Associate Director of Operations
Job summary
Associate Director of Operations B8d - 1 x 37.5 hour post available.
The post holder will be a highly motivated and effective manager with exceptional leadership and influencing skills. The post holder will have the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve teams to work towards and achieve the objectives as set out by the Executive Chief Operating Officer and the Trust Board.
The individual will work closely with the Executive Chief Operating Officer, the Deputy Chief Operating officer and the Clinical Collaboratives to deliver a range of key outcomes.
The role is instrumental in leading and maintaining an operational leadership structure that is cohesive with the integrated model of service delivery in the North Cumbria system.
Interviews to be held on Monday 5th October 2026
Main duties of the job
Reporting to the Executive Chief Operating Officer the post holder will provide leadership and management for all Clinical Services. The post holder will have responsibility providing strong and effective leadership, which includes:
Operational Leadership: Lead general managers and clinical teams to deliver safe, effective, and timely patient care.
Performance & Governance: Manage capacity, demand, clinical risks, and key national performance standards.
Financial Management: Oversee large departmental budgets, drive efficiency, and ensure financial discipline within a constrained environment.
Service Transformation: Lead digital innovation, pathway redesign, and service standardisation across multi-site operations.
Partnership Working: Collaborate with executive leads, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), and primary or private care partners.
About us
At NCIC, we have an ambition to deliver outstanding healthcare services to the population of North Cumbria. The Trust is committed to creating a centre of excellence in providing rural and remote healthcare and provides a wide range of community and acute services throughout our county.
Our 5 key principles demonstrate our belief in the delivery of 'safe, high quality care every time':
Being a clinically led organisation
Quality and safety at the heart of our Trust
A positive patient experience every time
A great place to work
Managing our money well
As an organisation we are serious about supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our local community and are very much focused on being an inclusive and compassionate place to work.
Across the North East and North Cumbria we are working together to deliver our ambition to be the greenest region in England by 2030. All staff are expected to support sustainability.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification for further information regarding the role and the essential and desirable criteria required to be met by applicants.
CERTIFICATE OF SPONSORSHIP
Please note, due to changes implemented by the Government to the UK immigration policy, individuals who require a Health and Care Visa or a Skilled Worker Visa may no longer be eligible for sponsorship where the UKVI salary threshold is not met or if the occupation is not included in the updated Immigration Salary List (ISL). Applicants must check their eligibility to be employed in any role they are interested in applying for, prior to completing an application for employment.Any applicants who do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be progressed. For further information visit theUK Visas and Immigration website.
If you are applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Armed Forces Covenant and you meet all the essential criteria for a post, you will be guaranteed an interview.
Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants moving to the region for certain posts. Please see our Policy for eligible vacancies.
Disclosure and Barring Service:
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.
The cost of the DBS must be met by the successful candidate(s) through salary deduction. DBS charges are as follows if applicable to the post:
Standard Check: £21.50 + Administration cost of £6.50 = £28.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.
Enhanced Check: £49.50 + administration cost of £6.50 = £56.00 Deducted from salary over a 4 month period or a one-off payment.
NCIC can offer successful future employees the following benefits:
27-day holiday scheme rising to 33 after 10 years
Flexible working Scheme
NHS Discounts*
Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work*
Excellent opportunities for development*
Competitive NHS Pension scheme
Vivup is a free, confidential counselling and information service to assist with personal or work-related problems
*Subject to eligibility
Important Information
Please ensure that you document evidence of meeting all the essential criteria in the supporting information.
If sufficient response is received this post could be closed earlier than the specified closing date, please apply as soon as possible to ensure that your application is considered.
Candidates who have been successfully shortlisted for interview will be asked via an email notification to log on to their Trac account to select an interview time. This will usually be within 2 weeks of the closing date
Person Specification
Qualifications and Skills
- oMasters Leadership Qualification or equivalent experience
- oManagement qualification or equivalent experience
- oEvidence of continuous professional development and/ or management development
Knowledge and Experience
- oTrack record of success in managing complex multi-disciplinary services involving significant people, financial and other resources
- oStrong business orientation
- oSuccessful budget management experience
- oExperience of analysing the business environment and of developing strategies to meet changing organisational needs
- oSignificant experience of quality, risk management and governance systems in a complex environment
- oSubstantial knowledge and experience of strategic issues in contemporary health and social care
- oCorporate governance, performance management, risk management, and assurance frameworks
- oThe role of Clinical Governance and the application of NICE guidelines
- oIn depth knowledge of policies and legislation relating to health and social care
- oKnowledge of the area of acute and community Healthcare
- oExperience of the area of acute and community Healthcare
- oEvidence of contributions to local and national networks.
- oExperience of delivery across organisational boundaries
Skills and Aptitudes
- oAbility to share accountability within a triumvirate model.
- oProven leadership skills
- oExcellent interpersonal and communication skills with well-developed negotiating and influencing skills to engage effectively with a range of stakeholders and staff including service users, carers and the media including contentious situations.
- oAble to engage staff at all levels to become involved in transformational change
- oEffective written / report writing skills.
- oAbility to critically appraise and interpret complex data / statistic and information to support the improvement of services and clinical practice.
- oEffectively manage financial resources
- oPositive, professional approach and image; a role model to front line staff.
- oResilient, able to challenge as well as deal with challenge
- oAble to work under pressure and to tight deadlines with a "can do" approach.
- oManage own workload - self-starter, work with autonomy, able to prioritise and also to know when to escalate concerns and ask for help.
- oPolitically astute.
- oAbility to negotiate and influence others.
- oEstablish visibility and credibility in equal measure across all localities.
- oProactive and able to find solutions to problems
- oAble to make informed and timely decisions
- oProject management skills
- oAbility to evaluate and learn from outcomes with a clear commitment to innovation, learning and improvement
- oSound judgement and decision making skills.
- oAbility to challenge unacceptable behaviour
- oIT literate / Advanced keyboard skills (including spreadsheet manipulation and project software
Other requirements
- oParticipate in the Out of Hours/On Call system
- oAble to develop a culture that promotes equality and values diversity
Personal Circumstances
- oPersonal integrity and commitment
- oFlexible
- oAble to travel / work across a wide geographical area
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
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Pillars Building - North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Infirmary Street
Carlisle
CA2 7HY
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.ncic.nhs.uk/