George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

Clinical Operations Manager

The closing date is 09 March 2026

Job summary

Clinical Operations Manager

37.5 hours per week

Permanent

Salary: £55,690 - £62,682 per annum

Closing Date: 9th March 2026

Interview Date: TBC

**This post may close early due tohigh numbers of applications, so you are advised to apply promptly.**

All correspondence for this vacancy will be sent by email; please check your account regularly including your Junk and SPAM areas.

A great and friendly place to work, so bring your passion, commitment and expertise and enjoy the opportunities to make a difference every day.

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#JoinTeamEliot

We are seeking an experienced and solutions-focused Clinical Operations Manager to lead the Coventry & Warwickshire Community Dental Service. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated leader with strong operational, financial, and governance skills to shape the future of special care dentistry across the region.

The postholder will line manage all qualified dental staff within the service, supporting recruitment, workforce planning, staff development, and daily workload allocation. You will act as a key point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, ensuring services are safe, responsive, and aligned with regulatory requirements.

The candidate will be a collaborative leader with strong problem solving abilities, able to deliver high-quality community dental care and contribute to ongoing service development across Coventry & Warwickshire.

Main duties of the job

As Clinical Operations Manager, you will lead the delivery of a diverse portfolio of community special care dentistry, including but not limited to; GA & sedation services, domiciliary care community and placed based delivery units. You will take responsibility for driving clinical and operational excellence, whilst ensuring achievement of commissioned contracts. You will drive and monitor progress, ensuring services are delivered safely, on time, and to the highest regulatory standards.

You will line manage administration staff, dental nurses, therapists and dentists. You will support and guide the wider research delivery team, supporting recruitment, training, and development to build a motivated and skilled workforce. A key part of your role will be strengthening collaboration external partners, key internal stakeholders, and regulators, while ensuring the financial sustainability of the portfolio through accurate and timely income recovery, contract delivery and CPIP identification.

This is a role for someone who thrives on leadership and problem-solving. Whether streamlining processes, guiding staff, or representing the service, you will be central to advancing the improvements in special care dentistry to the lives of people within Coventry & Warwickshire.

About us

Here at George Eliot our vision to'excel at patient care' takes centre stage. An ever evolving clinically-led acute service provider we are on a journey to continually provide high quality, safe and responsive services delivered by inspiring, friendly and compassionate staff who share our corporate values which underpin everything we do. Our values are not just words on a piece of paper, they bond us together, reflect our ambition and shape who we are:

Effective Open Communication

excellence and safety in everything we do

Challenge but support

Expect respect and dignity

Local health that inspires confidence

Benefits: On-site nursery, 27 days minimum annual leave plus bank holidays, cycle to work scheme, flexible working, in house training and development, buying and selling of annual leave, subsidised restaurant, tranquillity garden and generous subsidised on-site parking.

Details

Date posted

27 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

230-53960821-SURG-C

Job locations

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

College Street

nuneaton

CV10 7DJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

You will be responsible for the operational management and performance of services delivered across multiple sites, ensuring effective, efficient, and compliant delivery against SLAbased contracts. This strategic yet handson role involves maintaining high clinical and operational standards while driving service improvement and innovation.

Clinical

Visible leadership in the clinical areas and be accessible to patients, families and carers.

Monitor and ensure clinical standards and legislation applicable to dental service are adhered to and understood.

Responsible for ensuring that all Infection Prevention and Control standards are adhered to including polices, staff training and competencies, decontamination standards and maintenance and cleanliness of clinical environments.

Lead and engage with clinical teams to ensure standards of care are effectively and efficiently delivered.

Ensure that all staff have a clearly defined responsibilities and accountability are working towards agreed objectives and service plan.

Responsible and accountable for ensuring the delivery of a high quality, patient centred service that meets the needs of the patient.

Facilitate changes to service provision to ensure effective and safe patient pathways.

To promote and lead change in clinical practice to improve the patient experience.

Ensures effective communication channels exist between patients and relevant stakeholders at all levels.

