Job summary
- Main area
- Chief Executive and Board
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 371-CS292
- Employer
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Chief Executive and Board , London House
- Town
- Bracknell
- Salary
- Salary aligns with experience and other trust executives' pay
- Closing
- 16/09/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 13/10/2025
Employer heading
Chief Operating Officer
Job overview
Interview will be held on 13th October 2025
We are seeking an outstanding Chief Operating Officer to join the executive leadership team of our CQC Outstanding-rated NHS Trust, delivering high-quality mental health and community services.
We’re proud to be one of the country’s top-performing, financially stable NHS Trusts with a highly skilled and passionate workforce who consistently rate us amongst the top Trusts for staff engagement in the NHS staff survey.
This pivotal role will lead strategic and operational delivery of clinical services, ensuring safe, high-quality, and sustainable care for our patients.
As a key Board member, you’ll shape our strategy, drive performance, and lead day-to-day operations aligned with CQC and regulatory standards.
You’ll bring proven leadership in healthcare service transformation, operational excellence, and financial management across complex systems- alongside deep insight into the wider social care landscape.
Our culture is built on care, commitment, and collaboration, with staff engagement at the heart of all we do.
If you’re a values-driven leader who inspires teams and delivers operational excellence – we’d be delighted to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
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As Chief Operating Officer and Executive Board member, you will lead the operational delivery of high-quality, safe, and efficient clinical services across the Trust.
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Working closely with the Medical Director and Director of Nursing and Therapies, you will ensure strong systems, effective clinical leadership, and performance against key targets and regulatory standards.
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You will drive service transformation, embed modern operational practices, and foster a culture of continuous improvement aligned with our values.
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As a strategic partner, you’ll lead emergency preparedness, support ICS priorities, and represent the Trust in key system forums.
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You will oversee service planning, performance, and workforce delivery, ensure robust governance, and champion our Quality Improvement culture.
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As Executive Sponsor of one of our Staff Equality Networks, you’ll also play a vital role in advancing our inclusion and equity agenda.
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A highly visible leader with seven direct reports, you prioritise workforce engagement and culture across the trust.
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You’ll contribute to corporate strategy, system partnerships, and organisation-wide development, making a lasting difference.
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Lead executive on call duties on a rotational basis.
Working for our organisation
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The “must haves” for this role:
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Relevant degree or equivalent operational experience and evidence of ongoing professional development.
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Experience of service management in either a mental health or community services setting, or wider health and social care system.
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Experience of leading the delivery of an organisation’s operational portfolio at or close to Board level.
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Demonstrable evidence of delivering major change programmes.
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Demonstrates an Understanding of quality improvement methodologies and operational excellence techniques.
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Evidence of being a role model for inclusivity in the organisation, including a proven ability to lead inclusively. Fostering a culture of equity and respect while embedding anti-racist principles into organisational operations, policies and team dynamics.
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Ability to travel across the geographical area served by the Trust.
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
We’re proud to offer a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates from ethnically diverse backgrounds, disabled candidates, and former UK military veterans. We believe in providing equal opportunities for all and warmly welcome applications from candidates who bring diverse perspectives.
Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We have identified that this is a role where we have underrepresentation of ethnically diverse colleagues. As part of our commitment to inclusion and Unity Against Racism we offer guaranteed interviews to candidates who meet the essential criteria and identify as: Asian or Asian British, Black or Black British, Mixed and ‘Other’ Ethnic Groups.
If you’d like a confidential conversation about the role, please contact Karen Smythe , Business and Performance Manager, on [email protected]
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential criteria
- Relevant degree or equivalent operational experience and evidence of ongoing professional development
- Experience of service management in either a mental health or community services setting, or wider health and social care system.
- Experience of leading the delivery of an organisation’s operational portfolio at or close to Board level.
Leadership Attributes
Essential criteria
- Role model for inclusivity in the organisation. Demonstrate a strong commitment to anti-racist values and practices. Proven ability to lead inclusively, fostering a culture of equity and respect while embedding anti-racist principles into organisational operations, policies and team dynamics
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Understanding of quality improvement methodologies and operational excellence techniques.
Additional Requirements
Essential criteria
- Ability to travel across the geographical area served by the Trust
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Karen Smythe
- Job title
- Business and Performance Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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