Managing Director

Managing Director

The closing date is 08 March 2026

Stakeholder Events; W/c 23.3.26 / Panel Interviews; 30.3.26

Applications for this role are invited via our chosen agency, Hunter Healthcare.

Thank you for taking the time to explore the opportunity to join University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust as one of our four Managing Directors.

This is a pivotal moment in our journey. Following the completion of our Target Operating Model review, we have taken a deliberate decision to simplify our organisational structure & place strong, accountable leadership at the heart of delivery. The creation of four MD roles represents a significant step forward in how we lead, integrate & improve services across Sussex. UHSx is one of the largest & most complex NHS organisations in the country, serving a diverse population across seven hospital sites & delivering major acute, specialist & tertiary services. Our ambition is clear: Excellent Care Everywhere. Achieving this consistently requires senior leaders who can operate at scale, combining operational grip with strategic leadership & system influence. Each MD will lead a substantial executive-level portfolio, with responsibility for a Division typically comprising £250m-£340m annual turnover, 1,900-4,000 WTE staff and up to 330 consultants, delivering services across multiple hospital sites. These roles offer real scope to shape cross-site integration, drive performance & lead meaningful service development within one of the NHS's most significant provider organisations.

Main duties of the job

The Managing Director (MD) is a senior Trust leader with both corporate and divisional accountability, responsible for the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred services across all sites within their Division, and for contributing to the overall performance and leadership of University Hospitals Sussex.

The MD is accountable for divisional performance across quality, safety, access, people and finance, and is expected to operate as a corporate leader of the Trust, holding collective responsibility for Trust-wide delivery, transformation and improvement in line with the strategy 'Excellent Care Everywhere'.

The MD leads the divisional leadership team and works in close partnership with the Divisional Medical Director, Divisional Director of Nursing and Divisional Director of Operations, who report to the MD. Together, the divisional triumvirate is responsible for delivering agreed outcomes, fostering a culture of accountability, inclusion and continuous improvement, and ensuring consistent standards across all sites.

The MD is a member of the Executive Management Committee, attends the Trust Board and relevant Board Assurance Committees as a non-voting member, and is expected to contribute at Board level to assurance, grip and delivery, operating to the standards expected of senior executive leaders.

About us

Working for our organisation At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

Candidate Pack Job responsibilities

How to apply;

All applications must be received by 8 March 2026. All applications must quote the reference UHSX_MD and include: A full curriculum vitae; A covering letter (no more than two pages) indicating how you meet the selection criteria and articulating why you are interested in the role; Contact details for referees covering the last six years (who will not be contacted without your permission); A contact email address and telephone no.; A completed Diversity Monitoring Form and Fit and Proper Person Monitoring Form.

Person Specification Experience and Skills

• Educated to degree level or equivalent professional level in any relevant discipline
• Ability to gain credibility amongst senior clinical, and operational colleagues
• Extensive senior management experience in a complex healthcare organisation;
• Experience of managing very large, multi-professional teams.
• Proven track record of delivering results and targets;
• Experience of multi-agency planning and service delivery
• Master's degree or equivalent knowledge/experience
• MBA or Doctorate
• Experience in leading major transformation programmes

Analytical and Judgement Skills

• Highly developed analytical and judgement skills
• Ability to interpret complex data and make sound decisions

People Management and Development

• Highly developed leadership skills
• Ability to inspire, motivate and hold others to account;
• Experience of managing performance, change, and complex people issues
• Ability to balance decisiveness with engagement
• Ability to manage 'up' as well as through line management and colleagues
• Coaching or mentoring qualification

Planning and Organising Skills

• Strategic thinker
• Ability to plan over short, medium, and long-term timescales
• Ability to manage competing priorities

Communication Skills

• Highly developed communication, negotiation, and influencing skills
• Ability to present complex information to a range of audiences
• Skilled in conflict resolution and partnership working
• Experience of media engagement

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

• Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
• Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues

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.

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

£100,000 to £200,000 a year, dependant on experience.