Band 7 Lead Theatre Practitioner

Job summary
I am seeking a very experienced clinical band 6 with a strong background in perioperative leadership, operational management, and delivery of safe, efficient surgical services within complex healthcare environments. Extensive clinical scrub experience supporting thoracic, vascular and robotic surgery pathways, including coordination of complex cases, specialist equipment, and multidisciplinary teams within high-acuity theatre settings. Skilled in theatre flow management, workforce planning, clinical governance, patient safety, and service improvement. Experienced in managing operational pressures, embedding human factors principles, clinical auditing, and leading quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient outcomes and theatre performance. Recognised for maintaining high clinical standards, supporting staff development, and providing effective leadership within fast-paced surgical environments.

Main duties of the job
Responsible for overseeing daily theatre operations within thoracic and urology theatres, coordinating elective and emergency activity, managing staffing and skill mix, supporting patient flow, and ensuring safe standards of care across perioperative services. Experienced in clinical governance, incident management, risk assessment, audit, and implementation of quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient outcomes and operational performance.

About us
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.

Job responsibilities
*Please Note : For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see attached Job Description*

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• NMC Registered Nurse / HCPC Registered Operating Department Practitioner
• Specialist knowledge of theatres procedures / instrumentation acquired though degree or diploma plus experience and further post registration study / experience or management qualification in a related field i.e. : anaesthetic / 1st Assistant , or an equivalent level of knowledge

Desirable

• Health care /management / leadership qualification -at Degree or Masters Level

Experience
Essential

• Relevant and recent clinical experience within an acute care setting within theatres / relevant practice setting as a Band 6 deputy manager or equivalent or above including the supervision , deployment and education of junior staff
• Can demonstrate depth and breadth of experience of working in at least 2 areas of peri operative practice ( anaesthetics , scrub or recovery ) , and in different specialties including elective and emergency practice settings
• Professional portfolio which demonstrates continuing professional development, evidence of ability to maintain professional registration
• Evidence of effective multi-professional working with reference to decisions on issues arising from surgical emergencies and coordinating actions
• Experience of being a mentor , assessor and supervisor of students and junior staff
• Evidence of the ability to confidently lead / coordinate a shift / area of the department
• Evidence of the ability to organise others and forward plan and review/ adjust staff rotas
• Experience of supporting the implementation of new procedures/ process's
• Demonstration of recent involvement / significant contribution to innovative practice or change management
• Experience in interviewing and selecting staff
• Experience in learning from incidents / complaints and supporting changes in practice
• Wide knowledge of a range or pre and post-operative care, ability to plan and organise duties / service requirements associated with physical and human resources , ability to allocate tasks / duties to a range of staff
• Can demonstrate understanding associated with human and physical resource management and application across a team working in a multidisciplinary environment
• Can demonstrate an understanding of human resource management associated with codes of practice / professional and Trust guidelines
• Can demonstrate understanding of delegated financial authority associated with being a budget holder
• Can demonstrate understanding / experience in staff appraisal / performance review and talent management / succession planning
• Can demonstrate understanding of clinical governance/ patient safety and risk management in relation to the practice setting
• Can demonstrate understanding of HR policy application in relation to staff /management
• Can demonstrate knowledge in relation to clinical , financial and workforce governance associated with the role
• Can demonstrate knowledge in relation to workforce planning , development and staff deployment
• Demonstrates current NHS Policy / Political awareness in relation to the role

Additional Criteria
Essential

• Highly developed communication skills able to communicate sensitive information / medical conditions/ with a wide range of stakeholders
• Highly developed persuasion / motivational and reassurance skills associated with working in a complex environment associated with planned / unplanned work based activities
• Well-developed human resource management skills
• Ability to review/ plan staff rotas in accordance with Trust guidance / service need and mitigate workforce risks associated with staff deployment
• Demonstrates the key strengths and motivators of the role within the domains of integrity, ownership delivery and relating to others.
• Proven ability to analyse and use data to support decision making and identify trends
• Evidence of a range of post registration competencies associated with the practice setting and the ability to teach and supervise others learning new skills / procedures
• Able to effectively present information to groups / health care professionals in formal / informal group settings
• Ability to work under pressure across competing demands/ proprieties and demonstrate appropriate delegation and prioritisation skills
• Can demonstrate understanding of Mental Capacity Act/ Safeguarding principles applied to the theatre practice setting
• Proven delegation skills
• Good IT/ Keyboard skills. Knowledge as a minimum of Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams
• Skilled motivator / negotiator
• Able to consistently manage complex / contentious situations with staff / multidisciplinary colleagues to address and solve complex situations /problems
• Well-developed leadership and organisational skills
• Ability to demonstrate passion for staff development
• Ability to demonstrate integrity and ownership
• Flexible, reliable and adaptive approach to role -- showing commitment to role development and the development of others
• Flexible approach to shift patterns and service needs which may involve working in different areas or cross site working in different practice settings
• Ability to travel across all Trust sites/ services to attend meetings
• Ability to travel to meetings outside of the organisation as a representative of the service / Trust

Desirable

• Well-developed coaching skills

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).

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.

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).

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