Band 8a Service Delivery Manager

Location: Hybrid based in Harlow (2 days working from home)

Job Type: Temporary

Duration of booking: Expected to last 3 months with possible extension

Proposed start date: ASAP

Pay Rates: £31 per hour Paye Inclusive of Holiday pay

Hours / Working Days: 37.5 hours per week / Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm

Based: Office / Hospital

The Service Delivery Manager is a key operational and leadership role within the Care Group. The post holder will be responsible for the day-to-day management and performance of one or more services, working in close partnership with Clinical Leads, Matrons, the General Manager, and the Head of Nursing.

The role ensures that effective systems and structures are in place to deliver safe, high-quality, patient-centred care, while managing operational performance, financial control, workforce engagement, and clinical governance. The post holder will support service development and transformation, ensuring delivery of national and local performance standards, financial sustainability, and continuous improvement.

The Service Delivery Manager will contribute to the delivery of the Trust Strategy by supporting efficient pathways, improving patient flow, strengthening governance, and fostering a positive and inclusive culture.

• Provide visible, inclusive, and compassionate leadership to services, ensuring staff are supported, developed, engaged, and motivated to deliver high-quality care.
• Model Trust values consistently, fostering a respectful team culture that promotes wellbeing, psychological safety, equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Communicate clearly and confidently with multidisciplinary teams, encouraging open dialogue, active listening, and shared decision-making.
• Support team development, manage performance issues fairly and constructively, and encourage ownership and accountability at all levels.
• Lead and support staff through service change and transformation, managing resistance and maintaining engagement and trust.
• Celebrate success, promote learning across teams, and implement retention and talent development strategies.
• Translate Trust and divisional objectives into service-level priorities, supporting teams to plan, deliver, and monitor improvement.
• Strengthen collaboration across departments, primary care, and system partners to improve patient pathways and flow.
• Work with senior colleagues to establish and communicate a clear vision for services that empowers staff to achieve optimal performance.

• Line manage designated staff and provide overall leadership and support to service teams.
• Ensure effective staff communication and engagement, enabling staff to influence service planning and development.
• Establish and lead effective monthly service business meetings with multidisciplinary attendance to review performance, finance, quality, and risks.
• Use service data, benchmarking, and evidence to inform transparent, outcome-focused operational and clinical decisions.
• Support the production of monthly divisional performance reports and contribute to divisional business meetings.
• Chair or support departmental meetings and local advisory groups, representing the division and Trust as required.
• Contribute to the development of annual business plans aligned to national policy, Trust strategy, and local priorities.
• Monitor and report agreed performance indicators (e.g. Theatre Efficiency, cancellations, UEC metrics), identifying trends and improvement actions.
• Develop and implement policies to manage service pressures and capacity constraints.
• Ensure performance metrics are reported accurately and on time within the divisional balanced scorecard.
• Support Electronic Patient Record (EPR) and digital initiatives, promoting tools that enhance data quality, access, and service efficiency.

With delegated authority from the General Manager / Deputy General Manager:

• Manage services to the highest standards, ensuring patients, carers, and families are treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.
• Deliver agreed objectives and targets in support of the Trust Strategy.
• Support effective resource management, including…