Job requirements
Essential
20 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Experience
Significant experience operating at Board or Executive level within a large, complex healthcare organisation.
- Experience
Demonstrable experience of working with Boards, Senior Stakeholders and regulatory bodies in a highly scrutinised environment.
- Qualifications
Educated to degree level or equivalent through Senior Leadership Experience.
- Qualifications
Evidence of continued learning and professional development.
- Leadership Skills
Ability to inspire and lead diverse teams through uncertainty and change.
- Leadership Skills
Strong relationship-building, influencing and negotiation skills.
- Leadership Skills
Highly developed communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with staff, patients, partners , Board members and regulators.
- Operational Leadership
Strong track record of leading operational services and delivering sustained improvement in performance, productivity, patient flow, quality and financial sustainability.
- Operational Leadership
A detailed understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Acute Hospital services.
- Governance and Assurance
Strong understanding of NHS governance, risk management, regulatory frameworks and organisational assurance processes.
- Governance and Assurance
Proven ability to provide clear, credible and evidence-based assurance to Boards, regulators and external stakeholders within a complex organisational environment.
- Strategy and System Leadership
Experience of developing and implementing organisational strategy and working effectively across complex systems and partnerships.
- Strategy and System Leadership
Demonstrable ability to build strategic partnerships and influence senior stakeholders across complex health and care systems to deliver shared objectives and sustainable improvements.
- Digital & Innovation Leadership
Demonstrable experience of leading digital transformation programmes and technology-enabled change.
- Digital & Innovation Leadership
Strong understanding of digital healthcare, informatics, data analytics, artificial intelligence and the opportunities these present to improve patient care, staff experience and organisational efficiency.
- Digital & Innovation Leadership
A genuine interest in innovation and future models of healthcare delivery.
- Transformation and Change Management
Proven experience of leading large-scale organisational transformation, service redesign and improvement programmes that have delivered measurable benefits for patients, staff and the organisation.
- Transformation and Change Management
Experience of embedding change within operational environments and creating a culture of continuous improvement.
- Analytical and Decision-Making Skills
Proven ability to analyse and interpret complex information and data, identify emerging risks and opportunities, and make informed strategic and operational decisions.
- Analytical and Decision-Making Skills
Demonstrable ability to apply evidence and insight to identify opportunities, drive innovation and deliver measurable improvements in quality, performance and outcomes.
Desirable
3 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Qualifications
Master's degree or equivalent Senior Leadership Qualification.
- Strategy and System Leadership
Experience of working at regional or national level, including participation in provider collaboratives, integrated care systems or NHS transformation programmes.
- Digital & Innovation Leadership
Experience of leading Electronic Patient Record implementation, optimisation programmes, digital maturity initiatives or AI-enabled transformation.
Job overview
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an exceptional and experienced leader to join the Board as Deputy Chief Executive. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction, operational performance and transformation of one of the largest acute healthcare organisations in the South East.
As a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, you will help drive high-quality patient care, support organisational recovery and performance improvement, and lead major transformation programmes across the Trust. This is a unique opportunity to influence the future of healthcare services through innovation, digital transformation, partnership working and operational excellence, while making a lasting difference to patients, staff and the communities we serve.
Main duties of the job
- Deputise for the Chief Executive and provide strategic and operational leadership across the Trust.
- Lead the delivery of the Trust's transformation and improvement agenda, ensuring measurable benefits for patients, staff and services.
- Drive operational performance, productivity and quality improvement across a complex acute healthcare environment.
- Champion digital innovation, technology-enabled change and the effective use of data to improve decision-making and service delivery.
- Build strong relationships with clinical, operational and corporate leaders to foster a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement.
- Develop effective partnerships across the Kent and Medway health and care system to support integrated care and population health improvement.
- Support the delivery of sustainable organisational performance, ensuring quality, safety, workforce wellbeing and financial stewardship remain at the centre of decision-making.
- Contribute as an Executive Director and voting Board member, providing leadership, governance and assurance in line with NHS values and standards.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please scroll down to access the full Job Description and Person Specification located in ‘Documents to download’. If you have further queries please don’t hesitate to contact the line manager using the contact details below.
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.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Deputy Chief Executive with East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust in Canterbury, England. It is listed as a Chief executive role. The advertised salary is VSM. The contract type is 12 months (12 month fixed term contract). The application deadline is 24 Sep 2026.
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