Deputy Operations Manager

Job overview

Are you ready to take on your next professional challenge? We're excited to share that Division E (Women’s and Children’s) is offering a fantastic opportunity to be part of our operational management team and help drive elective recovery and transformation within clinical services. In this role, you’ll be working closely to support the Operational Manager, collaborating with Clinical Leads and Matrons who oversee the operational management of both Elective and Emergency services across these areas.

The post holders will play a pivotal role, taking the lead responsibility for managing the Referral to Treatment (RTT) Access and recovery plans throughout all relevant areas. This is a wonderful chance to stretch your leadership skills and gain invaluable experience within a dynamic, demanding, and highly rewarding environment. If you are an experienced NHS manager, have strong operational expertise, and are ready to meet the challenges of the service head-on, we would love to hear from you.

Looking forward to your application and seeing how you can contribute to this important programme!

Main duties of the job

The key focus areas for this post, which will be primarily internal to the Trust. The central objective is to deliver the core targets and goals set by both the Directorate and the wider organisation. You will be responsible for managing the various service areas assigned to you, ensuring that all key targets are met within the resources that have been budgeted.

A significant aspect of your role will be contributing to both strategic and annual business planning for your service areas. This will include engaging with senior medical staff and other specialists as needed to help shape effective plans. You will also play a vital part in coordinating the planning, development, and implementation of service improvements, capital projects, and other initiatives within your areas of responsibility.

In addition, you will be administering clinical governance processes within your service areas and supporting the management of risk. Your involvement will be crucial in maintaining high standards and ensuring that our service continues to evolve and improve.

Provide cross cover across the Directorate as required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 25th October 2026.

Interviews are due to be held on 2nd November 2026.

All appointments with a start date on or after 1 October 2026 will be subject to a 12-week probationary period. This provides a structured and supportive period to help you settle into your role, with regular reviews and feedback.

Right to Work

As there is a 12-week probationary period, successful candidates are expected to have the Right to Work for a period of at least 6 months from the proposed start date. Immigration and Right to Work status will be discussed with successful candidates at conditional offer. CUH will not offer sponsorship to candidates that have applied for a fee waiver.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full-time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full-time permanent contract unless you have:

- applied for a Graduate visa

- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.