Job requirements
Essential
17 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Other
Ability to travel within geographical area.
- Other
Able to work hours flexibly.
- Experience
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
Experience managing high-performing teams, including coaching, performance management and talent development. Proven experience influencing senior stakeholders, clinicians, executives and external partners.
- Experience
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
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).
- Aptitude and abilities
Ability to evaluate complex issues, assess risk and propose clear, evidence-based recommendations to influence and negotiate at executive and senior clinical level.
- Aptitude and abilities
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.
- Aptitude and abilities
Ability to lead and motivate multidisciplinary teams through uncertainty and change, strong organisational and planning skills, including delivery of long-term strategic programmes.
- Aptitude and abilities
Demonstrate compassionate, inclusive, and values‑driven leadership aligned to NHS Wales values
- Aptitude and abilities
Proven ability to constructively challenge practices and drive continuous improvement.
- Qualifications & Knowledge
Extensive knowledge of NHS structures, strategic planning frameworks, governance processes, and national policy drivers
- Qualifications & Knowledge
In‑depth understanding of workforce, operational, or service group delivery within a complex healthcare environment.
- Qualifications & Knowledge
Highly developed knowledge of quality improvement methodologies and service redesign approaches.
- Qualifications & Knowledge
Comprehensive understanding of financial planning, risk management, performance management and resource allocation.
- Qualifications & Knowledge
Working knowledge of digital transformation, data governance, and the use of business intelligence tools. (e.g., ILM, MBA, Coaching Accreditation).
- Qualifications & Knowledge
Formal training in change management methodologies (e.g., PRINCE2, Lean, Six Sigma).
Desirable
2 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Aptitude and abilities
Welsh Language Skills are desirable levels 1 to 5 in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing in Welsh.
- Qualifications & Knowledge
Postgraduate qualification in healthcare leadership, quality improvement
Job overview
Care Group Operational Director (Band 9)
Posts Available:
- 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
- Provide 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. •Lead 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. •Provide 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. •Participates in the Gold On-Call rota, and deputising for the Executive Director as required.
Detailed job description and main 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.
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Welsh language skills are desirable
WhatsApp job alerts
Get instant WhatsApp alerts for Band 9 Director roles in Port Talbot
Create your Job Clerk account first. We'll collect your alert preferences during onboarding and help you turn on WhatsApp notifications for matching healthcare roles.
Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Care Group Operational Director with Swansea Bay University Health Board in Port Talbot, Wales. It is listed as a Band 9 Director role. The advertised salary is £114,475 - £131,732 per annum, pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 05 Nov 2026.
Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (09 Oct 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHSjob search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.
For more context, review related Job Clerk pages for the same profession, band or location where they exist, then use the application-support guides to tailor your statement and prepare for interview.