About this role
Job summary We are recruiting a Service Manager to provide strong operational leadership across our Trauma and Orthopaedic and Rheumatology services at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust. These high-impact roles sit at the heart of a fast-paced, complex clinical environment and play a key part in delivering safe, effective and timely surgical care.
Working closely with Clinical Leads, Matrons, senior clinicians and the General Manager, you will oversee performance, workforce, finance and service development across your allocated portfolio, ensuring high-quality, patient-centred pathways and delivery against key national and local priorities.
As a Service Manager within Planned Pathways division, you will be a visible, credible leader with a strong grip on operational performance. You will work in close partnership with clinical teams, acting as the link between frontline delivery and corporate functions to ensure services are efficient, responsive and safe.
Using data, insight and sound judgement, you will proactively manage performance across elective, emergency and diagnostic pathways, anticipate risk and drive improvement in a demanding environment. You will support and challenge services to deliver against RTT, cancer, access and flow standards, while maintaining a relentless focus on patient experience and clinical quality.
Main duties of the job You will play a key role in shaping the future of surgical services, leading workforce and medical job planning, supporting service improvement and transformation, and contributing to Trust-wide and system priorities. These roles require confident decision-makers who can manage complexity, lead teams through change and deliver results.
Provide day-to-day operational leadership for surgical services, ensuring safe, effective and patient-focused care Deliver performance against RTT, cancer, diagnostics, emergency flow and access targets, implementing recovery actions where required Lead capacity and demand planning across theatres, clinics, diagnostics, wards and SDEC Coordinate and support consultant and SAS doctor job planning, ensuring compliance and alignment to service demand Lead and support workforce planning, recruitment, retention and service resilience Manage service budgets, supporting cost improvement programmes and business case development Maintain strong clinical governance, including incidents, risks, complaints, audits and national standards compliance Lead and support service transformation, pathway redesign, elective recovery and system collaboration
About us The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) is proud to care for the communities of West Essex, delivering safe, compassionate, and high-quality services. We are part of the Neighbourhood Wave; a national programme thats changing how care is delivered by focusing on prevention, early support, and more joined-up services across health, social care, and the voluntary sector.
This means were working more closely with local partners to bring care closer to home and support people to live healthier, more independent lives.
Were a supportive and inclusive organisation that values its people. We offer development opportunities, flexible working, and a strong focus on wellbeing. As a Disability Confident and equal opportunities employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences.
Join us and help shape the future of care in West Essex.
Job description Job responsibilities
Digestive Services Portfolio
Operational leadership for Trauma and Orthopaedic and Rheumatology Oversight of elective and cancer pathways and diagnostic capacity Close working with multidisciplinary teams to improve access, flow and patient outcomes
Surgery Portfolio
Operational leadership for Surgical Inpatients and outpatients Focus on emergency flow, inpatient capacity, surgical pathways and sitewide escalation Supporting safe, effective delivery across both elective and emergency surgical services
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Educated to a masters degree level or equivalent qualifications or experience Recognised post-graduate management qualification or equivalent experience
Experience Essential
Proven general and operational management experience to include the management of a large multi-disciplinary group of staff part of which to have been in the NHS A proven record of success in managing significant operational / strategic change whilst also developing and maintaining the provision of a high quality service, within a clinical setting, with multidisciplinary teams Experience of team working and building and maintaining effective working relationships in a multidisciplinary environment Fully developing staff potential through facilitating training, development and education initiatives Demonstrable ability to lead and influence Evidence of sound budgetary management experience Experience in service redesign and project management
Desirable
Experience of working with external organisations (ICB, Primary Care, Local Authority, Community Services, Voluntary Sector) Experience in managing quality/ clinical audit/ clinical governance/ risk management issues
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 Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust
Address The Princess Alexandra Hospital
Harlow
Essex
CM20 1QX
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.pah.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)