Job vacancy: Managing Director, South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, Warwick

Job summary

Main area: Executive Board
Grade: Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM
Contract: 12 months (Fixed Term)
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 203-C2111

Employer: South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type: NHS
Site: Warwick Hospital/George Eliot Hospital
Town: Warwick
Salary: Dependant on Experience
Closing: 27/09/2026 23:59
Interview date: 06/10/2026

Managing Director

Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top performing organisations within the NHS. Our staff think this is a great place to work and we hope you will agree. We have recently been rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following our most recent inspection.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the whole county. This includes our Community Teams in North Warwickshire.

We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity. Over 6000 people work for the Trust and many of them have been here a long time. People find they don’t need to go elsewhere to find a fulfilling career in healthcare.

The first thing you will notice about us is how we take our values seriously. We believe that our values underpin everything we do. If you are interested in a role with us you need to make sure our values match your own.

Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are ‘Trusted to provide inclusive, safe, effective and compassionate care’. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn’t matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks

Many of the roles we advertise have a requirement for a DBS check to be carried out. If you are successful for a role and it requires a DBS check the Trust will carry out the initial check and subscription to the DBS Update Service, however successful candidates will be expected to cover the associated costs . Details of this will be sent to successful candidates in their offer letter.

Probationary Period

All new staff to the Trust will be subject to a standard 3 month probationary period, the details of which will duly follow in your contract of employment.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is committed to creating and sustaining a positive and inclusive working environment for all our employees. Our aim is to ensure that employees are equally valued and respected and that our organisation is representative of all members of society. We define diversity as valuing everyone as an individual – we value our employees, job applicants, students, patients and visitors as people. This is reflected within our values of being Inclusive, Safe, Effective, Compassionate and Trusted.

As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we encourage all applicants to complete a short survey. This can be accessed via the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/ahWY3eAGM2

We appreciate you completing the survey.

Agile and Flexible Working

All our staff will have a work base. However the Trust operates as an Agile Working Team therefore staff may be working from home on a regular basis as required by the service. However, occasionally travel around Warwickshire and into your base will be required so access to your own transport would be helpful.

The Trust also welcome staff to work flexibly and we would welcome the conversation at interview regarding flexible working.

Staff Benefits

The Trust offer a wide range of additional benefits to staff. Anyone who joins us on a substantive basis can assess things such as the Lease Car Scheme, Electronics Scheme, Discounted Leisure and Travel, Cycle to work scheme amongst many others available.

Car Parking

The Trust currently have limited availability of car parking spaces, as such are operating a waiting list for new starters joining the organisation.

To keep up to date on our latest recruitment activity follow us on twitter @swftrecruit or look us up on Facebook (Recruitment - South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust).

Visa Sponsorship

The Trust will only consider sponsoring staff for certain roles, however this will be considered on a case by case basis in line with current legislation. As an employer we are unable to offer sponsorship to all roles in particular we cannot offer sponsorship for roles below Band 5.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT), George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust (GEH), Wye Valley NHS Trust and Worcester Acute Hospital NHS Trust have established a Foundation Group through the creation of a Committee in Common (the Group Strategy Committee). The purpose of the Group is to support the ongoing sustainability the Trusts and to facilitate the rapid development of integrated care in their localities.

SWFT and GEH have a shared, single executive team. The post-holder will therefore be a Board member representing both organisations.

The Managing Director will report to the Chief Executive Officer and will be responsible with other Chief Officers for achievement of performance, quality and financial standards and for the provision of high standards of regulatory activity and patient safety.

The Managing Director will be a voting member of the Board of Directors and Board Committees, and the Group Strategy Committee.

As Managing Director, the post holder must act as a role model for our people and ensure the development of a culture and core values which enable the Trusts to continuously improve and innovate. Maintaining and developing strong internal and external stakeholder relations is a key aspect of the role.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

• Trust Board

• Foundation Group

• Group Strategy Committee

• Trusts’ Executive Team and Senior Managers

• ICB, NHS England (and successor), Care Quality Commission, Health and Wellbeing Board, Overview and Scrutiny Committee

• Local Authority and other local providers including Primary Care, Mental Health and Social Services

• Local Voluntary and Representative Groups

KEY RESULT AREAS

Leadership and Strategy Implementation

• To support the Chief Executive and be responsible with the Chief Officers and through them to manage all the Trusts’ resources, ensuring the Trusts comply with the requirements of regulators and meets their obligations in contracts with commissioners

• To support the Chief Executive in development of a cohesive leadership team through the Chief Officers and together develop clear work plans for assurance and improvement within the Trusts

• Provide leadership to develop a fully engaged workforce and an accountable, delivery focused culture

• To support the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Nursing Officer in the development and engagement of clinicians in leadership

To progress the development of integrated care through close collaboration with partner organisations and communities

• To play lead role in the continued development of system, place and neighbourhood healthcare, including the establishment of Lead Provider / Integrated Healthcare Organisation status.

Performance and Governance

• To ensure systems are in place to monitor the performance of the Trusts against business targets and plans and against standards for accreditation by external bodies such as the Care Quality Commission

• To ensure that there is an effective system of governance and performance management in place within the Trusts to monitor how the sites effectively use their resources

• Ensuring effective corporate management of resources, (people, organisation, structures and management systems), regularly reviewing and re-prioritising these to ensure effective utilisation

• To identify and minimise key risks to the achievement of the Trusts’ objectives and ensure service continuity is maintained in the event of major disruption to normal service delivery

• Represent the Trusts at a local level including ICS, Local Authority, and other appropriate meetings

• Ensure the Trusts deliver quality, operational, financial and workforce performance against agreed plans and with the Chief Executive hold the relevant Executive Directors to account for the delivery of their plans and objectives

• Nurture opportunities which improve service delivery and performance to the highest level possible thus contributing to the overall success of the Trusts and local health and care system

• With the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Nursing Officer and other senior leaders in both Trusts, seek opportunities to challenge and improve practice in all areas including clinical quality, patient experience and operational effectiveness and put remedial actions in place to ensure and evidence improvement and demonstrate that quality and safety are of the utmost priority in the daily operation of the hospital sites.

On Call

To participate in the Trusts’ Executive on call rota and provide leadership, advice and guidance.

Person specification

Qualifications and Expereince

Essential criteria

Please see detailed Job Description and Personal Specification

Desirable criteria

Please see detailed Job Description and Personal Specification

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Sometimes we get a lot of applications for our roles. On those occasions we might close the job early. If you don’t want to miss out we recommend submitting your application as early as possible.

The Trust use an Applicant Management System called TRAC which helps us manage the recruitment process. All communications regarding your application will come via TRAC (even if you applied via NHS Jobs).

Please check your TRAC account regularly and ensure your email is set up to accept messages so they don't go into your junk/spam folder.

We aim to shortlist all vacancies within 2 days of the vacancy closing, we will get back to all candidates ASAP.

Please ensure all sections of the application form are completed fully. Please particularly ensure that you provide full details of all referees including business email address, telephone contact details and postal address.

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer who is committed to Equality and Diversity and does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the grounds of any protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act 2010.

All South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust sites are smoke free. We feel it’s a great way to help our patients, visitors and staff stay healthy.

The Trust is part of a ‘Foundation Group’ through a strategic alliance with Wye Valley NHS Trust, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. This partnership is great for the sustainability of all four organisations and allows us to share learning and maximise opportunities to ensure the delivery of high quality health and care services for our local populations.