To communicate sensitive information to staff and patients requiring a high level of negotiating, persuasive and reassurance skills. Dealing with patients with special care requirements, disabilities and nervous/phobic conditions.

Leadership and Performance Management

To work cohesively with the Consultant Clinical Lead, Dentists, Therapists and the Oral Health Team, to ensure an efficient service delivery, supporting national and local targets.

Provide a clear, effective and appropriate leadership style that engages and involves the multi-disciplinary team in how the service is being delivered.

Efficiently and effectively manage resources so to maximise service efficiency in order to meet Trust targets. Ensure the designated areas are staffed appropriately by the regular review of skill mix and benchmarking against other similar units.

Be frequently involved in negotiating with various disciplines, various levels of management, clinicians and with service users and their families

Retention and recruitment of registered dental nurses and dental team and ensure appropriate ongoing registration with the General Dental Council.

Oversight of staff sickness and absence, ensuring adherence to policy and take appropriate action to reduce sickness as required.

Ensure a high level of awareness of clinical and non-clinical targets, work with stakeholders to achieve targets using a rigorous but supportive culture of performance management.

Promote staff development through regular performance reviews and personal development plans

Responsible for producing and implementing standards of practice, policy, service-related business objectives and agreed targets within Community Dental.

To communicate service-related information to staff and managers

Develop collaborative and co-operative relationships with other healthcare professionals, and participate in professional and managerial meetings, liaising as appropriate.

To attend relevant Trust and operational Managers meetings and represent the profession on Dental Services and Trust meetings as appropriate, ensuring agreed actions are managed and implemented effectively.

To chair Dental Service Meetings and ensure that the team is kept up to date with developments and service changes within the Dental Service and Trust.

The post holder will develop the strategic plans and annual objectives for dental nursing and the Dental Team and agree these with the Head of Nursing and the Surgical Triumvirate.

Responsible for undertaking, producing and implementing the Dental Service Delivery Continuity plan.

Participate in clinical audit, benchmarking and sharing of good practice.

Work with the Directorate Management Team and Dental Clinical lead to ensure sound operational management of all areas with robust, auditable systems.

Produce written communication of highly complex and sensitive information including patient reports, project reports and policy documents

Finance and Contracting

Monitors and manages the Coventry & Warwickshire Special Care Dental Commissioned budget.

Monitors Commissioner Contracts and undertakes assessment and costing to ensure completion of contracts and identify over or under performance.

Identifies, completes and presents capital bids/ 10 year Capital Plans for Community Dental Service.

Work in conjunction with the General Manager to ensure all dental costs are accurately reflected within the financial and contractual frameworks used to support contract negotiations and ratify bids to the Clinical Commissioning Groups and Workforce Development Directorate alike.

To lead and develop business cases which involve Dental Services

To be responsible for the pay and non-pay budgets in the Coventry & Warwickshire Community Dental Service

Education and Training

To oversee and be responsible in ensuring mandatory training for all registered qualified dental nurses and effectively monitor this to the level required by the General Dental Council.

The post holder will ensure all registered qualified dental nurses maintain accurate CPD records to allow them to maintain registration with the General Dental Council and promote a positive and dynamic workplace where individuals feel valued and wish to deliver our vision to excel at patient care.

Create a positive learning environment where skills and knowledge can be shared developing a culture of continuous improvement and development in clinical practice

The Dental Lead will ensure that a career framework is developed for dental nursing, which will operate under the NHS Knowledge and Skills framework and Agenda for Change.

Promote staff development through regular performance reviews and personal development plans

Participate in team, professional and personal development activities and promote a commitment to continuous development

Provide professional and clinical supervision demonstrating advanced levels of knowledge, judgement and decision making.

Identify workforce requirements to meet the team and organisation objectives

Risk Management & Governance

To promote a positive culture regarding incident reporting and shared learning within Dental Service.

