Job overview
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.
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
Detailed job description and main 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
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This advert is for Chief Operating Officer with Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust in Bath, South West, England. It is listed as a Administrative and IT role. The advertised salary is £100,000 - £200,000 According to experience in line with Band C of the VSM framework. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 21 Jun 2026.
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