Job overview

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an exceptional and influential Deputy Chief Executive to work closely with the Chief Executive, Executive Team, and Board in delivering several of the Trust’s most ambitious and high impact strategic programmes.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to help shape the future of one of the world’s leading cancer centres. The Deputy Chief Executive will play a pivotal role in driving transformation, growth and innovation across the organisation, strengthening our ability to deliver outstanding patient care, advance world-class research, and sustain exceptional organisational performance.

The Deputy Chief Executive will provide senior leadership for significant Trust programmes, including the development of our estate and infrastructure and supporting delivery of the Trust’s Clinical and Research Strategies. A major focus will be the forthcoming redevelopment of the Chelsea site, one of the most important capital programmes in the Trust’s history. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of this programme and ensuring its successful delivery.

Main duties of the job

The Royal Marsden operates within a complex and high-profile stakeholder environment. The successful candidate will be politically astute, with the credibility and influence to work effectively at regional and national levels. They will demonstrate a strong ability to build collaborative relationships with partners across the NHS, academia and the commercial sector.

Candidates will bring a strong track record of senior leadership within the healthcare sector, with proven experience of influencing key stakeholders both internally and externally while fostering constructive and productive working relationships. Alongside personal gravitas, the successful candidate will demonstrate strong commercial and financial acumen, together with outstanding leadership capability in engaging and influencing senior leaders across the organisation.

Candidates are invited to provide a covering letter detailing their interest and suitability for the role, accompanied by a full and up-to-date CV.

For a confidential discussion, please contact: Krystyna Ruszkiewicz, Chief People Officer via [email protected].

Closing date: 7th April 2026.

Interview will be held on 16th April 2026.

Working for our organisation

As one of the leading cancer centres in the world with a track record of developing new and better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer, The Royal Marsden contributes to improved outcomes for patients globally. Its primary aim is to deliver the best cancer treatment through world-leading research, operating a ‘bench to bedside’ strategy with our academic partner, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR).

As a specialist provider, The Royal Marsden has a responsibility to innovate and ensure that it can act as a test bed of best practice for the NHS. The Trust has a history of trialling new technology, from intensity-modulated radiotherapy techniques to installing the UK’s first Magnetic Resonance Linear Accelerator (MR Linac) machine and developing the largest and most comprehensive programme of robotic surgery in the UK.

The Trust is also the host and founder of RM Partners, one of 19 cancer alliances made up of healthcare providers along the pathway from primary care to specialist hospital provision. The Royal Marsden and RM Partners are pioneering new models of care, rapidly translating clinical research into clinical practice. Its focus is on transforming early diagnosis to improve cancer survival.