About this role
Job summary Care Group Operational Director (Band 9)
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Medicine Care Group Surgery Care Group Women, Children, Young People and Families Care Group Mental Health & Learning Disabilities Care Group Cancer Centre and Clinical Services Care Group Swansea Bay University Health Board is implementing a clinically led Care Group model, bringing services together around patient pathways to improve outcomes, experience and sustainability.
As a Care Group Operational Director, you will be a key member of the Care Group triumvirate, working alongside clinical and professional leaders to deliver high-quality, safe and effective services. You will translate strategic priorities into operational delivery, ensuring excellent patient care, staff experience and service performance.
The role includes responsibility for operational performance, workforce planning, resource management and service improvement across the Care Group. We are seeking collaborative and influential leaders who can manage competing priorities, optimise service delivery and support clinically led decision-making.
This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of healthcare across Swansea Bay and contribute to a significant organisational transformation programme.
Applicants should indicate their top three Care Group preferences within their application and review the accompanying Care Group Structure Document for further information.
Full-time (37.5 hours per week)
Interview dates: 2-4 December 2026.
Main duties of the job
oProvide strategic and operational leadership for all services within the Care Group portfolio, ensuring they are safe, high-quality, efficient, and aligned with the health needs of the population. They will lead service transformation and sustainability programmes, including the development and implementation of medium-term and annual strategic and operational plans, ensuring services remain responsive, effective, and continually improving.oLead and champion a culture of continuous improvement, through compassionate leadership, inclusion, and psychological safety. Play a pivotal part in shaping and sustaining a positive, values-driven organisational culture that supports staff wellbeing, engagement, and high performance across the Care Group.oProvide expert professional, strategic, and operational leadership, ensuring that services deliver high-quality, patient-centred care and that the needs of patients, families, and the wider community are prioritised. Holding comprehensive responsibility for workforce leadership, including alignment with legislation and service standards, and exercising full line management responsibility. This includes undertaking the full range of workforce functions such as recruitment, appraisal, performance management, disciplinary and grievance processes for several diverse teams.oParticipates in the Gold On-Call rota, and deputising for the Executive Director as required.
About us
We believe staff are our best asset and wewant you to be happy and confident about starting your career here in Swansea Bay University Health Board.
As one of the biggest healthcare groups in the UK we can offer a wealth of professional training and development opportunities in an innovative, forward-thinking organisation.
You might be a nurse ordoctor, maybe you specialise in a health science/therapy or can offer skills in one of our support services - wehave a job for you.
There are also apprenticeships, work placementsand volunteering roles available.
We are an inclusive employer and welcome applications from everyone whatever their sex; religion or belief; race; age; sexual orientation; gender identity or, whether they are pregnant or have recently been on maternity leave, married or are in a civil partnership; or, whether they are disabled.
Our values - Caring For Each Other, Working Together and Always Improving, show thatour commitment to equality is at the heart of everything we do.
If you want excellent career and training opportunities while living on the doorstep of some of Europe's most spectacular scenery,with all the benefits of a thriving and cosmopolitan city - look no further.
Job description Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Knowledge Essential
Extensive knowledge of NHS structures, strategic planning frameworks, governance processes, and national policy drivers In-depth understanding of workforce, operational, or service group delivery within a complex healthcare environment. Highly developed knowledge of quality improvement methodologies and service redesign approaches. Comprehensive understanding of financial planning, risk management, performance management and resource allocation. Working knowledge of digital transformation, data governance, and the use of business intelligence tools. (e.g., ILM, MBA, Coaching Accreditation). Formal training in change management methodologies (e.g., PRINCE2, Lean, Six Sigma).
Desirable
Postgraduate qualification in healthcare leadership, quality improvement
Experience Essential
Significant experience operating at a senior management or leadership level within a large, complex organisation. Demonstrable track record of leading strategic programmes, delivering organisational change and achieving measurable service improvement outcomes. Experience managing high-performing teams, including coaching, performance management and talent development. Proven experience influencing senior stakeholders, clinicians, executives and external partners. Experience developing complex business cases, strategic reports, risk assessments and Board-level papers. Experience interpreting, analysing and presenting complex data to inform decision-making. Demonstrable experience managing large budgets, resources and operational plans.
Aptitude and abilities Essential
Exceptional analytical, conceptual and critical-thinking skills. Highly developed strategic communication skills (written, verbal, presentational and interpersonal). Proficiency in the full Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint). Ability to evaluate complex issues, assess risk and propose clear, evidence-based recommendations to influence and negotiate at executive and senior clinical level. Able to manage multiple priorities under pressure, maintaining high performance standards. Advanced ability to interpret data, identify trends, and apply insights to redesign services or improve quality. Ability to lead and motivate multidisciplinary teams through uncertainty and change, strong organisational and planning skills, including delivery of long-term strategic programmes. Demonstrate compassionate, inclusive, and values-driven leadership aligned to NHS Wales values Proven ability to constructively challenge practices and drive continuous improvement.
Desirable
Welsh Language Skills are desirable levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh.
Other Essential
Ability to travel within geographical area. Able to work hours flexibly.
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 Swansea Bay University Health Board
Address Swansea Bay University Health Board Headquarters
1 Talbot Gateway
Port Talbot
SA12 7BR
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://sbuhb.nhs.wales/ (Opens in a new tab)