University Hospital Southampton NHS FT
Associate Care Group Manager - Ophthalmology
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Job Overview
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
Please see below for the detailed job description of the role.
Main duties of the job
An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Ophthalmology Care Group for an Associate Care Group Manager. This role is ideal for someone looking to progress into a Care Group Manager or Senior Service Manager position within acute hospital management.
As part of the Ophthalmology management team, you will play a key role in supporting the operational delivery of high quality, patient centred services across our eye emergency, theatre, inpatient and outpatient pathways.
Joining at a pivotal time of recovery and transformation, you will contribute to improving RTT performance, reducing backlogs, and enhancing patient experience across one of the largest eye units on the south coast.
Reporting to the Care Group Manager and working closely with clinical leads, matrons and operational manager team, you will support workforce planning, service improvement, and pathway redesign. Your work will help drive improvements in patient flow, productivity, and overall service performance, supporting the organisation’s objectives for high quality, timely care.
We are seeking a dynamic and motivated individual with operational management experience, strong analytical skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast paced and complex environment. This is an excellent opportunity to play a central role in delivering sustainable service recovery and transformation within a large and complex clinical service.
Working for our organisation
University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.
Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.
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At UHS, we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.
At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognising that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
Ophthalmology is based within a dedicated Eye Unit at Southampton General Hospital and is a tertiary referral centre, receiving patients from across the South, the Channel Islands and beyond for specialist care.
Our service includes Eye Theatres, the Eye Short Stay Unit, Eye Casualty and Eye Outpatients across both Southampton General Hospital and Lymington New Forest Hospital.
Ophthalmology delivers the largest single specialty outpatient service and highest surgical volume within the Trust.
Responsibilities
As a senior member of the Ophthalmology management team, you will play a key leadership role in the operational delivery and transformation of services across multiple complex pathways.
- Lead the operational delivery of ophthalmology services across inpatient, eye emergency, theatres and outpatient pathways within a high-volume tertiary service.
- Drive performance management, including RTT delivery and backlog reduction, ensuring sustainable improvements in access and patient outcomes.
- Work in strategic partnership with clinical leaders and multidisciplinary teams to deliver service transformation, pathway redesign and productivity improvements.
- Provide senior leadership across operational and administrative teams, contributing to workforce planning, service resilience and delivery against Trust objectives.
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What we're looking for
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced leader who can demonstrate the following:
- Significant operational management experience within a complex healthcare environment, with evidence of delivering against performance targets.
- Strong, credible leadership with the ability to influence at senior level and drive change across multidisciplinary teams.
- Excellent analytical capability, with a track record of using data to inform decision-making and improve service performance.
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Person specification
Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience
Essential criteria
- First degree or equivalent
- Evidence of post-qualification study/professional development to Masters level (post grad certificate/MBA/MSc) or equivalent general management experience
- Leadership training
- Management training
- Experience of working competently in an acute healthcare in a clinical care group or equivalent setting in a senior operational delivery/management position
- Demonstrable knowledge of National and Local NHS; including national service frameworks
- Evidence of advanced leadership qualities
- Evidence of presenting complex information to internal and external groups in an understandable way
- Report writing skills and experience
- Ability to analyse and interpret complex data, to facilitate operational delivery decisions to support key performance targets
- Experience of successful delegated budget management and evidence of achieving financial and finite resource targets
- Operational management experience in a clinical care group for more than 2 years
Desirable criteria
- Membership of professional body
- Experience of working in NHS
- A breadth of clinical experience across the specialist area
- Project management experience
- Evidence of successful leadership, management and engagement of clinical teams to introduce change
Trust Values
Essential criteria
- Working Together
- Always Improving
- Patients First
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