Deputy Chief Operating OfficerNHS

Job summary

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust as our Deputy Chief Operating Officer, a pivotal senior leadership role at the heart of delivering outstanding patient care, operational excellence, and transformational change.

Working directly with the Chief Operating Officer, you will play a critical role in leading operational performance, shaping strategic priorities and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred services across the Trust. With a strong focus on operational performance, patient flow, elective recovery, and service transformation, you will influence change at scale and help shape the future of healthcare delivery for our local communities.

While the role will have a significant site-focused responsibility within The Dudley Group, it also provides a unique opportunity to work as part of a wider acute provider group alongside Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust. This partnership creates exciting opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and the development of shared approaches to service improvement, operational excellence, and workforce development across a larger healthcare system.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking an ambitious and experienced operational leader with a proven track record of delivering sustained performance improvement within a complex acute healthcare environment. You will bring strategic vision, resilience, and credibility, alongside the ability to inspire teams, build strong relationships and lead through change.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an established senior operational leader, or an aspiring executive-level leader, to gain broader system leadership experience while making a significant impact on patient care, staff experience, and organisational performance.

Join us and play a leading role in shaping the future of healthcare across Dudley and the wider Black Country, improving outcomes for patients locally while contributing to transformation across a larger acute provider group.

Job description

Please refer to the attached job description for full details of the main duties and responsibilities that the post holder is required to undertake.

About us

At the Dudley Group our patients and staff are at the heart of all that we do and that is to provide a world class service that aligns with our vision of "excellent health care, improved health for all". We are seeking to recruit staff who share our vision and values of making Dudley Group an incredible workplace.

As part of the NHS People Promise, your wellbeing is our priority, and we are committed to ensuring our employees achieve a healthy work-life balance supported by our flexible working options and by making reasonable adjustments where possible. We believe no-one should have to sacrifice family, friends, or their personal interests for work. We are a modern employer able to attract and retain high quality staff through our commitment to the NHS People Promise.

As an employer, we foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to contribute their best. We want to ensure that our workforce is representative of the population we serve. More information - inclusive practice people promise.

Dudley Group offer many opportunities for our staff to develop and grow within their roles through our Learning & OD Team. These include topics such as communication, wellbeing, team development, cultural competency, and values.

Please click below to view our EDI page: Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion - The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust (dgft.nhs.uk)