Ensure that risk registers are populated and utilised, to manage risk and keep the team, Directorate and Trust Board informed

To oversee and be accountable with the support of the Dental Governance Lead in effective interpretation, implementation and supervision of mandatory and statutory legislation, relating to the dental nursing team and their clinical practices. This includes Health & Safety, COSHH, Control of Infection, Decontamination and conducting Risk Assessments within all clinical departments. When required, lead the timely investigation and resolution of complaints, clinical adverse events and untoward incidents, involving staff and/or patients within relevant specialties and implement strategies to reduce risk of reoccurrence and to promote quality

Ensure that the relevant national policy, guidance and targets in respect to clinical governance are implemented and adhered to

In partnership with the Clinical Director and General Manager improve the effectiveness of clinical services by ensuring that the clinical standards, education, audit and research are pursued in line with the Trust policy and that the on-going clinical practice is evidence based

Responsibility for Research & Development

Lead on environmental and clinical audits to support best practice.

To lead on implementation of Best Practice at Dental Nurse meetings

To supervise and support in conjunction with the Booking & Access Team Leader on computer training packages and assist in the implementation of any new computer programme.

Special Requirements

The role is split across both sites, with days of attendance at each site to be agreed with the supervisor based on service needs. There are further satellite clinics across the following locations where visibility will also be expected.

Atherstone

Bedworth

Camp Hill, Nuneaton

Lillington, Leamington Spa

Leamington Special Care Dental Clinic

Rugby Orchard Centre

Stratford Dental Clinic

Some remote and flexible working will be supporting in line with service need and team coordination.

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will be responsible for the operational management and performance of services delivered across multiple sites, ensuring effective, efficient, and compliant delivery against SLAbased contracts. This strategic yet handson role involves maintaining high clinical and operational standards while driving service improvement and innovation.

Clinical

Visible leadership in the clinical areas and be accessible to patients, families and carers.

Monitor and ensure clinical standards and legislation applicable to dental service are adhered to and understood.

Responsible for ensuring that all Infection Prevention and Control standards are adhered to including polices, staff training and competencies, decontamination standards and maintenance and cleanliness of clinical environments.

Lead and engage with clinical teams to ensure standards of care are effectively and efficiently delivered.

Ensure that all staff have a clearly defined responsibilities and accountability are working towards agreed objectives and service plan.

Responsible and accountable for ensuring the delivery of a high quality, patient centred service that meets the needs of the patient.

Facilitate changes to service provision to ensure effective and safe patient pathways.

To promote and lead change in clinical practice to improve the patient experience.

Ensures effective communication channels exist between patients and relevant stakeholders at all levels.

To communicate sensitive information to staff and patients requiring a high level of negotiating, persuasive and reassurance skills. Dealing with patients with special care requirements, disabilities and nervous/phobic conditions.

Leadership and Performance Management

To work cohesively with the Consultant Clinical Lead, Dentists, Therapists and the Oral Health Team, to ensure an efficient service delivery, supporting national and local targets.

Provide a clear, effective and appropriate leadership style that engages and involves the multi-disciplinary team in how the service is being delivered.

Efficiently and effectively manage resources so to maximise service efficiency in order to meet Trust targets. Ensure the designated areas are staffed appropriately by the regular review of skill mix and benchmarking against other similar units.

Be frequently involved in negotiating with various disciplines, various levels of management, clinicians and with service users and their families

Retention and recruitment of registered dental nurses and dental team and ensure appropriate ongoing registration with the General Dental Council.

Oversight of staff sickness and absence, ensuring adherence to policy and take appropriate action to reduce sickness as required.

Ensure a high level of awareness of clinical and non-clinical targets, work with stakeholders to achieve targets using a rigorous but supportive culture of performance management.

Promote staff development through regular performance reviews and personal development plans

Responsible for producing and implementing standards of practice, policy, service-related business objectives and agreed targets within Community Dental.

To communicate service-related information to staff and managers

Develop collaborative and co-operative relationships with other healthcare professionals, and participate in professional and managerial meetings, liaising as appropriate.

To attend relevant Trust and operational Managers meetings and represent the profession on Dental Services and Trust meetings as appropriate, ensuring agreed actions are managed and implemented effectively.

To chair Dental Service Meetings and ensure that the team is kept up to date with developments and service changes within the Dental Service and Trust.

