Deputy Chief Executive
Job summary
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.
About us
We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.
Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form, even if you currently have a certificate of sponsorship or a work permit for another role and are already working in the country. Please note we are only able to sponsor candidates on a Skilled Worker Visa.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please scroll down to access the full Job Description and Person Specification located in Documents to download. If you have further queries please dont hesitate to contact the line manager using the contact details below.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- Educated to degree level or equivalent through Senior Leadership Experience.
- Evidence of continued learning and professional development.
- Master's degree or equivalent Senior Leadership Qualification.
Experience
- Significant experience operating at Board or Executive level within a large, complex healthcare organisation.
- Demonstrable experience of working with Boards, Senior Stakeholders and regulatory bodies in a highly scrutinised environment.
Operational Leadership
- Strong track record of leading operational services and delivering sustained improvement in performance, productivity, patient flow, quality and financial sustainability.
- A detailed understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Acute Hospital services.
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.
- Experience of embedding change within operational environments and creating a culture of continuous improvement.
Digital & Innovation Leadership
- Demonstrable experience of leading digital transformation programmes and technology-enabled change.
- Strong understanding of digital healthcare, informatics, data analytics, artificial intelligence and the opportunities these present to improve patient care, staff experience and organisational efficiency.
- A genuine interest in innovation and future models of healthcare delivery.
- Experience of leading Electronic Patient Record implementation, optimisation programmes, digital maturity initiatives or AI-enabled transformation.
Strategy and System Leadership
- Experience of developing and implementing organisational strategy and working effectively across complex systems and partnerships.
- Demonstrable ability to build strategic partnerships and influence senior stakeholders across complex health and care systems to deliver shared objectives and sustainable improvements.
- Experience of working at regional or national level, including participation in provider collaboratives, integrated care systems or NHS transformation programmes.
Governance and Assurance
- Strong understanding of NHS governance, risk management, regulatory frameworks and organisational assurance processes.
- Proven ability to provide clear, credible and evidence-based assurance to Boards, regulators and external stakeholders within a complex organisational environment.
Leadership Skills
- Ability to inspire and lead diverse teams through uncertainty and change.
- Strong relationship-building, influencing and negotiation skills.
- Highly developed communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with staff, patients, partners , Board members and regulators.
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.
- Demonstrable ability to apply evidence and insight to identify opportunities, drive innovation and deliver measurable improvements in quality, performance and outcomes.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.
Employer details
Employer name
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Kent & Canterbury Hospital
Ethelbert Road
Canterbury
CT1 3NG
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/