Hospital Director – Place Leadership

Hospital Director – Place Leadership

The closing date is 21 May 2026

Stakeholder Event: 11th June 2026 / Panel Interview: 18th June 2026

2 opportunities available, one at St Richards Hospital, Chichester and one at Worthing Hospital

Following the launch of our new target operating model and restructuring of our hospital site teams, we are seeking a Hospital Director for St Richards Hospital, Chichester and a Hospital Director for Worthing Hospital. The Hospital Director is a high‑profile role and is responsible for ensuring that the site is safe, resilient, compliant, and operationally prepared to support the delivery of clinical services by divisions. The role provides authoritative place‑based leadership, translating Trust strategy and the OneUHSussex operating model through a site lens and ensuring that services with delivery accountability elsewhere are able to operate effectively.

A visionary leader who demonstrates an inclusive and engaging leadership style, you will provide a visible hospital presence and be comfortable working in a matrix structure in one of England's largest acute hospital Trusts.

To succeed in this role, you will have already operated at a senior operational level and be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of operational management in an acute NHS hospital setting, possess excellent persuasion and influencing skills with the ability to deliver at pace.

Main duties of the job

The Hospital Director provides senior corporate leadership for the hospital as a place, ensuring that the site is safe, resilient, compliant and operationally prepared to support divisional clinical services.

The Hospital Director – Place Leadership is the Trust's senior corporate leader for the hospital site, accountable for ensuring that the site is safe, resilient, compliant and operationally prepared to support the delivery of clinical services by the divisions.

Acting on behalf of the Chief Executive and Executive Team, and reporting to the Deputy Chief Delivery Officer, the role provides authoritative place‑based leadership, translating Trust strategy and the One UHSx operating model through a site lens and ensuring that services with delivery accountability elsewhere are able to operate effectively.

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

The Hospital Director holds direct corporate accountability for stewardship of the site, including safety, resilience, estates, infrastructure, space, environmental standards, emergency preparedness and statutory compliance. The role exists to enable and protect divisional delivery by identifying and managing site‑level risks and constraints, coordinating major change, leading EPRR arrangements, and providing clear assurance to the Executive Team.

This is a high‑profile, visible leadership role requiring strong personal authority, judgement and pace. The postholder must be able to build trusted relationships quickly, lead through influence rather than line management, hold the confidence of the Executive Team, and represent the Trust credibly with local partners, regulators, elected representatives and communities. The role requires advanced communication, judgement, organisational planning and leadership across policy, financial and workforce areas.

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full duties and responsibilities.

Qualifications / Knowledge and skills

• Master's degree or equivalent knowledge/experience;
• Sound understanding of Health Service policy and both National and local patient agendas
• Extensive knowledge of CQC Standards and requirements
• Evidence of significant senior leadership development
• MBA or Doctorate
• Leadership training

Experience

• Significant experience of senior level operational management experience gained in a complex acute hospital setting
• Substantial experience of managing both clinical and/ or non‑clinical services
• Proven track record of delivering results and targets
• Advanced management / leadership experience of large multi‑professional teams
• Experience of multi‑agency planning and service delivery
• Experience in leading major transformation programmes

Communication Skills

• Highly developed communication, negotiation, and influencing skills
• Ability to convey highly complex and contentious messages
• Proven ability to work effectively with a wide range of clinical professionals
• Ability to present complex information to a range of audiences
• Skilled in conflict resolution and partnership working
• Confidence and ability to challenge colleagues
• Develop good working relationships with colleagues across Trust and with External stakeholders
• Experience of media engagement

People Management and Development

• Highly developed and credible leadership skills
• Able to lead, motivate and influence individuals both within and external to the organisation
• Experience of managing performance, change and complex people issues
• Ability to hold others to account
• Ability to work under pressure and lead through ambiguity
• Coaching or mentoring qualification

Analytical & Judgment skills

• Highly developed analytical and judgement skills
• Ability to interpret complex data and make sound decisions
• Experience of critical decision making in relation to operational and clinical risk

Planning & Organisational Skills

• Strong problem‑solving abilities
• High level objective setting
• Demonstrate efficient use of resources
• Excellent time management and prioritisation

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

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

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)

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