The post holder will develop the strategic plans and annual objectives for dental nursing and the Dental Team and agree these with the Head of Nursing and the Surgical Triumvirate.

Responsible for undertaking, producing and implementing the Dental Service Delivery Continuity plan.

Participate in clinical audit, benchmarking and sharing of good practice.

Work with the Directorate Management Team and Dental Clinical lead to ensure sound operational management of all areas with robust, auditable systems.

Produce written communication of highly complex and sensitive information including patient reports, project reports and policy documents

Finance and Contracting

Monitors and manages the Coventry & Warwickshire Special Care Dental Commissioned budget.

Monitors Commissioner Contracts and undertakes assessment and costing to ensure completion of contracts and identify over or under performance.

Identifies, completes and presents capital bids/ 10 year Capital Plans for Community Dental Service.

Work in conjunction with the General Manager to ensure all dental costs are accurately reflected within the financial and contractual frameworks used to support contract negotiations and ratify bids to the Clinical Commissioning Groups and Workforce Development Directorate alike.

To lead and develop business cases which involve Dental Services

To be responsible for the pay and non-pay budgets in the Coventry & Warwickshire Community Dental Service

Education and Training

To oversee and be responsible in ensuring mandatory training for all registered qualified dental nurses and effectively monitor this to the level required by the General Dental Council.

The post holder will ensure all registered qualified dental nurses maintain accurate CPD records to allow them to maintain registration with the General Dental Council and promote a positive and dynamic workplace where individuals feel valued and wish to deliver our vision to excel at patient care.

Create a positive learning environment where skills and knowledge can be shared developing a culture of continuous improvement and development in clinical practice

The Dental Lead will ensure that a career framework is developed for dental nursing, which will operate under the NHS Knowledge and Skills framework and Agenda for Change.

Promote staff development through regular performance reviews and personal development plans

Participate in team, professional and personal development activities and promote a commitment to continuous development

Provide professional and clinical supervision demonstrating advanced levels of knowledge, judgement and decision making.

Identify workforce requirements to meet the team and organisation objectives

Risk Management & Governance

To promote a positive culture regarding incident reporting and shared learning within Dental Service.

Ensure that risk registers are populated and utilised, to manage risk and keep the team, Directorate and Trust Board informed

To oversee and be accountable with the support of the Dental Governance Lead in effective interpretation, implementation and supervision of mandatory and statutory legislation, relating to the dental nursing team and their clinical practices. This includes Health & Safety, COSHH, Control of Infection, Decontamination and conducting Risk Assessments within all clinical departments. When required, lead the timely investigation and resolution of complaints, clinical adverse events and untoward incidents, involving staff and/or patients within relevant specialties and implement strategies to reduce risk of reoccurrence and to promote quality

Ensure that the relevant national policy, guidance and targets in respect to clinical governance are implemented and adhered to

In partnership with the Clinical Director and General Manager improve the effectiveness of clinical services by ensuring that the clinical standards, education, audit and research are pursued in line with the Trust policy and that the on-going clinical practice is evidence based

Responsibility for Research & Development

Lead on environmental and clinical audits to support best practice.

To lead on implementation of Best Practice at Dental Nurse meetings

To supervise and support in conjunction with the Booking & Access Team Leader on computer training packages and assist in the implementation of any new computer programme.

Special Requirements

The role is split across both sites, with days of attendance at each site to be agreed with the supervisor based on service needs. There are further satellite clinics across the following locations where visibility will also be expected.

Atherstone

Bedworth

Camp Hill, Nuneaton

Lillington, Leamington Spa

Leamington Special Care Dental Clinic

Rugby Orchard Centre

Stratford Dental Clinic

Some remote and flexible working will be supporting in line with service need and team coordination.

