Job summary We are seeking an exceptional and accomplished leader who is currently serving as a Chief Operating Officer or an experienced Deputy Chief Operating Officer within a comparable organisation. As Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, the post holder will play a pivotal role in leading and delivering the Trust’s operational services. You will ensure the highest standards of patient care and operational performance across our clinical service units, driving quality, efficiency and sustainable improvement at scale. As a key member of the Executive team, you will bring the credibility, presence and leadership required to inspire confidence and influence colleagues at every level from ward to Board. You will champion our values fostering behaviours that place people at the heart of everything we do, empowering colleagues to lead and innovate, promoting personal accountability and strengthening fairness, inclusion and collaboration across the Trust. Through this leadership, you will help drive continuous improvement ensuring our services continually evolve to meet the needs of our patients, their families, our communities and colleagues. Planned Interview Date 7th April 2026 Main duties of the job

Ensure excellence in delivery of the operational services for our patients. Deliver mandated operational performance standards for our patients in line with regulatory requirements. Provide clear leadership, guidance and support to the Clinical Service Units within a clear and effective accountability framework to deliver the annual operational plan. Work in collaboration with partners across Leeds and West Yorkshire to ensure high quality and sustainable services for our patients. Named Board lead for business continuity and Emergency Preparedness.

About us Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest and busiest acute hospital trusts in the country. We are the local hospital for Leeds and provide specialist services for our local communities, the Yorkshire and Humber region and beyond. This means that people in Leeds have access to some of the very best care in the country and benefit from a seamless provision of all services. We play an important role in the training and education of medical, nursing and dental students, and are a centre for world class research, innovation and pioneering new treatments. Leeds Teaching Hospitals has a budget of more than £2.1 billion and a 20,000‑strong workforce. Last year, we delivered close to 1.8 million episodes of care, including 109,000 in‑patient admissions, 1.3 million outpatient attendances and 359,000 attendance in our Emergency Departments. Our care and clinical expertise is delivered from seven hospitals on five sites, and they are all joined by our vision to be the best for specialist and integrated care. Details Date posted: 13 March 2026 Pay scheme Very senior manager (VSM) Salary Depending on experience, Spot Salary Contract Permanent Working pattern Full‑time Reference number C9298‑TEX‑0094 Job locations St. James’s University Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds, LS9 7TF Job responsibilities Please see supporting documents for full Job Description with further information on requirements of the role, the department and workflows and full person specification. Person specification Qualifications Essential

Educated to Masters level in relevant discipline or equivalent by experience

Experience Essential

Demonstrable and successful recent experience and achievement at Board Director level or equivalent in a similarly complex organisation or system, ideally within an acute provider Experienced, compassionate and inclusive leader with significant operational experience and responsibility for meeting a wide range of service and business performance targets Proven track record of outstanding leadership in service delivery and innovation in healthcare Proven experience of effective demand and capacity planning Experience of business continuity and emergency preparedness planning and implementation Track record of leading successful change programmes, including service improvement, cultural change, outcome improvement and cost efficiency Demonstrable experience of developing relationships into productive partnerships, cross boundary working and working with stakeholders at all levels to achieve system and organisational excellence Extensive record of successful workforce, financial and resource management, ensuring high performance and holding individuals to account Demonstrable experience of using data to lead improvement. Track record of building high performing, cohesive teams and inspiring others to achieve excellence. Highly developed knowledge of professional Allied Health Professional standards, practice and policy Track record of proactively managing performance

Skills and behaviours Essential

Excellent interpersonal skills and significant personal credibility Aligned to the Trust’s values, behaviours and Nolan Principles of public life Demonstrable commitment to promoting and celebrating inclusion in the workplace and in service delivery Facilitative, collaborative and inclusive management style Committed to the ethical standards expected of public sector leaders in the UK, including fit and proper persons test Working with others to improve and enhance the patient experience and services across the organisation and the system, balancing a bias to action Resilient and determined to overcome challenges, recover from setbacks, and demonstrable persistence to deliver strategic objectives Passionate about high quality patient care and delivering outstanding outcomes Strategic thinker with highly developed influencing, persuasion and negotiation skills and using them to bring about change and develop services, standards and systems Resilient under pressure and calm in a crisis Committed to a culture of continuous improvement, and learning

Disclosure and Barring Service Check 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 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). Employer details Leeds Teaching Hospitals St. James’s University Hospital, Beckett Street, Leeds, LS9 7TF Employer's website https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab) #J-18808-Ljbffr