About this role
Job summary
Are you passionate about leading high-quality services for children and young people?
We have an exciting opportunity for an ambitious and forward-thinking Band 8a Operational Lead Therapist to lead our Paediatric Therapy Services
As an experienced clinician and leader, you will provide operational and professional leadership to a team of paediatric therapists, fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement. Working closely with multidisciplinary colleagues and key partners, you will ensure the delivery of responsive, high-quality services that place children, young people, and families at the heart of care.
This is a unique opportunity to shape service delivery, support transformational change, and make a lasting impact on the lives of children and their families.
Main duties of the job
- To plan, coordinate, deliver, evaluate and manage Paediatric Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy services across inpatient and outpatient settings, working with the Business Unit General Manager and Professional Leads to achieve service delivery targets and strategic objectives.
- The post holder will provide operational leadership for paediatric therapy services, ensuring the provision of safe, effective, responsive and child-centred care for children and young people. The post holder will be responsible for service performance, workforce management, quality improvement, governance and service development whilst promoting integrated working across children's services and partner organisations.
- The post holder will act as a visible leader and role model, creating a culture that promotes innovation, service improvement, staff engagement and professional excellence.
- To ensure that Registered Health Professionals and relevant support staff are led, managed and developed in order that they deliver the highest standards of patient care.
- The Operational Team Leader is accountable through their teams for overseeing and monitoring quality and performance against professional and Trust standards.
- The Operational Team Leader will be required to represent their teams in a professional or managerial capacity.
Closing date of applications: 24 November 2026
Interview date: 08 December 2026
About us
As a trusted organisation at the heart of our communities, we recognise the important role we can play in supporting the public, patients, our own people and local partners in achieving the best of health for the local population and the communities in which they live by providing Exceptional Care Together.
Our fundamental Values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence underpin how we intend to work as a Trust and the associated behaviours are becoming embedded in all aspects of how we work.
In return we will offer
- Development opportunities, both professional and leadership development
- On-going support from recruitment to when you join our team and beyond.
- Staff benefits including employee assistance programme, discounted gym membership, onsite fitness classes, car schemes
Key Facts
- We see on average 4810 OP appointments a day.
- We are the 4th busiest Trauma & Orthopaedic outpatients department in England - an average of 2077 per week.
- An average of 1115 patients are seen in A&Es across our network every day - 3rd largest in the country.
- Our hospitals admit an average of 195 emergency patients daily.
- Last year we undertook almost 33,700 planned surgical operations in our 57 operating theatres.
- We are one of only 7 Trusts nationally with more than 50 operating theatres.
- We carry out more than 140 elective procedures each working day.
- UHDB is a research active University Hospital with a large and varied portfolio of clinical trials and research opportunities for all staff.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job description and Person Specification. To apply please click APPLY FOR THIS JOB this link will take you to the TRAC Recruitment Site. You will need to register if you do not already have an account.
UHDB is committed to fair and transparent recruitment. We welcome authentic applications that reflect your own skills, experience and motivations for the role. While we understand that candidates may use AI tools for grammar, formatting or accessibility purposes, applications that appear to be substantially AIgenerated may be subject to additional review. If this applies to your submission, we will let you know and may ask for clarification. Please ensure your application accurately represents your experience and is written in your own words.
Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click on the link to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorshipSkilled worker: Health and Care Visa | NHS Employers
Important visa information: Due to UK Home Office immigration rule changes effective from 22 July 2025, applicants sponsored under Occupation Code 6131 (Nursing Auxiliaries and Assistants) may not be eligible to bring dependants under the Skilled Worker route if their Certificate of Sponsorship is issued on or after this date. Applicants are responsible for understanding how these rules apply to their individual circumstances. The Trust cannot provide immigration advice. Further information is available on the Skilled Worker visa: Your partner and children - GOV.UK
Your application (for shortlisting purposes) is assessed based on the Person Specification in the job advert (below).
Person Specification
Education, Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist Degree qualification
- Masters degree
- Completion of Leadership Programme - internal or external course
- HCPC registration as a Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist
Desirable
- Management qualification
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of paediatric Physiotherapy and Occupational therapy services
- Experience working as part of a Registered profession team and/or multi-disciplinary team in a senior role.
Desirable
- Knowledge of safeguarding children legislation and responsibilities.
Skills and Ability
Essential
- Ability to recognise competing demands; to prioritise and manage these effectively
- Able to analyse and evaluate service information to develop responsive provision
- Understanding of budget management and evidence of robust financial and other resource management
Communications and interpersonal skills
Essential
- Highly skilled in communication at all levels, with excellent people skills
- Able to communicate service related information to Senior Managers in different settings
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Royal Derby Hospital
Uttoxeter Road
Deby
DE22 3NE
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.uhdb.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)