Band 8b - General Manager, Women's and Children's

Band 8b - General Manager, Women's and Children's

Main area: Women's and Children's
Grade: Band 8b
Contract: Fixed term 12 months (Commencing 1 July 2026)
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 360-D-11287-B

Department name: West Herts
General Staffing Site: Watford General Hospital
Location: Watford
Salary: £68,852 - £79,638 pa (inc. HCA) per year
Closing date: 07/08/2026 23:59

Job overview

We are recruiting a Band 8b General Manager to provide senior operational and strategic leadership within the Women’s and Children’s Division at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. You will work closely with the Deputy Director of Operations and the Divisional leadership team to deliver performance, continuous improvement and financial stewardship across a complex portfolio of services. The role is suited to an experienced NHS operational leader with strong financial acumen, exceptional stakeholder management, and a collaborative, values‑driven leadership style. You will shape service strategy, improve patient experience, deliver national targets and support a positive, inclusive culture across multidisciplinary teams.

Main duties of the job

You will hold overall responsibility for the operational, financial and workforce performance of your service portfolio. Your core duties include:

• Leading business planning, performance management and service improvement to meet national and local targets such as RTT and waiting list standards.
• Acting as budget holder, developing cost‑improvement programmes and approving business cases in partnership with Clinical Directors, Matrons and senior managers.
• Ensuring high‑quality, patient‑centred services that meet governance and safety standards.
• Providing visible leadership to management teams, supporting workforce planning and development, and managing complex operational escalations.
• Contributing to divisional and Trust‑wide objectives while demonstrating resilience in a complex healthcare environment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will manage day‑to‑day operations, performance delivery and financial control for a defined portfolio within the Women’s & Children’s Division. Key responsibilities include service planning, performance monitoring against national and local targets, budget management, workforce oversight and the delivery of service improvement initiatives. The role works closely with Clinical Directors, Matrons, Heads of Department and corporate teams such as Finance, HR, Governance and Strategy. You will support effective governance, manage operational risks and escalations, and contribute to Trust‑wide priorities and transformation programmes. Core working hours are Monday to Friday, with flexibility required for occasional extended hours or meetings outside normal working patterns.

Person specification

Education

• Degree level education or equivalent qualification.
• Studying for or plans to study a management qualification.
• Evidence of continuing professional development, including regular attendance on internal and external programmes.

Knowledge

• Understanding of key issues and pace of change facing the NHS nationally and locally, and the impact on services.
• Knowledge of governance arrangements and standards in the NHS and the wider health and social care economy.

Experience

• Operational management experience in an acute NHS organisation.
• Experience managing several complex NHS services, preferably within the Acute Sector.

About the Trust

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust provides acute healthcare services to a core catchment population of approximately half a million people in west Hertfordshire and surrounding areas. The Trust also offers specialist services to a wider population, serving residents of North London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and East Hertfordshire. As an employer of nearly 6,000 people, the Trust sees nearly a million patients each year.