Deputy General Manager

Job summary

To deliver a market-leading digital pathology platform and solutions, NPICs digital pathology service is underpinned by Information Technology and supported by central funding from NHS England, Innovate UK and the Office for Life Sciences in-excess. With a number of Trusts currently utilising its services, NPIC has a pipeline of over 30 NHS Trusts looking to adopt its digital platform.

You will play a key role in the delivery of a high-quality digital pathology programme, platform and associated operations and services. This requires an individual who is driven, ambitious and passionate about patient care, and who has a desire to influence at the highest levels working in close partnership with senior clinical and managerial staff. They will need to lead the development, expansion and have the drive to deliver NPICs Deployment Strategy, ensuring this facilitates and maximises capability and productivity at all levels throughout the organisations involved within the programme. This will include budget setting, commercial development and the management of multiple projects.

Be willing to work flexibly with a wide range of stakeholders in a challenging and complex operational environment. You must have exceptionally strong attention to detail and a willingness to work around the needs of the team, stakeholders and organisations. You will be working on cutting-edge, innovative developments that will deliver real change.

Main duties of the job

The Deputy General Manager is a senior member of the NPIC Programme and will support the Programme Director, Deployment Director & Programme Head, by providing a senior general management resource, capable of co-ordinating digital transformation projects and initiatives, delivery of business operations, workforce and financial planning and management across the Programme as well as handling ad hoc issues delegated by the Programme Exec & Senior Management Team. They will make judgements involving highly complex facts or situations, which require the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options.

The Deputy General Manager will ensure that the operational running of the programme team is managed efficiently and effectively across an implementation function, technical delivery team, programme management office and live service and support team.

The Deputy General Manager will assist the Programme SMT with the delivery of the NPIC digital pathology deployment strategy and long term plan and ensure the programme maintains right level of knowledge skill and expertise to deliver strategy in the most effective and efficient way.

About us

The National Pathology Imaging Co-operative (NPIC) programme, a £100m+ initiative supported by central funding from NHS England, Innovate UK and the Office for Life Sciences. NPIC has the ambition to provide a national platform to support pathology services.

The ambitions of the programme include:

1) Driving clinical use of digital pathology nationally and providing a platform to support this;

2) Designing, building and maintaining a platform for the development of artificial intelligence and the evaluation of the AI lifecycle

3) Providing a platform for further research & innovation and maximising the platform to facilitate this.

This programme is underpinned by Information Technology and the delivery of a range of digital solutions. The Trusts commitment to this programme includes the implementation of a number of internally developed and externally procured Digital solutions.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Financial and resource management

Management of budgets, ensuring a balanced financial position is maintained for the programme with multiple funding sources.

Responsible for ensuring robust processes are in place to record and code activity within the Programme, ensuring income is received and spend is accurately forecast and tracked.

Support the Programme in ensuring that it delivers financial performance in line with the Trusts agreed financial plan and Programme budget

Provide regular financial reports to the Programme Exec & SMT with assurance that appropriate follow up actions will be completed.

Identify performance objectives, develop and operate effective reporting arrangements with the Programme to accurately record and monitor performance against delivery timeframes and the service maintains its service obligations to its partners.

Regularly support review of non-clinical administrative workforce within the programme, alongside the Deployment Director and Programme Head, and lead on recruitment of staff within the programme to ensure the right numbers and the right level of knowledge skill and expertise to deliver services in the most effective and efficient way.

Planning and strategy

Leads the development of business cases whether for changes to service, addition of new NHS partner organisations, new equipment or new posts.

Support the Deployment Director, and Programme Head with the production of the Programmes long term strategic deployment plan, engaging with Clinical Leads, senior managers and staff, as appropriate.

Challenge existing practices, ensuring that progressive solutions, which take into account models of best practice, are incorporated into service plans.

Ensure that all income required to support delivery of the service is identified and secured.

Responsible for ensuring that local and national policies are properly and consistently interpreted and implemented within the Programme.

Work with the Deployment Director & Programme Head to identify business development opportunities, arising from changes in the internal/external environment. Pursue and secure contractual agreements to underpin these.

Build and maintain strong effective relationships with central NHS Organisations such as NHS England and private sector industry suppliers

Identify a positive marketing strategy plan and evaluate external opportunities to support the delivery of the deployment strategy

Work closely with other corporate services in the Trust to ensure delivery plans are compatible and to maximise opportunities for more efficient ways of working across the wider organisation.

Support the Programme Deployment Director & Programme Head in the development and preparation of business cases strategies and commercial models.

Supports the Programme Head with the production and regular review of the programmes Major Incident Plan, Business Continuity Plan.

Promote a culture where health and safety, governance and risk management are seen to be everyones responsibility.

Help ensure that patient safety is at the center of service planning, analysis and delivery.

Promote clinical information for benchmarking and audit to improve patient experience, sharing with teams and supporting actions arising from this information.

