Job requirements
Essential
14 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Skills and Abilities
Excellent analytical and problem solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data
- Skills and Abilities
Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing demands and meet deadlines
- Skills and Abilities
Highly developed communication skills, with the ability to present complex and sensitive information clearly
- Skills and Abilities
Demonstrable ability to deliver against challenging targets in a pressured environment
- Skills and Abilities
Well-developed written and verbal communication skills together with influencing, facilitating and negotiating skills for interacting with individuals across the organisation and wider network.
- Knowledge and Experience
A minimum of 5 years management experience at a senior level, ideally within a healthcare setting
- Knowledge and Experience
Proven experience of delivering performance improvement and recovery against targets
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience of working across organisational boundaries with clinical and operational teams
- Knowledge and Experience
Demonstrable experience of managing and implementing change in a complex environment
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience of analysing and interpreting complex data to inform decision-making
- Qualifications and Education
Masters Degree in relevant subject or relevant experience
- Qualifications and Education
Significant experience in operational performance, service improvement or programme delivery
- Qualifications and Education
Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
- Qualifications and Education
Further training for e.g. PRINCE2 / Managing Successful Programmes / AGILE or significant experience in project management, financial and budgetary management or supporting change management processes.
Desirable
10 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Skills and Abilities
Ability to interpret complex documents, identifying organisational implications
- Skills and Abilities
Experience in Acute Hospital
- Skills and Abilities
Experience of presenting at senior forums
- Skills and Abilities
Negotiation and conflict resolution skills
- Skills and Abilities
Advanced Excel / data visualisation skills
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience of RTT,UEC, cancer and diagnostic performance management
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience of leading Trust-wide or cross-system initiatives
- Knowledge and Experience
Experience within an acute NHS Trust
- Qualifications and Education
Management or leadership qualification
- Qualifications and Education
Formal training in performance management, service improvement or transformation methodologies
Job overview
The Senior Operational Performance Lead is a senior member of the Trust’s performance management function, responsible for leading the delivery of operational performance improvement across a portfolio of services, with a particular focus on constitutional standards, elective recovery and delivery against key access targets.
The post holder will provide senior leadership and oversight to support delivery of core performance standards, ensuring that improvement plans are robust, credible and translated into operational action. They will work closely with divisional and specialty teams to improve productivity, strengthen pathway management, enhance data quality and validation processes, and ensure the effective use of capacity to support timely patient care.
The role will lead and coordinate performance improvement activity across multiple services, providing challenge, support and expert advice to operational and clinical teams. The post holder will also contribute to the development of recovery plans, escalation processes and reporting arrangements, ensuring that performance risks are identified early and mitigated effectively.
This role is central to ensuring that the Trust maintains strong operational grip over waiting lists, demand and capacity, backlog reduction and constitutional performance delivery, and supports the Trust to achieve its recovery ambitions in line with national and local expectations
Main duties of the job
The Senior Operational Performance Lead will:
- Lead performance improvement and recovery activity across a defined portfolio of services, supporting delivery of agreed operational standards.
- Develop, coordinate and monitor specialty and divisional recovery plans, ensuring trajectories are credible, measurable and aligned to Trust objectives.
- Oversee and strengthen processes for PTL management, pathway validation, clock stop accuracy and escalation of performance risks.
- Support effective delivery of control rooms and other operational grip arrangements, ensuring vacant capacity, backlog risks and deteriorating performance are identified and acted upon.
- Analyse complex performance information and translate this into clear recommendations, risks and required actions for operational, divisional and executive audiences.
- Work with corporate and divisional teams to ensure reporting is accurate, timely and supports delivery of improvement priorities.
- Lead specific projects or programmes relating to elective recovery, access improvement, backlog reduction, validation, demand and capacity, or operational transformation.
- Build effective working relationships with divisional leaders, clinical teams and corporate functions to secure engagement in performance improvement.
- Deputise where required for the Head of Operational Performance in relation to aspects of operational performance delivery
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Senior Operational Performance Lead will support the Head of Operational Performance in the delivery of Trust-wide operational performance improvement. The post holder will work in partnership with divisional, clinical and corporate teams to develop, implement and monitor performance improvement plans, strengthen pathway management and validation processes, and ensure effective operational grip over waiting list and access risks. The role will provide senior challenge, support and oversight to drive delivery of constitutional standards, improve productivity and ensure timely, high-quality patient care across the Trust.
Applicant requirements
This post will require a submission for Disclosure to be made to check for any unspent criminal convictions.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Senior Operational Performance Lead with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Preston, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Operations manager role. The advertised salary is £66,582 - £77,368 per annum, pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 27 Oct 2026.
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