Job summary
We have a fantastic opportunity for a Team Leader to join our team based in South Thames Retrieval Service at Evalina London Childrens Hospital, SE1 7EH.

The role of the Team Leader is to Lead EMED's dedicated Ambulance Technician team supporting the South Thames Retrieval Service. This is a visible operational-leadership role focused on workforce readiness, safe emergency response, vehicle and equipment assurance, staff development, and close partnership with STRS clinical leads.

This role includes participation in an oncall rota, providing support outside of normal working hours. Oncall duties are shared equally among the team and compensated in line with company policy.

Main duties of the job

• Provide visible operational leadership to the Technician team across day and night services.
• Protect 24/7 readiness by monitoring rota coverage, relief arrangements, competency status, fatigue, and welfare.
• Act as the principal operational interface with STRS Coordinators, Retrieval Leads, Consultants and EMED control colleagues.
• Lead shift-readiness checks covering vehicles, clinical equipment, medical gases, infection prevention, and documentation.
• Support urgent mobilisation, operational decision-making, and incident escalation.
• Deliver monthly one-to-ones, bi-monthly supervision, quarterly observed practice, and annual appraisals incorporating STRS feedback.
• Identify competency gaps and coordinate coaching, simulation, retraining, reassessment, and written reauthorisation.
• Monitor emergency-driving standards, telematics, vehicle defects, and maintenance recovery.
• Review incidents, near misses, complaints and debriefs, ensuring actions are owned, completed, and checked for effectiveness.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, attendance, leave, performance, and colleague wellbeing.
• Participate in the on-call rota and provide weekend operational support when required.
• Work on the road as a qualified Ambulance Technician when operationally necessary.

About us
EMED Group is an established healthcare logistics provider that enables access to health and social care through our four specialist divisions. We are one of the largest health and care partners to the NHS with 4,000 colleagues across over 60 bases UK-wide.

EMED Group is committed to pro-actively improving the wellbeing of our communities by providing access to vital health and social care services across the UK.

Job responsibilities

• Provide visible operational leadership to the Technician team across day and night services.
• Protect 24/7 readiness by monitoring rota coverage, relief arrangements, competency status, fatigue, and welfare.
• Act as the principal operational interface with STRS Coordinators, Retrieval Leads, Consultants and EMED control colleagues.
• Lead shift-readiness checks covering vehicles, clinical equipment, medical gases, infection prevention, and documentation.
• Support urgent mobilisation, operational decision-making, and incident escalation.
• Deliver monthly one-to-ones, bi-monthly supervision, quarterly observed practice, and annual appraisals incorporating STRS feedback.
• Identify competency gaps and coordinate coaching, simulation, retraining, reassessment, and written reauthorisation.
• Monitor emergency-driving standards, telematics, vehicle defects, and maintenance recovery.
• Review incidents, near misses, complaints and debriefs, ensuring actions are owned, completed, and checked for effectiveness.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, attendance, leave, performance, and colleague wellbeing.
• Participate in the on-call rota and provide weekend operational support when required.
• Work on the road as a qualified Ambulance Technician when operationally necessary.

Qualifications
Essential

• Full UK manual driving licence.
• Operationally current Ambulance Technician qualification, including FREC 4.
• Qualsafe Level 3 CERAD emergency-response driving qualification, C1 entitlement and at least two years' blue-light driving experience.
• Experience leading teams in a regulated healthcare, ambulance, or emergency-services environment.
• Strong coaching, performance-management, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• The judgement and resilience to remain calm during time-critical or emotionally sensitive situations.
• A full UK manual driving licence and the ability to pass enhanced DBS and occupational-health checks.
• Passion for patient care and delivering a highly effective service.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with proven ability to engage at all levels within an organisation.
• High level of commercial awareness with proven experience in achieving KPIs within a highly regulated industry.
• Strong problem-solving skills.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.