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Job overview
An outstanding organisation. An exceptional opportunity.
East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) is one of the country's most respected NHS organisations, recognised nationally and internationally for its commitment to quality improvement, innovation, co-production and compassionate leadership.
Rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission on three consecutive occasions, ELFT provides mental health, community health, primary care and specialist services across East London, Bedfordshire and Luton, serving some of the most diverse communities in England.
We are now seeking an exceptional Chief Operating Officer to join our Executive Team.
This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of one of the NHS's most progressive provider organisations at a pivotal moment for healthcare.
Main duties of the job
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, the Chief Operating Officer will provide executive leadership across one of the most diverse operational portfolios in the NHS, leading services that support over 1.7 million people through community health, mental health, specialist and forensic services, inclusion health and primary care.
Working alongside an experienced Executive Team, you will lead operational performance, quality, transformation and continuous improvement whilst helping deliver our ambitious 2026-2031 strategy and the ambitions of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan.
You will play a leading role across both the North East London and Central East Integrated Care Systems, strengthening partnerships, improving population health and helping reshape services around the needs of local communities.
Ensuring the quality and safety of healthcare services, education, training and research delivered by the Trust and applying the principles and standards of clinical governance set out by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and other relevant NHS bodies.
Committing to working to, and encouraging within the Trust, the highest standards of probity, integrity and governance and contribute to ensuring that the Trust’s internal governance arrangements conform with best practice and statutory requirements
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached detailed job description, main responsibilities and ELFT COO Candidate Pack.
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience of working in an inner city environment and with diverse ethnic communities.
- Extensive experience at director level or equivalent of operational service management in a large complex organisation.
- Knowledge of national trends and developments as they relate to mental health, community health, primary care and social care including best value and partnership working.
- Experience of financial management including the setting and effective control of substantial budgets.
- Successful record of developing and achieving income generation and cost reduction programmes.
- Experience of working successfully at a senior level in a complex multi-disciplinary organization, contributing to both corporate and departmental goals.
- Experience of management of estates function in a large organization.
- Experience of partnership working with a range of internal and external bodies / statutory and non-statutory agencies.
- Experience of developing strategies and policies to improve service delivery and achieve change within a complex organisation.
- Experience of operational leadership across a multi-service portfolio, including community health, primary care, inclusion health and/or secure mental health services.
- Proven experience in delivering major service and organisational change.
- Demonstrable experience of delivering large-scale complex projects.
- Experience in coproduction and involvement of patients, carers in service development/planning
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified to degree level or equivalent experience
- Post Graduate management qualification or equivalent.
Results Orientation
Essential
- Demonstrable experience in developing, delivering and performance management of high quality services.
- Commits to accomplishing challenging objectives
- Set objectives measurements; develops and monitors systems for organizing work and information.
- Displays initiative to improve performance.
- Determined, outcome driven completer-finisher
- A bias for action with high degree of personal drive and motivation
Impact and Influence
Essential
- Can build professional and personal credibility to win support.
- High level of representational skills.
- Ability to establish positive relationships with Trust Board Members and Elected Members. which generates confidence, trust and respect.
- Ability to motivate and empower managers and staff so as to build effective teams and relationships.
- Able to act as an ambassador for the organization(s)
- Ability to influence and negotiate effectively
Managerial: Team Leadership
Essential
- Possession of High Order leadership skills, able to generate a clear sense of direction for the service and its employees.
- Has a vision for community-based, integrated health and care services and the goals of the organisation.
- Successful at building (selecting, training and developing) effective teams as well as leading them.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Chief Operating Officer with East London NHS Foundation Trust in London, London, England. It is listed as a Administrative and IT role. The advertised salary is £122,832 - £178,664 Per annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 09 Aug 2026.
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