Job summary
- Main area
- CHUGGS CMG
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Home or remote working
- Compressed hours
- Job ref
- 358-7723546-CHU
- Employer
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Leicester Royal Infirmary
- Town
- Leicester
- Salary
- £47,810 - £54,710 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 03/02/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Service Manager - General Surgery
NHS AfC: Band 7
AI tools like chatbots and virtual assistants can support you as you complete your application. For example, they can check for spelling or grammar errors, or help you to decide what to include.
But they shouldn’t replace your own responses or be used to write the application for you.
Relying too much on AI can negatively impact your chances of success, because automatically generated answers:
- might not be specific or relevant enough to address the criteria in the recruitment profile
- often seem generic and not personalised enough – an AI response won’t show your unique voice and perspective
- could misrepresent information about you, such as your qualifications, skills and experience
We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.
Job overview
We are looking for a confident and enthusiastic Service Manager to work within General Surgery; the post will be cross site, requiring you to work flexibly.
The Gastrointestinal Surgery department at UHL is one of the largest such departments in the UK, covering a complex range of surgery from colorectal to hepatobiliary (HPB) for patients on both cancer and referral to treatment (RTT) pathways.
This role will help form a crucial part of the General Surgery management team and work closely with the other Service Manager, General Manager, Matrons and Head of Service.
Main duties of the job
Your responsibilities will span operational manager, service development, performance management, financial oversight, and quality governance.
As a proactive leader, you will drive continuous improvement initiatives, lead service improvement projects, and develop robust performance frameworks to exceed best practice guidelines. Financial acumen will be crucial as you manage budgets, implement cost reduction strategies, and ensure efficient service delivery within allocated resources.
You will lead a dedicated team, ensuring effective recruitment, retention, and development of staff aligned with Trust values and policies. Your role will involve managing staff performance, conducting appraisals, and fostering a culture of high morale and motivation.
Working for our organisation
- high-quality care for all,
- being a great place to work,
- partnerships for impact, and
- research and education excellence
- we are compassionate,
- we are proud,
- we are inclusive, and
- we are one team
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Leadership:
-
To support the General Manager and deputise for them in their absence.
- To support a culture of strong visible leadership within the CMG, and an environment in which staff are valued and respected.
-
To assist the General Manager in the production of business plans.
-
To lead the production of service development plans in areas of responsibility.
-
Under the direction of the General Manager, to bring forward to the CMG Senior Management Team budget proposals to enable the delivery of service plans which reflect appropriate value for money.
-
To ensure that staff reporting to this post are valued, supported and clear on what is expected of them.
-
To ensure any areas of poor performance are quickly identified and plans put in place to resolve these in line with Trust policies.
-
To encourage the development of any staff directly managed to their full potential through systematic individual performance development review and the establishment of personal development plans, reflecting the needs of the organisation and the individual.
-
To ensure that changes to workforce policies are implemented across the area and that this is done consistently.
-
To support a culture in which individuals feel able to report incidents and that learning takes place from all incidents and complaints.
Service Delivery:
-
To work collaboratively with others to identify and implement potential service improvements or developments, where necessary producing business cases for consideration by the CMG Management Team seeking advice and guidance from the General
-
To promote a culture in which multi-disciplinary teams strive for continuous quality improvement by recording and learning from mistakes and
-
To work proactively to ensure collaborative and effective relationships within the service and between the service and other services, whether within or outside the CMG, (and within and outside the Trust where )
-
To ensure effective systems of communication are in place and utilised.
Performance:
-
To work in collaboration with all staff in the service to ensure that business plans are fulfilled and that there is adherence to budgets.
-
To lead on or support new regional or local initiatives.
-
To analyse, monitor and manage patient activity and other service performance in a way that complies with national, regional or local standards and targets.
-
To monitor closely contracts and targets to enable proactive and timely actions, liaising with the General Manager as appropriate.
-
To produce reports on financial, contractual and performance data as necessary, including where relevant plans and trajectories to set out future expectations.
-
To participate in benchmarking, policy setting and review to ensure standards are maintained and reviewed.
-
To manage staff within service in such a way that contracts and targets are delivered.
-
To ensure that sickness absence for staff that report to this post is managed appropriately and in line with the Trust’s Sickness Absence Policy.
-
To participate as appropriate in the proper investigation of patient complaints or complaints from other users of the service, drafting of responses as necessary and taking identified corrective actions.
-
To support the education of staff by encouraging learning from complaints to ensure the highest quality of patient care is delivered.
-
To support the systems of incident reporting and education of staff following incidents and adverse events.
-
Please see job description/person specification for full details on the role
Person specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level or relevant experience
- Knowledge of the NHS in the acute sector, including change management and workforce redesign
- Knowledge on referral-to-treatment pathways and Cancer Pathways
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge on surgical specialties and pathways
- Management qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Minimum 2 years’ experience in a management role, including direct line management of staff
- Proven track record of performance measurement and management
- Experience of working/managing waiting lists
- Experience of delivering service change and improvement programmes
Desirable criteria
- Experience working in an acute hospital trust
- Experience of working with elective pathways
- Experience of reporting on complex performance management information to senior management groups
Communication and relationship skills
Essential criteria
- Excellent communications skills, both written and oral
- Ability to tailor communication methods depending on the audience
- Ability to motivate and empower staff
Desirable criteria
- Ability to present complex data and information in a way which is easy to understand
Analytical and Judgement skills
Essential criteria
- Prioritisation skills with the ability to manage competing demands
- Experience of working with complex data and reports
Desirable criteria
- Ability to understand complex financial and clinical data
Planning and Organisational skills
Essential criteria
- Track record of identifying problems and proposing and implementing solutions
- Track record of delivering to deadlines
- Well-developed IT skills, particularly word and excel
- Punctual and reliable
Desirable criteria
- Trained on Trust electronic systems including HISS, ORMIS, Somerset, NerveCentre, TrackIT, DICT3
Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours
Essential criteria
- Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust’s values and behaviours
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential criteria
- Able to demonstrate a commitment and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Rita Melo
- Job title
- General Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07890 903093
- Additional information
Telephone: 0116 258 7899
List jobs with University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in Administrative Services or all sectors