This is a unique and exciting opportunity to join Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust at a pivotal point in our journey. We are seeking an outstanding operational leader to take on the role of Managing Director for the Acute, Secure and Crisis Division.
As Managing Director, you will hold overall accountability for the strategic and operational leadership of one of the Trust's most complex and high impact service areas. You will shape the future direction of acute, crisis, and secure mental health services while maintaining strong operational grip and delivery in the here and now. You will be the most senior operational leader within the Division, providing clear, visible leadership and overseeing all services through an agreed management structure. You will be responsible for developing and delivering strategy, ensuring performance targets are met and translating ambition into tangible improvements in patient care, quality, productivity, and outcomes.
Please be advised face to face interviews will take place on the 5th June 2026.
You will have full accountability for operational performance and clinical delivery within the Division, collaborating closely with the Clinical Director and the Director of Quality and Professions to ensure services meet expected standards of care, safety, and quality.
A central part of the role is leading transformational change at scale. Establish and sustain cohesive partnership arrangements across the Division to support delivery of Trust, local, and national priorities, while embedding innovation, service improvement, and continuous learning. The role involves engaging with complex, sensitive, and sometimes challenging issues, requiring confidence, emotional intelligence, and the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels. You will also regularly represent the Trust at external strategic and operational meetings. You will be accountable for the stewardship of a multi million pound budget, with responsibility for financial decision making, effective use of resources and cost efficiency programme delivery. This role combines strategic vision, operational credibility, and compassionate leadership, and who can inspire confidence, build trust, and deliver improvement in a complex and fast moving environment.
We are looking for someone who shares our commitment to improving the lives of people who use our services and who is motivated by the opportunity to lead lasting change.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined-up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.
Our mental health services include community-based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person's care.
We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute-level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.
Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellence
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.
We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.
Degree in relevant specialist area
Evidence of professional development
Postgraduate qualification in Leadership / Healthcare Management / Project Management or equivalent experience
Specialist training to Doctorate or senior equivalent level qualification or equivalent experience
Clinical qualification and experience of working as a senior clinician within an equivalent setting.
Experience of senior healthcare leadership role within a similar/equivalent size, scale and complexity of Division.
Proven track record of leadership at a senior level, managing an equivalent size, scale and complexity within a health or social care setting.
Successful track record of managing complex organisational change and development of clinical services.
Strong record of multi-professional collaboration at a senior level.
Able to express highly-complex, contentious or sensitive issues, both verbally and in writing for a range of audiences.
Able to influence, persuade and negotiate.
Ability to work collaboratively with central support services.
Able to generate reports and correspondence.
IT conversant including word processing and spreadsheet packages.
Experience of change management and workforce redesign.
Experience of partnership working with service users, carers and other agencies.
Experience of performance management of service delivery, staff and processes to ensure targets are consistently achieved.
Experience of leading and successfully implementing Service Developments and developing Business Cases.
Experience of complex project management.
An understanding of the contracting process for NHS and local authority services, NHS assurance systems, and the local strategic context and the workings of the wider organisation.
Deep understanding of healthcare provision together with an awareness and appreciation of current NHS policy and priorities, particularly in relation to integrated care.
Clear understanding of the professional and multidisciplinary roles, working and issues.
Able to work in partnership with clinical and operational leaders, Executive Directors and external partners.
Facilitative management style. Environmental and political awareness.
Business, service planning, analytical and numeracy skills.
Strong financial management skills.
Ability to motivate and engage staff at all levels, improving confidence and containing anxiety.
Able to demonstrate a genuine commitment to ensuring that services meet the needs of service users and their carers and are delivered with multi-cultural sensitivity.
Good knowledge of NHS finance systems.
Knowledge of performance management methods and procedures.
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.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.
Eugene Jones
eugene.jones1@nhs.net
07931862170
Agenda for Change
Band 9
Permanent
Full-Time
348-COR-11202
Tatchbury Mount Calmore Southampton Hampshire SO40 2RZ