Divisional Clinical Director

Southampton, England, United Kingdom

7/18/2025

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

This role is open to registered medical or clinical practitioners with current professional registration and relevant senior-level specialist training

We are seeking a new Divisional Clinical Director to provide clinical leadership and strategic direction to Division C while Freya Pearson takes her sabbatical from this role. As a key member of the leadership triumvirate, working with the Divisional Director of Operations, Jo Ince and Divisional Director of Nursing, Louisa Green, you will have shared accountability for the leadership, management, and continuous improvement of the Division. This includes accountability for high-quality patient care and safety, the delivery of agreed performance, financial, and workforce objectives, ensuring that our three new Divisions align and positively contribute to the Trust's strategic aims and objectives.

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.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

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, recognizing 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.

You Will

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Be a strategic clinical leader - and an effective and considered communicator - who is able to influence and enthuse all our people from ward to board room to system-wide partners.
• Have shared accountability for the leadership, management, and continuous improvement of the Division.
• Be responsible for the delivery of all targets and objectives, balancing the three objectives of safety, clinical outcomes, and financial stability.
• Provide strategic input to transformation change, clinical governance and risk management - working collegiately across the Trust and with our external partners
• Be able to deal with sensitive and complex issues, providing compassionate and values-based leadership that supports and motivates others
• As always, live and demonstrate behaviours that meet our Trust Values: Patients First, Always Improving, Working Together. You will inspire, develop and support every one of us to live these values - every patient, every colleague, every day.
  
  

What We’re Looking For

• Be a registered medical or clinical senior practitioner with current professional registration, specialist training and a track record of CPD
• Have experience of managing and leading large clinical and non-clinical teams, with a collaborative and collegiate external focus to facilitate greater working across the healthcare community
• A track record of influence across organisational boundaries to build strong collaboration partnerships with system stakeholders
• Senior experience of successfully managing budgets and the delivery of productivity and efficiency programmes, together with a track record of leading change through people, by effective and engaging leadership
• You will be able to demonstrate and live our UHS Values and share our vision and direction for the division and the trust in a spirit of collaboration and compassion.
  
  

Further Information

For an informal conversation please contact: Jo Ince, Louisa Green, Freya Pearson or Paul Grundy

This role is additional to the appointee's clinical role; job planning will be discussed as part of this appointment process.

Please apply with a CV and covering letter.

Key Dates

Closing date 1st August

Interviews w/c 12 August

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered medical/clinical practitioner with current GMC or equivalent professional registration
• Specialist training in relevant area
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Experience working as specialty consultant or equivalent level Experience working across organisational boundaries
• Experience working across organisational boundaries
• Demonstrable track record of leading change
• Patient and carer awareness and experience
• Have a strategic approach to transformation goals, with examples.
• Experience in managing and or leading clinical/non clinical teams.
• Knowledge and experience of working in formal clinical networks within the NHS
• Clinical governance and risk management concepts and techniques
• Good understanding of how to use data to improve quality and productivity
• Understanding the relationship with other organisations i.e ICBs, GIRFT
• Excellent leadership skills and the ability to build & motivate high performing teams
• Highly effective interpersonal and communication skills including listening skills.
• Strong negotiation, persuasion and influencing skills. Ability to deal with conflict and challenge.
• Ability to deal with conflict and challenge
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Management and leadership qualification
• Previous strategic experience
• Knowledge of service improvement tools and techniques
• Understanding of commissioning and contracting function and processes
• Evidence of successful collaborative working across organisational boundaries