Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Assistant Director, Portering
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About the Role
Essentia, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, is seeking an exceptional Assistant Director, Portering to set the strategic direction and lead the operational delivery of portering and rapid response services across the Trust’s estate. Reporting to the Executive Director, Workplace Services, this is a highly autonomous leadership role with responsibility for translating strategy into safe, compliant and patient-focused operational services.
About the Trust
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust is one of the country’s largest and busiest NHS trusts, comprising Guy’s, St Thomas’, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield, alongside community services in Lambeth and Southwark. Its services are supported by a complex and operationally critical estate where safety, resilience, service quality, and the patient experience are paramount.
About Essentia
Essentia is the Trust’s operational and infrastructure delivery group, comprising more than 2,500 colleagues working across hospital, community, and partner sites. It brings together engineering, estates, capital development, facilities management, workplace and hospitality services, logistics, transport, security, decontamination, sustainability, and other essential services to maintain safe, resilient, and high-performing healthcare environments.
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Responsibilities
The successful candidate will demonstrate a proven track record of leading large-scale portering services within a complex, multi-site healthcare or similarly regulated environment. This is an opportunity to shape the future of a critical frontline service that supports patient flow, clinical activity, and the safe, reliable operation of the Trust hospitals and wider estate. They will set a clear long-term strategy for portering, translate it into consistent operational standards, and ensure that services remain responsive, resilient, and focused on the needs of patients, clinical teams, and service users.
- Lead innovation and accelerate the adoption of new technologies across portering.
- Critically review existing systems, processes, and service models.
- Identify opportunities for digital and technology-enabled improvement.
- Use data and performance insight to improve deployment, responsiveness, productivity, and service quality.
- Manage large operational budgets, workforce resources, and service contracts.
- Deliver value for money, savings, and efficiencies.
- Provide strategic leadership to a management team overseeing nearly 180 portering colleagues.
- Establish clear standards, operating procedures, and performance expectations across the Trust.
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Requirements
- Engaging, inclusive, and visible leader.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to build influential relationships with clinical groups, senior leaders, external partners, and suppliers.
- Model compassionate and accountable leadership.
- Proven experience in building high-performing teams founded on inclusion, ambition, and putting patients first.
Application
To learn more about the role, view the Candidate Brochure at: [Essentia - Assistant Director, Portering](Essentia - Assistant Director, Portering)
To arrange a confidential briefing discussion, please contact our retained search adviser Michael Hewlett (michael.hewlett@mrgglobal.com) at MRG.
Applications should consist of a CV and supporting statement and can be sent to michael.hewlett@mrgglobal.com.
The closing date for applications is Sunday 25th October 2026.
Formal interviews will be held on Friday 20th November 2026.
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