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Band 7 Operations Manager Neurosurgery
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust View all jobs
Posted 11 hour(s) ago
Reference: 2382906
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated, results-driven Operations Manager to join the Department of Neurosurgery (CDG 10B) at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham on a permanent basis, acting as deputy to the General Manager. Neurosurgery is a complex tertiary service covering a wide range of subspecialties, including neuro-oncology, epilepsy, CSF disorders, pituitary and skull base surgery. A high volume of unpredictable emergency and trauma activity competes every day with the elective programme for the same theatres, beds and critical care capacity, and you will play a central role in managing that balance. We are looking for an experienced operational manager with a proven track record of delivering results against NHS performance standards. Experience in a surgical specialty is essential, ideally neurosurgery or another complex tertiary service. You will use data to drive decisions, be highly organised, resilient and proactive, and able to influence senior clinicians and colleagues across the Trust. You will be motivated to improve and grow the service, and flexible to work outside core hours, including occasional weekends, with reasonable notice. You will join a supportive, experienced management team committed to excellence for patients. This is an outstanding development opportunity within a leading teaching hospital, with exposure to senior leadership, complex operational challenges and strategic service development.
Main duties of the job
Working with the General Manager, Clinical Service Leads and multidisciplinary teams, you will lead day-to-day operational management of Neurosurgery, ensuring safe, effective and patient-centred care, and deputise for the General Manager when required. You will deliver performance across RTT, Cancer Standards, diagnostics, waiting lists, Theatres and service productivity. You will lead the 18-week RTT standard, owning the PTL and reducing long waits, and achieve theatre utilisation of 85% or above by leading scheduling, reducing avoidable cancellations and improving booking efficiency. You will oversee neuro-oncology pathways and tertiary referrals and transfers. You will manage emergency and elective capacity daily, attending bed meetings and working with theatres, critical care and site teams to protect electives where safe, using demand and capacity planning to shape theatre sessions and clinics. You will lead forward service planning, write business cases, project-manage them to delivery and identify new business opportunities. You will line-manage and develop the admin, booking and scheduling teams, setting clear standards and holding them to account, and support workforce planning, governance, risk, data quality and financial management, including cost improvement.
About us
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.
Details
Date posted
05 October 2026
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 7
Salary
£49,387 to £56,515 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number
304-1103679
Job locations
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Mindelsohn Way
Birmingham
West Midlands
B15 2TH
United Kingdom
Job description
Job responsibilities
*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*
Job description
Job responsibilities
*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or equivalent professional qualification, or equivalent experience at a senior operational level
- Evidence of continuing professional development in management
Desirable
- Postgraduate qualification in management or healthcare leadership (e.g. MBA, NHS Leadership Academy programme)
- Project management qualification (e.g. PRINCE2 or equivalent)
- Training in improvement methodology (e.g. Lean, QSIR or equivalent)
Experience
Essential
- Proven operational management experience at Band 6/7 or above in an acute NHS setting, ideally within a surgical specialty
- Demonstrable track record of improving performance against NHS standards, particularly the 18-week RTT standard
- Experience of theatre scheduling, improving theatre utilisation and reducing cancellations
- Experience of managing capacity and demand, including balancing emergency and elective activity
- Experience of writing business cases or business plans and project-managing them through to delivery
- Line management experience, including managing the performance of administrative teams
- Working knowledge of RTT rules, waiting list management and PTL validation
- Experience of handling confidential information and dealing with patients, relatives and the public
- Knowledge of NHS structures and current national priorities for elective care
Desirable
- Operational management experience within Neurosurgery, Neurosciences or another complex tertiary surgical specialty
- Experience of managing surgical pathways dependent on critical care or high dependency beds
- Experience of developing new services or income-generating opportunities
- Knowledge of medical staffing, job planning and rota management
- Knowledge of PAS and theatre management systems
- Knowledge of NHS finance, including activity-based payment and cost improvement programmes
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Results-focused, resilient and able to remain calm under pressure
- Reliable and punctual
- Able to demonstrate integrity and common sense
Desirable
- Prepared with reasonable notice to work outside of core hours, including weekends, for which time in lieu will be given
- Prepared to cross sites at short notice
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree or equivalent professional qualification, or equivalent experience at a senior operational level
- Evidence of continuing professional development in management
Desirable
- Postgraduate qualification in management or healthcare leadership (e.g. MBA, NHS Leadership Academy programme)
- Project management qualification (e.g. PRINCE2 or equivalent)
- Training in improvement methodology (e.g. Lean, QSIR or equivalent)
Experience
Essential
- Proven operational management experience at Band 6/7 or above in an acute NHS setting, ideally within a surgical specialty
- Demonstrable track record of improving performance against NHS standards, particularly the 18-week RTT standard
- Experience of theatre scheduling, improving theatre utilisation and reducing cancellations
- Experience of managing capacity and demand, including balancing emergency and elective activity
- Experience of writing business cases or business plans and project-managing them through to delivery
- Line management experience, including managing the performance of administrative teams
- Working knowledge of RTT rules, waiting list management and PTL validation
- Experience of handling confidential information and dealing with patients, relatives and the public
- Knowledge of NHS structures and current national priorities for elective care
Desirable
- Operational management experience within Neurosurgery, Neurosciences or another complex tertiary surgical specialty
- Experience of managing surgical pathways dependent on critical care or high dependency beds
- Experience of developing new services or income-generating opportunities
- Knowledge of medical staffing, job planning and rota management
- Knowledge of PAS and theatre management systems
- Knowledge of NHS finance, including activity-based payment and cost improvement programmes
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Results-focused, resilient and able to remain calm under pressure
- Reliable and punctual
- Able to demonstrate integrity and common sense
Desirable
- Prepared with reasonable notice to work outside of core hours, including weekends, for which time in lieu will be given
- Prepared to cross sites at short notice
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 (Opens in a new tab).
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 (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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 (Opens in a new tab).
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 (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details
Employer name
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Mindelsohn Way
Birmingham
West Midlands
B15 2TH
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/jobs.htm (Opens in a new tab)
Employer details
Employer name
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Mindelsohn Way
Birmingham
West Midlands
B15 2TH
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.uhb.nhs.uk/jobs.htm (Opens in a new tab)