Assistant Service Manager

Job Summary

We are looking for a motivated and organised Assistant Service Manager to join our Medical and Clinical Oncology team within Disease Group 3, which covers Breast, Lymphoma, Sarcoma, and Melanoma services. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the delivery of world‑class cancer care and research, supporting clinical teams and administrative staff to ensure patients receive the highest standard of service.

In this role, you will provide day‑to‑day operational management for Disease Group 3, working closely with service managers, clinicians and other stakeholders to maintain efficient patient pathways and meet key performance targets. You will play a vital part in service planning and improvement initiatives, helping to enhance patient experience and outcomes. You will be responsible for the management of admin and secretarial staff, line‑managing individual staff members as well as ensuring the service meets its admin KPIs.

The successful candidate will be proactive, organised, and able to manage competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment. Strong communication skills are essential, as you will need to build effective relationships with clinical and non‑clinical colleagues and act as a central point of contact for operational issues.

Date posted: 08 January 2026

Pay scheme:
Agenda for change

Band:
Band 6

Salary: £38,682 to £46,580 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract:

Permanent

Working pattern:
Part‑time

Reference number: CNS-AK

Job locations:
Clinical Networked Services – E00255, Manchester, M20 4BX

• Coordinate operational management of the department working closely with other managers including the Support Manager, Deputy Service Manager/Service Manager and Divisional Management team.
• Provide leadership and direction for the Support Manager and the administrative team within the department, ensuring clear communication of policy, business objectives and agreed targets.
• Implement effective and appropriate performance management systems and processes to ensure delivery of performance targets.
• Represent the department in attending performance, governance, finance and other meetings.
• Manage budgetary responsibilities as an authorised signatory for payments in relation to stationary stores within agreed financial limits; support the Deputy Service Manager in day‑to‑day budget management duties, including monitoring spend against budgets.
• Develop and monitor schemes and action plans to implement cash‑releasing efficiency savings targets.
• Ensure the service meets Trust patient waiting list targets and robust processes are implemented to keep patients seen within national targets.
• Plan and organise comprehensive administration and clerical functions to support the requirements of the patient referral and booking system.
• Plan, implement and monitor systems and processes to facilitate the tracking of target patients, ensuring patients are seen within appropriate time scales.
• Plan and implement legislative changes impacting local administrative processes.
• Undertake complex staff planning, organising rotas, allocating and reallocating tasks and staff on a daily basis to meet service delivery requirements.
• Analyse, investigate and resolve complex administrative queries and issues.
• Interpret and analyse data in relation to performance management using Trust software to develop performance management reports.
• Propose and implement policies and procedures within outpatients and health records, impacting across the Trust (e.g., redesign of health information systems, redesign of case note architecture).
• Lead substantial programmes of work to improve administrative services across pathways of care or for specific patient groups.
• Develop and introduce strategies and process changes to ensure recurrent achievement of activity at target levels, liaising with clinicians to influence working practices.
• Provide advice to patients/relatives on an individual basis, offering non‑clinical information regarding queries relating to the patient administrative pathway (e.g., outpatient appointments, waiting times).
• Develop own work plan in line with divisional and Trust objectives,…