Service Manager - Surgery

Job Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an operationally experienced and motivated individual to join the Surgical Care Group as Service Manager for our Head & Neck services. Working closely with the Care Group leadership team, Clinical lead and Matrons, you will play a pivotal role in leading the operational delivery and performance of ENT and Oral & Maxillofacial pathways. You will be responsible for ensuring high-quality, patient-centred care, delivering key national targets including RTT and cancer standards, and driving forward service improvement and transformation initiatives. This role offers the opportunity to take real ownership of complex services, providing visible leadership, influencing service development, and contributing to strategic planning. This is a great opportunity for a confident and proactive leader who is looking to further develop their skillset.

Main Duties of the Job

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an operationally experienced and motivated individual to join the Surgical Care Group as Service Manager for our Head & Neck services. Working closely with the Care Group leadership team, Clinical lead and Matrons, you will play a pivotal role in leading the operational delivery and performance of ENT and Oral & Maxillofacial pathways. You will be responsible for ensuring high-quality, patient-centred care, delivering key national targets including RTT and cancer standards, and driving forward service improvement and transformation initiatives. This role offers the opportunity to take real ownership of complex services, providing visible leadership, influencing service development, and contributing to strategic planning. This is a great opportunity for a confident and proactive leader who is looking to further develop their skillset.

About us

[Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information. At [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] we're committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.At [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal], we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We're committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Job Responsibilities

• This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated Service Manager to play a key role within our Head & Neck services, working closely with administrative, clinical, nursing and multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality, patient-centred and compassionate care.
• You will be at the heart of a supportive and collaborative team, contributing to service development and improvement programmes while ensuring strong governance, effective risk management and clear reporting processes.
• As a visible and proactive leader, you will oversee the day-to-day operational delivery of the service, making timely decisions, prioritising effectively, and supporting teams in a fast-paced environment.
• You will also have the opportunity to shape the future of the service through demand and capacity planning, using data and modelling to inform workforce and service configuration.
• You will also work as part of the surgery SPOC rota, working alongside the bed managers and matrons to support the acute and elective pathways, as well as working with ED and hospital site colleagues to support the 4 hour ED target.
• The role offers the chance to drive meaningful improvements in efficiency, productivity and value for money, while contributing to wider Trust initiatives.
• We are looking for someone flexible and forward-thinking, who thrives on variety and is confident providing senior operational support and cross-cover when needed, helping to ensure safe, effective and resilient services during periods of change or increased demand.

Person Specification

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential

• First degree/equivalent professional qualification/equivalent experience
• Leadership training
• Management training
• Training and experience to Masters' or equivalent level/post graduate level study
• Project Management qualification / further training or demonstrates substantial level of project delivery experience
• Consolidated experience to demonstrate capability and capacity for management of health services at a senior level
• Demonstrable staff and resource management experience across a range of a variety of issues
• Able to facilitate and implement policy, guidelines and projects from initiation to completion
• Demonstrates experience of managing challenging problems by developing practical workable solutions to address them
• Ability to communicate vision to staff and manage change effectively

Desirable

• Previous proven experience in a healthcare setting

Trust Values

Essential

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together

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: [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]

Address: University Hospital Southampton, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD

Employer's website: https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Surgery Care Group PA

Nicola Jenks

[contact hidden]

[contact hidden]