriately.
Comply with all Information Governance, Data Protection and Cyber Security requirements, ensuring confidentiality of patient and organisational information at all times.
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY
The post-holder must co-operate with all policies and procedures designed to ensure equality of employment. Co-workers, patients and visitors must be treated equally irrespective of gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc
RESPECT FOR PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY
The post-holder should respect patient confidentiality at all times and not divulge patient information unless sanctioned by the requirements of the role.
SAFEGUARDING
Every member of staff has a responsibility to be aware of and follow at all times, the relevant national and local policy in relation to safeguarding children and safeguarding adults. This includes attending the statutory/mandatory training (including refresher and update training within the specified timescale) at the level relevant to the job.
TRAINING, EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
All employees have a responsibility to participate in regular appraisal with their manager and to identify performance standards of the post. As part of the appraisal process every employee is responsible for participating in identifying his or her own training and development need to meet their job requirements.
JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
This job description is intended to provide an outline of the key responsibilities and accountabilities of the post. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may be amended from time to time to reflect the changing needs and priorities of the Primary Care Alliance CIC.
The postholder will be expected to undertake any duties that are commensurate with the seniority and scope of the role and to work flexibly to support the effective delivery of organisational objectives.
The Primary Care Alliance CIC is committed to continuous improvement and organisational growth. As services develop and new responsibilities emerge, the duties of this post may be reviewed and updated following consultation with the postholder.
The Primary Care Alliance CIC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All employees are expected to share this commitment and to work in accordance with organisational safeguarding policies and procedures.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Masters degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field (MBA, MSc, Leadership, or related)
Desirable
Leadership or Management qualification (e.g. CMI, ILM, NHS Leadership Academy) or equivalent experience
Experience Essential
Senior operational leadership experience within a large, complex healthcare or related organisation. Including working experience working at Board level or with Boards Proven track record of delivering high-quality services, achieving performance targets, and managing large multidisciplinary teams this should include working within primary care networks, federations, or community service Extensive financial management and budget responsibility Experience of developing and managing commercial partnerships Experience leading service improvement, change management, and workforce development
Desirable
Experience leading, coaching and developing managers Ability to use digital tools for service management and data analysis
Knowledge & Skills Essential
Knowledge of partnership relationship management within integrated care systems In-depth knowledge of operational management, financial planning, HR, and governance Clearunderstandingofclinicalgovernance,NHS regulations, and compliance frameworks Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of service improvement and transformation Knowledge of primary care, PCNs, public sector, social care, or voluntary sector service models Understanding of business continuity, risk management, and emergency preparedness Advanced communication, negotiation, and influencing skills Ability to manage competing demands and prioritise effectively Ability to analyse complex data and translate into operational strategy
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.
Employer details Employer name The Primary Care Alliance CIC
Address Chalfont Surgery
Chalfont Close
Earley
READING
RG6 5HZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.primarycarealliance.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)