Job summary
We're looking for a talented and experienced health or social care manager to join our Directorate Management team. The Directorate oversees the Patient Flow pathway, Inpatient Units, and Crisis Care Pathways for adults over 18 years old across the boroughs of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.

The successful postholder will take operational responsibility for both Flow & Discharge and Older Adult In-Patient Services which are well established and supported through a recently reviewed line management structure.

We seek candidates with a professional qualification in Nursing, Social Work, Psychology or Occupational Therapy and who are self-motivated, enthusiastic and thorough, and who appreciate the value of team working with corporate, directorate and system colleagues.

You will have substantial management experience within the NHS, and experience of working with clinicians, multi-disciplinary teams, service users and carers to achieve service improvement.

You will have excellent leadership skills and a history of delivering change projects and expressing the impact and benefits to the trust, to staff and to service users.

The post holder has responsibility for the operational management of their portfolio within the Acute and Crisis Directorate. They will provide timely, efficient, and effective operational service management for all specialties, within their span of control, in the Directorate.

Main duties of the job

• Specific objectives for successful performance in this role will be agreed with the Associate Director and reviewed regularly
• As the primary priority, ensure patient safety and excellent service quality across the Directorate
• Ensure governance arrangements within teams are implemented in line with Trust Policy
• Work with Directorate colleagues to design and implement quality improvement initiatives in the span of control

About us
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

We're Kind
We're Fair
We Listen
We Care

Details
Date posted: 14 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8c
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 277-8121871-AAC
Job locations: Pinewood House, Bexley, DA2 7WG, United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities

• Ensure the Directorates business plans and strategy are successfully
• Deliver agreed performance targets within span of control and develop appropriate strategies and operational plans and policies for service improvement.
• Support the Trusts strategy by developing and implementing changes to operational practices to ensure the Trusts strategic objectives are delivered within the Directorate.
• Work with Directorate and Corporate colleagues, to develop the management information requirements necessary for the effective management of the Directorate.
• Deputise for the Associate Director when required, including external meetings.
• Fully understand the local and wider health economy, organisational and political environment and priorities in which services operate.
• Identify and exploit new business and service development opportunities, with the aim of maximising income streams, and managing service area costs in relation to levels of available income.
• Work to the delegated level of autonomy for the seniority of the post and within Trust management policies, demonstrating sustained Directorate management capability and excellent levels of individual performance.
• Ensure processes and performance monitoring are in place for the delivery of timely high-quality investigation and learning in respect of incidents, complaints and compliments
• Understand the implications of clinical & organisational developments in the service, and of changes in the operational environment, and to lead the required changes and developments within a joint service framework.
• Maintain knowledge of best practice in health and social care services
• Use analytical skills and make sound judgements in complex situations

Person Specification
Education
Essential

• Relevant professional qualification in Nursing/Social Work/AHP/Psychology

Desirable

• Evidence of post qualification training/learning

Experience
Essential

• Evidence of delivering change projects or service wide improvement initiatives

Skills
Essential

• Excellent communication and relationship/interpersonal skills

Knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge and skills - delivering operational leadership in Mental Health services

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).