About this role
Job summary
Lead operational excellence. Deliver transformational change. Improve lives.
We are seeking an exceptional Chief Operating Officer (COO) to join our Executive Team and Board (non-voting), playing a critical role across the Trust, the BSW Hospitals Group and the wider Integrated Care System. This role is central to delivering our shared system ambition for high quality, equitable and sustainable services for our population.
This is a high-impact leadership opportunity to shape strategy, drive performance and deliver outstanding, patient-centred care across a complex and evolving health system.
This is a system leadership role, requiring you to operate across organisational boundaries to deliver shared priorities, improve population health outcomes and reduce inequalities.
As COO, you will lead the Trust's operational agenda--ensuring high-quality, safe and efficient services while driving transformation and system collaboration.
You will provide strategic, Board-level leadership across performance, governance, and service delivery, ensuring the achievement of operational targets, quality standards, and regulatory requirements. You will lead capacity, patient flow, and service performance across all specialties, working collaboratively with clinical, operational, and finance colleagues to deliver sustainable, high-value services. Interviews for this role will take place week commencing 13th July 2026.
Main duties of the job
In this key leadership role you will:
Deliver operational performance against national and local priorities Lead service transformation and redesign across clinical and corporate functions Oversee business continuity and emergency preparedness Drive delivery of Cost Improvement Programmes (CIPs) Lead development and delivery of the annual and three-year business plans Represent the Trust as a key leader within the BSW Hospitals Group and wider system, shaping and delivering shared priorities, pathways and models of care Deliver operational alignment and service optimisation across the Group, supporting consistent standards, shared workforce, and efficient use of resources Champion continuous quality, efficiency and innovation
About us
We are proud to be part of BSW Hospitals Group - a formal partnership between the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. With a combined workforce of over 17, 600 colleagues, and budget of 1.6 billion the Group is united by a common purpose to deliver the best possible care to over 1 million people.
We are creating a health and care system that works with the people we care for, reducing the differences people currently face in access, experience and outcomes, improving the experience of our colleagues and tackling shared challenges like sustainability and finances. Every improvement we make across our Group will be guided by what creates the greatest benefit for our colleagues, our patients, our communities and our partners.
By working together, we make a real difference for our patients, each other, and our community. Every role matters in delivering the exceptional, person-centred care we're proud of.
We're committed to a compassionate, inclusive culture where kindness is championed, differences are valued, and diversity makes us stronger.
We want to support you to thrive, taking your career to its full potential. We prioritise staff wellbeing - and yes, we even have a pool!
Discover what it's like to live and work in Bath, explore our RUH staff benefits, and learn how we're building healthcare for the future through the Dyson Cancer Centre and our commitment to research.
Job description Job responsibilities
You will be a proven senior leader with:
A strong track record of operational delivery in complex healthcare environments Experience leading large-scale transformation and improvement Credibility at Board and system level A collaborative, values-driven leadership style that inspires and empowers teams Demonstrable experience of system leadership, partnership working and delivering outcomes across organisational boundaries Please see attached job description and candidate information pack for further information about this opportunity , Alternatively, you can view the candidate pack online here
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Masters level qualification or equivalent experience Evidence of continuing professional development
Experience Essential
Experience of executive leadership in a complex healthcare, or similar, organisation Experience leading large-scale transformation and improvement Board experience in an Acute Trust Demonstrable experience of system leadership, partnership working and delivering outcomes across organisational boundaries
Skills Essential
Detailed knowledge and understanding of financial, management and clinical issues associated with an Acute Trust Knowledge and understanding of NHS performance targets, the safety agenda, financial procedures and statutory regulations Sound knowledge of corporate governance and risk management Knowledge of national NHS policy and 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.
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 Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
Address Royal United Hospital
Bath
BA1 3NG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.ruh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)