Chief Operating Officer

Job overview

University Hospitals Tees is one of the most ambitious hospital group partnerships in the NHS. Bringing together North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, we are working together to transform health and care across the Tees Valley, North Yorkshire and the wider North East.

Serving a population of around 1.85 million people, our hospitals deliver care across four main acute sites – The James Cook University Hospital, University Hospital of North Tees, University Hospital of Hartlepool and the Friarage Hospital – alongside extensive community and specialist services. Together our teams of more than 14,000 staff provide world-class services including a Major Trauma Centre, Regional Cancer Centre and a range of tertiary specialties serving patients across the region.

As we continue to strengthen the University Hospitals Tees group model, we are now seeking an exceptional Chief Operating Officer to help shape the next phase of our development.

Main duties of the job

This is a pivotal senior leadership role within University Hospitals Tees. Reporting to the Chief Delivery Officer, the Chief Operating Officer will play a defining role in delivering high-quality, safe and sustainable services across our hospital group.

Working closely with the Medical Director, Director of Nursing and executive colleagues, you will have responsibility for the operational leadership of our clinical services and the performance of our Clinical Service Units. You will lead a strong operational leadership community, including Deputy Chief Operating Officers, and ensure the effective delivery of operational performance, quality improvement and transformation across the organisation.

Beyond operational delivery, this role offers the opportunity to shape the long-term future of healthcare across our region. As part of the senior leadership team you will contribute to the strategic development of the University Hospitals Tees group, strengthening collaboration across our hospitals and with partners across the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key responsibilities will include:

• Providing visible, compassionate and decisive leadership across all operational services
• Ensuring the delivery of high-quality, safe and effective patient care across University Hospitals Tees
• Leading the performance and development of Clinical Service Units and their leadership teams
• Delivering operational performance against national and local standards
• Driving large-scale service transformation and continuous improvement
• Working closely with clinical leaders to develop new models of care and integrated pathways
• Building strong partnerships across the ICS, regional provider collaboratives and national bodies

You will also play an important role in supporting the executive team in shaping the strategic direction of the organisation and representing University Hospitals Tees within the wider health and care system.