Associate Director of Operations for Surgery

Job overview

The Royal Surrey is seeking to appoint an outstanding leader to the role of Associate Director of Operations for Surgery

This is an exciting time to join the Trust. In November 2026, we will open the Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre (CASIC), a brand-new wing housing six state-of-the-art operating theatres, together with recovery and ward facilities of exceptional quality. CASIC will further strengthen the world-renowned reputation of many of our surgical services, and the post holder will play a key role in ensuring the facility fulfils its considerable potential.

The role is responsible for the delivery of a wide range of elective and non-elective services across the Trust. Effective demand and capacity planning, together with the efficient utilisation of resources, will be critical to success. The portfolio includes oversight of the theatres utilisation and improvement programme.

Main duties of the job

This is also a strategic role. Surgical services at the Royal Surrey are central to the work of the Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care System, and the post holder will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering the future strategy for surgical services across the region. The Royal Surrey is also part of a group with Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The successful candidate will work closely with partners across the Group to help shape and realise the benefits of this collaboration.

A core element of the role is ensuring delivery against key constitutional, quality and safety standards, including the 18-week Referral to Treatment (RTT) standard, cancer access targets and standards relating to critical care provision. The post holder will also be responsible for budget oversight across all specialties within the portfolio and for workforce planning. They will lead key areas including complaints, governance, risk management and quality improvement, and will deputise for the Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Chief Operating Officer as required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Please reference the full Job descrtiption.
• Ensure that the shared organisational vision and strategic aims, values and culture of the Trust are actively promoted and that the post-holder provides clear leadership and is a role model for their delivery.
• As delegated, work with medical and nursing colleagues to ensure strategic issues are addressed to improve service performance and enable outstanding clinical care.
• Together with the Chiefs of Service and Associate Director of Nursing, ensure that clear expectations are set regarding quality and service requirements and that non clinical and clinical staff are working together in successful teams to achieve the Trust’s vision and strategic objectives.
• Support the Chief Operating Officer in dealing with external commissioners, engaging in complex negotiations with regard to service contracts and in addressing operational performance issues raised.
• In conjunction with the Chiefs of Service and Associate Director of Nursing develop and deliver the strategy and performance management of the Division of Access and Medicine.
• Develop and put forward strategic cross division proposals in the internal and external business planning cycle(s) which are consistent with the Trust’s short to medium-term operational objectives and priorities.
• Deliver safe, efficient and effective delivery of care through the non-clinical management team, empowering the Clinical and nursing leadership teams to implement change and make improvements to care as appropriate.
• Responsible for the development and delivery of complex capacity plans to ensure that the Trust meets operational targets.
• Introduce new and innovative business management strategies to maximise organisational efficiency.
• Work with the corporate teams to develop annual plans and budgets to deliver Trust and national targets, liaising where necessary with external stakeholder.

Note :

• Following appointment, the successful applicant will have the opportunity (along with their peers within the trust) to express interest in the newly vacant role of Deputy Chief Operating Officer. This additional responsibility would be undertaken alongside the divisional portfolio and would be subject to a separate internal appointment process.

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.