Person Specification

Qalifications and Professional Training

Essential

  • oEducated to Degree level of equivalent
  • oPost graduate level qualification or equivalent extensive experience
  • oSpecialist knowledge and detailed understanding of national priorities and developments in Special Care Dentistry
  • oRecognised good clinical practice training
  • oRelevant current professional registration (NMC, GDC etc)

Experience and knowledge

Essential

  • oRelevant and proven experience in managing a Special Care Community Dental Service
  • oRelevant and proven experience in improving clinical services
  • oExperience in managing teams and individuals, including across multi site services
  • oExperience in liaising with finance departments, and commissioning bodies
  • oExperience of financial budget ownership
  • oExperience in contract performance management, including SLAs
  • oExperience in compiling and ratifying standard operating procedures (SOPs)
  • oEvidence of developing quality assurance systems and procedures
  • oDissemination of complex information to internal and external stakeholders
  • oAnalysing practices and implementing policies to improve outcomes.
  • oPreparing and delivering formal presentations
  • oAllocation of tasks and projects to others and supervision of outcomes.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • oNumeracy and problem solving skills
  • oCritical analytical skills
  • oProven ability to communicate effectively in writing
  • oProven ability to communicate effectively verbally
  • oProficient in the use of Microsoft word, excel and powerpoint
  • oProven ability to work under pressure
  • oDemonstrates the ability to work under own initiative
  • oDemonstrates understanding of the importance of audit/quality
  • oProven knowledge of special care dental standards

Desirable

  • oProven knowledge of special care dental standards

Personal Requirements

Essential

  • oDemonstrate the ability to meet Trust values
  • oWillingness & ability to work across multiple sites
  • oAbility to form and maintain positive working relationships
  • oAbility to respond to the needs of the service

trust values

Essential

  • oEffective open communication
  • oEXcellence and safety in everything we do
  • oChallenge but support
  • oExpect respect and dignity
  • oLocal healthcare that inspires confidence
Person Specification

Qalifications and Professional Training

Essential

  • oEducated to Degree level of equivalent
  • oPost graduate level qualification or equivalent extensive experience
  • oSpecialist knowledge and detailed understanding of national priorities and developments in Special Care Dentistry
  • oRecognised good clinical practice training
  • oRelevant current professional registration (NMC, GDC etc)

Experience and knowledge

Essential

  • oRelevant and proven experience in managing a Special Care Community Dental Service
  • oRelevant and proven experience in improving clinical services
  • oExperience in managing teams and individuals, including across multi site services
  • oExperience in liaising with finance departments, and commissioning bodies
  • oExperience of financial budget ownership
  • oExperience in contract performance management, including SLAs
  • oExperience in compiling and ratifying standard operating procedures (SOPs)
  • oEvidence of developing quality assurance systems and procedures
  • oDissemination of complex information to internal and external stakeholders
  • oAnalysing practices and implementing policies to improve outcomes.
  • oPreparing and delivering formal presentations
  • oAllocation of tasks and projects to others and supervision of outcomes.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • oNumeracy and problem solving skills
  • oCritical analytical skills
  • oProven ability to communicate effectively in writing
  • oProven ability to communicate effectively verbally
  • oProficient in the use of Microsoft word, excel and powerpoint
  • oProven ability to work under pressure
  • oDemonstrates the ability to work under own initiative
  • oDemonstrates understanding of the importance of audit/quality
  • oProven knowledge of special care dental standards

Desirable

  • oProven knowledge of special care dental standards

Personal Requirements

Essential

  • oDemonstrate the ability to meet Trust values
  • oWillingness & ability to work across multiple sites
  • oAbility to form and maintain positive working relationships
  • oAbility to respond to the needs of the service

trust values

Essential

  • oEffective open communication
  • oEXcellence and safety in everything we do
  • oChallenge but support
  • oExpect respect and dignity
  • oLocal healthcare that inspires confidence

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

Address

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

College Street

nuneaton

CV10 7DJ


Employer's website

http://www.geh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

Address

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

College Street

nuneaton

CV10 7DJ


Employer's website

http://www.geh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

General manager

Alistair Nutting

alistair.nutting@geh.nhs.uk

02476351351

Details

Date posted

27 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

230-53960821-SURG-C

Job locations

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

College Street

nuneaton

CV10 7DJ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)