Divisional Director of Operations - Community Services
Job Description
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to lead the newly established Community Services Division at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
This is a unique opportunity for an ambitious and experienced NHS operational leader to shape, develop and lead a newly formed Division serving communities across St Helens, Knowsley, Halton, Southport, Formby and West Lancashire.
The newly established Community Services Division brings together a broad range of services delivered closer to patients' homes and communities, creating a significant opportunity to strengthen integrated care, improve population health outcomes and develop innovative models of care with partners across health and social care.
At Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we are proud to deliver community services that support people to live healthier, more independent lives in their own homes and neighbourhoods. The Division will play a key role in delivering the ambitions of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, supporting the shift of care from hospitals into communities, with a greater focus on prevention, early intervention and integrated neighbourhood working.
Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, the Divisional Director of Operations will provide strategic and operational leadership for Community Services, working in partnership with the Divisional Director of Nursing, Divisional Medical Director and colleagues across the wider health and care system.
Main duties of the job
As a key member of the Trust's senior leadership team, you will lead the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality services whilst driving transformation, performance improvement and financial sustainability. You will build strong relationships with local authorities, primary care, voluntary sector organisations, neighbourhoods and NHS providers, ensuring services meet the needs of the diverse communities we serve.
Why this role?
This is more than a traditional Divisional Director of Operations post. As leader of a newly established Community Services Division, you will have a rare opportunity to shape the future direction of community healthcare across multiple places and partner organisations.
At a pivotal moment for the NHS, you will help lead the delivery of the national ambition to provide more care closer to home, strengthening neighbourhood-based services, supporting integrated models of care and improving the health and wellbeing of local communities.
You will help create a high-performing culture, strengthen integration across neighbourhoods and places, reduce health inequalities and improve outcomes for our patients and communities.
Interviews will be held on Monday 24th August 2026
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
Our services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
- Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme.
Job responsibilities
About you
You will be an experienced senior NHS leader with a successful track record of:
- Leading large-scale community services or operational portfolios.
- Delivering complex service transformation and change.
- Developing integrated working with local authorities, primary care and provider partners.
- Leading high-performing multidisciplinary teams.
- Delivering improvements in quality, performance and financial sustainability.
- Building effective relationships across organisational boundaries.
In addition to your operational and strategic expertise, you will embody the MWL Behaviour Framework and demonstrate accountable leadership in everything you do. You will be a visible and authentic leader who takes ownership for delivery, empowers others to succeed and fosters a culture of openness, inclusion and continuous improvement.
You will lead with compassion and integrity, building trust across teams and organisations, whilst supporting colleagues through change and transformation. Through your leadership, you will create an environment where people feel valued, empowered and accountable for delivering outstanding care and outcomes for the communities we serve.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree level or professional qualification and/or equivalent qualification and experience
- Postgraduate degree e.g. Masters level MBA, marketing qualification and/or equivalent qualification and experience
- Evidence of commitment to CPD
Desirable
- PRINCE 2 and/or equivalent qualification and experience
- Management Qualification or equivalent experience
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Extensive senior operational experience at or near Board level in an NHS Acute Trust
- Extensive knowledge and application of performance management, risk management and governance frameworks
- Extensive experience of delivering quality services within a complex financial setting
- Demonstrable track record of successful change management achievements associated with business and service improvements
- Experience of developing effective performance through people
- Proven experience of identifying and building successful and positive relationships
- Experience of complex negotiations with stakeholders
- Evidence of successfully leading highly skilled senior multi-disciplinary professionals
- Extensive knowledge & experience leading work in a community setting to establish integrated care across multiple patches
- Extensive knowledge & experience of local authority partnership and building joint working with local authorities, 3rd sector, primary care and NHS providers XA/I
Desirable
- Experience at NHS Board level
Skills
Essential
- Ability to analyse, disseminate and present complex information, using both verbal and written disciplines
- Ability to prioritise conflicting agendas and maintain momentum
- Outcome focussed demonstrating a passion for 5 Star patient centred care
- Knowledge and understanding of the context of healthcare nationally and globally
- IT literate to high standard
- Understanding of the principles within the NHS sector
- Ability to articulate a clear sense of direction and develop associated operational plans to achieve success.
- Developed political skills
- Evidence of collaborative working with emphasis on empowerment and partnership working
- Excellent organisational and time management skills
Qualities
Essential
- Ability to develop and maintain relationships
- Personal gravitas and credibility that generates trust and confidence in others
- Ability to instil a culture of excellence and inspire people to think and act innovatively
- Self-disciplined with high level of personal integrity
- High personal reliance and tenacity
- Highly developed negotiation and influencing skills
- Ability to demonstrate range of leadership styles appropriate to situations
- Demonstrates a modern and leading edge to the organisation and management of healthcare systems
- The highest degree of honesty, probity and integrity
- Ability to engage positively with all staff groups
Our Values
Essential
- We are Kind
- We are Open
- We are Inclusive
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders ...