Programme management

The post holder will manage a number of complex projects which involve engagement with various departments and functions of the Trust. This will entail the creation and management of project teams, the development of project initiation documents and project plans, the maintenance of a project risks and issues log, the regular reporting of progress to the Programme senior management team and Trust Directors and the on-going liaison with and co-ordination regarding implementation.

Staff management

Provide direct support to the Deployment Director and Programme Head on a day to day basis

Line management of programme team members

Ensure regular and effective appraisal and personal development planning for managed programme staff.

Develop management capability within the team, providing supervision, coaching and mentorship to others and supporting managers in this process.

Responsible for ensuring that conduct, poor performance/capability/staff attendance and grievance issues are addressed within the programme in line with Trust policy.

Regularly support review of non-clinical administrative workforce within the programme, alongside the Deployment Director and Programme Head, and lead on recruitment of staff within the programme to ensure the right numbers and the right level of knowledge, skill and expertise to deliver the deployment strategy in the most effective and efficient way.

Promote a culture where staff feel empowered and accountable for service improvement at local level.

Working with HR Business Partners and training teams, ensure that all managed staff in the programme receives appropriate training and on-going development to enable them to competently and safely fulfil their roles.

Ensure that all managed staff meet their statutory and mandatory training requirements.

Support the Services in providing opportunities for talent to be developed to ensure the programme and service continues to improve.

Promote a culture of lifelong learning, engagement and success.

Policy development and implementation

To develop and implement policy, procedures and practices for NPICs national deployment strategy and service delivery.

To comply with all Trust policies, procedures and practices and to be responsible for keeping up to date with any changes to these.

Information

The post holder will regularly write reports and papers for the Programme senior management team / Programme Exec to support adherence to Programme governance

Core Knowledge and Understanding

The key knowledge needed to undertake the role is listed in the attached person specification. The post holder should be able to demonstrate the following:

Comprehensive knowledge of NHS Improvement Plan and timescales for delivery.

Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of pathology services within an NHS Trust

Sound knowledge and understanding of developing and presenting effective business cases.

Understanding of Standing Orders, Standing Financial Instructions and Clinical Governance arrangements.

Sound knowledge of Capital and Corporate Planning procedures.

Comprehensive knowledge of relevant National Service Frameworks, NICE guidance and other governance initiatives and how they may impact the programme and the service provided.

Implicit knowledge of key policies and procedures particularly those related to HR, Risk Management/Clinical Governance.

Firm grasp of the principles and practice of robust financial management.

Understanding of management and operational arrangements in the Trust and wider health community

Person Specification

Skills & behaviours

Essential

Maintain and promote positive working relationships with others. Analytical, problem solving and facilitation skills and be able to be creative in solving issues and unblock problems to maintain delivery momentum. Persuasion and negotiation skills. Able to negotiate and influence at a senior level with clinical staff, managers and other staff. Influencing and persuading others to take a specific course of action. Strong stakeholder management, in particular balancing the needs and requirements of NHS Trusts, Suppliers and the programme with a comprehensive portfolio of projects. Ability to communicate and network effectively, negotiate and influence others taking into account the multi-professional and organisational cultures. Takes decisions in a transparent and inclusive way.

Experience

Essential

Excellent leadership skills and team management, with an understanding of the policy and procedures governing the Trusts approach to managing staff. Comprehensive knowledge and practical understanding of financial and commissioning frameworks and budgeting experience across multiple services and management of large complex budget and monitoring income & expenditure within a complex organisation. Managing multi-stranded situations where there may be conflicts of opinions involving a wide range of stakeholders. Sound understanding of NHS priorities, including National, Local and Trust Targets Successful operational management at a middle/senior management level Ability to make judgements and decisions leading to resolution through effective negotiation /problem solving & Managing multi-stranded situations where there may be conflicts of opinions Experience in managing and negotiating contract discussions with suppliers and customers within the NHS and private vendors.

Desirable

Commercial and/or Financial background. Knowledge of marketing techniques and their practical application in the NHS environment. Knowledge of Health & Safety management. Operational experience within a pathology department or other NHS management experience.

Additional requirements

Essential

Comprehensive knowledge and experience in managing financial budgets and using financial trackers. Comprehensive understanding and experience of highly complex information analysis essential for communicating business, finance and workforce plans. Proficient in the methods and techniques for writing effective reports. Developed communication and facilitation skills with excellent presentation skills using a variety of options and software packages. Ability to produce a range of documents to varying audiences, both internal and external to the Trust much of which is of a highly confidential, highly sensitive or contentious nature. Ability to use Microsoft Office suite, including MS Project & MS Visio. Desire to learn and fully understand the breadth of the Programme ambitions and be able to articulate this to Trust Executives

Qualifications

Essential

Educated to degree level or equivalent Managerial qualification to diploma level or equivalent experience. Evidence of on-going professional development. Willingness to undertake training and development as identified through the Personal Development Planning process

Desirable

Application of HR policies and procedures MSP Foundation / Practitioner Prince2 Foundation / Practitioner

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