Associate Director People and Operations

Job Summary

In this role you will play a pivotal part in shaping our organisational culture and ensuring operational excellence. Reporting to the Executive People Director, you will support organisations within and beyond the NHS. Your work will involve the generation and delivery of consultancy to improve how they lead teams, develop workforce capabilities and lead on people strategy, workforce development, and organisational effectiveness, while overseeing the smooth running of our core operations.

This is a unique opportunity to influence how improvement is delivered across the NHS, ensuring teams are empowered and equipped to make a difference.

• Proven experience in senior people and operations roles, ideally within health or public services.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire, influence, and build trust across diverse teams.
• Expertise in HR and OD, with a track record of delivering workforce strategies that support organisational success.
• Operational management capability, including governance, planning, and performance oversight.
• Commitment to NHS values and passion for improvement, equity, and collaboration.

• A chance to shape the future of NHS improvement at national level.
• Professional development opportunities and support for career progression.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Inclusive culture where diversity is celebrated and every voice matters.

• Key Responsibilities
• Strategic leadership
  :
  Deliver with our people leaders the people plan and operations strategy aligned with our work.
• Business development
  :
  Come to us with a track record of performance and delivery so that your credibility and influence is clear.
• Workforce development
  :
  Lead initiatives across organisations to attract, retain, and develop talent, fostering a culture of inclusion and growth.
• Operational excellence
  :
  Ensure that our people team have clear business planning, governance, and performance management to ensure efficiency and impact.
• Partnership working
  :
  Collaborate with NHS, Commercial and Third Sector partners to build and strengthen people and improvement capability.
• Change management
  :
  Drive organisational transformation across organisations, embedding best practice in leadership, engagement, and delivery.

Advancing Quality Alliance (Aqua) are a national improvement agency within the NHS, dedicated to driving better outcomes for patients, staff, and communities. Our mission is to support health and care organisations to deliver high-quality, sustainable services through innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Date posted
  : 28 January 2026
• Pay scheme
  :
  Agenda for change
• Band
  :
  Band 8c
• Salary
  : £76,965 to £88,682 a year per annum
• Contract
  :
  Permanent
• Working pattern
  :
  Full-time
• Reference number
  : 236-HOS-AC010-26
• Job locations
  :
  Advancing Quality Alliance (Aqua), Crossgate House, Cross Street, Sale, M33 7FT

Job responsibilities:

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading.

• Essential
• Skills
  :
  • Excellent presentation, verbal and written communication skills
  • Well-developed group facilitation skills
  • Ability to prioritise and deliver to deadlines
  • Credible and able to work with senior NHS leaders including clinicians and multi-agency leadership groups
  • Ability to support negotiations, influence and persuade in contentious circumstances to achieve positive outcomes
  • Commercial acumen and results driven mindset
• Knowledge
  :
  • Detailed understanding of health and care systems and the work we can do to support them
  • Theoretical and applied knowledge of the science of quality improvement, system leadership and change management commensurate with this position
  • Knowledge and applied experience of project and programme management techniques with a proven record of their effective, recent application at regional level
• Qualifications
  :
  • Degree level education or equivalent experience in an area relevant to health service management, change management, quality improvement

• Disclosure and…