University Hospitals Tees is a hospital group formed by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to enable closer working across the two organisations. University Hospital Tees is seeking a widely experienced Pathology Operations Manager to ensure effective and efficient operational, and strategic delivery of our collaborative pathology services. Pathology services within the group are located across four sites across a developing collaborative model of Hub and Essential Services Laboratories on the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, North Tees and Hartlepool University Hospital in Stockton, Friarage Hospital Northallerton and Hartlepool Hospital consists of Biochemistry, Blood Transfusion, Coagulation, Cellular pathology and Mortuary services, Haematology, Immunology and Microbiology (Bacteriology / Virology & Molecular) Services. We are looking to recruit an outstanding individual to lead the operational day-to-day pathology services across University Hospitals Tees. The Head of Pathology / Operations Manager plays a key role in overseeing operations, ensuring financial efficiency, and driving service improvement:

Operational management - Ensure the timely and efficient provision of high-performance pathology services Strategic management - Leading on strategy delivery for pathology services, promoting innovation, quality, opportunities for commercial development and operational excellence Stakeholder engagement - Collaborating with clinicians, internal and external partners Workforce - Ensuring key performance indicators, service level agreements, and financial targets are met. Delivering a recruitment and retention strategy

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust now form University Hospitals Tees and as such you may be required to work at any site across both Trusts. At North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, we want our organisation to be the best place to work with the right staff, in the right roles, at the right time, to ensure we deliver exceptional patient care and experience. We will support staff through providing an inclusive and supportive workplace with health and well-being initiatives, staff benefits and opportunities for personal and professional development. We support the 'Making Every Contact Count' approach to behaviour change in the promotion of health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offers leadership and improvement training to all new staff. This training programme has been designed to support our leaders in developing their understanding of leadership and management skills. Person Specification Qualifications & Training Essential

Professional Registration with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Master’s degree or equivalent demonstrable experience. Evidence of continuous personal and professional development. Relevant management qualification or significant management experience.

Knowledge & Skills Essential

Excellent proven leadership skills. Excellent proven communication and negotiation skills. Innovative thinker with the ability to cut through barriers to change exceptional organisational and project management skills. Performance management skills. Excellent critical thinking skills using teams when appropriate - as well as thinking innovatively in terms of developing service models. Critically analyse complex financial, system, process, and clinical data sets. Well-developed IT skills to manage and report on complex management information. Detailed knowledge of pathology services and national requirements and service performance targets. Knowledge of service improvement methodology (LEAN principles) and its application.

Desirable

Broad understanding of NHS Policy. Knowledge and experience of project management and administration.

Experience Essential

Significant post-qualification experience in several clinical specialties including pathology. Extensive knowledge of the NHS in clinical services management/key healthcare operational role. Experience of translating strategic goals into effective operational plans and objectives. Experience of successfully managing organisation change. Recent evidence and experience of positive leadership skills and the ability to transform and lead a team to work effectively together. Substantial and relevant management experience in a key healthcare operational role. Demonstrate achievements in improving patient care, meeting NHS targets, and managing within budgets. Proven experience of Project Management. Experience in a senior healthcare professional role and managing a service.

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. UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration (HCPC). For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). This advert closes on Friday 13 Mar 2026 #J-18808-Ljbffr