chief operating officer jobs

Divisional Operations Director | Mental Health Services | Band 9

Are you passionate about shaping the future of mental health care and making a difference to people’s lives? We are seeking an experienced and motivated Divisional Operations Director to lead our Community and Inpatient Mental Health Services.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will provide strategic leadership, ensure high-quality, safe and person-centred services and develop them in line with our Trust’s Strategy and Annual Plan. You will drive service improvement, support innovation and lead the delivery of key performance, workforce, financial and governance priorities.

Working collaboratively with the Senior Leadership Team, clinical leaders and partners across the NHS, Local Authorities, ICS, NHSE, CQC and the voluntary sector, you will shape services that are responsive to the needs of our communities. You will champion staff wellbeing, patient and carer involvement, and foster a culture of learning, quality improvement & inclusion.

This is a pivotal role for an inspiring leader who can balance compassion with accountability, and who is committed to delivering excellence in care, experience and outcomes.

If you are driven by the opportunity to lead transformational change and support our teams to deliver the very best in mental health care, we would love to hear from you!

Join us in shaping the future of mental health. For an informal conversation, please contact the Chief Operating Officer.

To ensure clinical services are effectively managed, delivered and maintained

Financial and quality performance of services

To develop operational resources, capabilities, and services

To lead on operational & strategic improvement plans & projects

To contribute to corporate strategy, decision making and Trust development

Provide visible leadership that delivers for our patients and their families, recognising the different needs across geographical areas

Ensure that adult services for mental health are delivered to meet the needs of local people through patient and public involvement strategies

Establish and develop highly effective working relationships with external stakeholders, including third sector partners, other NHS organisations, commissioners, and local authorities to assist with the achievement of Trust goals and inter-agency collaboration and effectiveness.

Member of Trust Senior Management team.

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

The "must haves" for this role:
Confident, resilient, and motivated leader with a passion for improving mental health services.

Proven track record of delivering organisational change at Director level.

Strong expertise in finance, HR, governance, and service management within complex organisations.

Skilled in workforce planning, staff development, and performance management.

Acts with integrity, fairness, and compassion, upholding NHS values.

Excellent communication, problem-solving, and analytical skills.

Master’s level qualification (or equivalent) with ongoing professional development.

In-depth knowledge of NHS regulations, CQC, and healthcare governance.

Commercially aware and politically astute.

Flexible, IT-proficient, and able to travel across Trust sites.

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 committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. 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 welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to contact: Theresa Wyles, Theresa.wyles@berkshire.nhs.uk who’ll be delighted to help.

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.

Please note, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

We kindly ask that candidates who previously applied for this role in the last three months do not reapply