Operational Manager – Oriel Transition

YOU MAKE US MORE

Join Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

At Moorfields, people’s sight matters—and so do the people who make it possible.

For over 200 years, Moorfields has been at the forefront of ophthalmic care, research, and education. With more than 2,300 dedicated team members and over 700,000 patients seen annually across our City Road site and 22 networked sites, we are proud to be a global centre of excellence.

We're also a vibrant community where kindness, equity and excellence shape every aspect of our work. Whether it’s pioneering research through our partnership with UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre or training the next generation of global eye care leaders, we’re united by one mission—delivering world-class eye health, sustainably and at scale.

And we’re just getting started.

From 2027, we’ll move to our brand-new Oriel site in St Pancras, Camden—a state-of-the-art centre that will unite eye care, research, and education under one roof. This groundbreaking facility, developed in partnership with UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity, will enable transformative innovation and collaboration like never before.

Could you be part of this future? Make us more.

Job Overview

The post of operational manager is a key position within the Oriel programme’s senior management structure, responsible for the planning and coordination of the transfer of all divisional services to the new centre.

They will work closely with the divisions, supporting the divisional leadership and providing expert management and leadership skills to enable a safe and smooth transition, whilst being flexible and adaptable to the needs of the divisions.

Reporting to the Director of Operational Change, the operational manager has a wide range of responsibilities for planning and delivering the transfer of services, minimising disruption to services across the City Road sites.

As a senior leader within the organisation, they will have a key role in the embedding of the Trust’s values.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will lead on planning and delivery of the clinical services move plan, and participate in divisional senior management meetings and trust-wide management meetings as required, to ensure divisional readiness.

A key element of this is preparing the wider workforce and working with HR to create an orientation, training and familiarisation programme for all staff transferring to the new centre.

They will lead a team of c. 25 move champions, including medical, nursing, allied health and administration staff, chairing regular move planning meetings.

The emphasis of this post is on delivery. Alongside the divisional directors and Oriel programme team, the post holder will have responsibility for ensuring that the transfer of services is achieved in a way which optimises patient centred care across all services, within available human and financial resources. This will include supporting the divisions to deliver their post-move activity recovery plans.

Working for our organisation

What’s in it for You?

At Moorfields, we invest in you—your growth, your wellbeing, your future.

You’ll Join a Flexible, Supportive Organisation Offering

• Competitive salary (including high-cost area supplement)
• Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
• 24/7 independent counselling support
• Career-long learning and development opportunities
• Excellent transport connections
• Access to NHS and Blue Light discount schemes
• Free Pilates classes
• Full support and training to develop your skills

And so much more! To see the full range of benefits we offer please view our Moorfields benefits leaflet.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

To support the Director of Operational Change and the wider Oriel leadership by leading the planning and delivery of transfer of the directorates’ services and in fulfilling the following operational and strategic responsibilities:

• Management of move champions
• Lead the recruitment of c. 25 move champions
• Manage the move champions
• Manage and direct the implementation of the trust’s HR policies and procedures within own area of responsibility
• To be responsible for ensuring that all staff within own responsibility receive adequate and effective training and adhere to published policy and procedures.
• To be responsible for ensuring that all staff are compliant with mandatory training requirements.
• To work closely with HR to deliver the Trust’s workforce development agenda.
• To promote high level leadership skills by demonstrating attributes consistent with the leadership qualities framework, and to promote and support the development of this these skills within the team.
• Move planning and delivery
• Work with the Oriel operational commissioning leads to refine speciality and team level move plans
• Bring together the divisional management and contracts team to refine the clinical activity plan
• To lead, direct and be accountable for the operational services’ move plans across all sites
• Ensure that the NHS and private patient clinical activity plans are reflected in divisional activity plans
• Liaise with divisional management in the development and delivery of clinical double running plans
• Escalate, and support resolution of, any financial issues that may result in overspend against the operational commissioning budget
• Advise and support with the development and delivery of non-clinical move plans including Ebenezer Streer & 1 Granary Street
• Support and conclude option appraisals for services for which a location or service model has not yet been resolved
• To work with the Senior Operational Change Manager and senior divisional colleagues to plan for, and establish a move command centre, drawing on best practice in incident planning.
• To participate in the move command team, and act as move commander on a rotational basis with other senior colleagues.
• As necessary, liaise with the appointed relocation service provider and operational commissioning leads on matters relevant to the transfer of equipment
• To be responsible for maintaining strong and effective programme management systems to ensure the delivery of targets and objectives within own areas of responsibility
• Preparing the workforce
• Work with HR (learning & development), Estates & Facilities and other colleagues to develop and deliver an HR training/orientation plan for all staff (c.2,000)
• Work with the transformation, Estates & Facilities and education teams to develop and deliver service simulations in advance of clinical moves
• Work with the Oriel communications team to develop operational commissioning communication plan, including patient communication
• Quality and Safety
• Support the timely delivery of the Oriel accreditation and compliance plan
• Update patient letters and supporting information to reflect the change of location taking account of clinical pathways and existing communication routes
• Work with the operational commissioning leads, emergency planning leads (MEH and IoO) and MEH leadership to establish a move command centre and plan
• Participate in the move command rota in a senior capacity
• Governance
• Maintain a thorough understanding of all Oriel workstream schedules and escalate any issues through the operational commissioning leads
• Attend the Operational Commissioning Board as required
• Support the workstream lead for 1 Granary Street/admin in resolving space challenges in 1GS/Oriel 7th floor admin/Oriel leadership space
• Work with the Oriel operational commissioning leads in maintaining workstream governance including achievement of CSFs and major milestones
• Act as an ambassador for the Oriel programme
• To ensure a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusiveness in all aspects of its activities, both in relation to service provision and employment, and that specific plans are implemented to support this agenda as appropriate.

To ensure that all services within own areas of responsibility are managed within financial balance, identifying training and development needs and working with budget holders to ensure that they are held accountable for delivery.

To be responsible for ensuring that all risks are identified, analysed and managed in accordance with the Oriel governance framework, and regularly review risks in the context of the corporate register as appropriate.

Ensure all activities within your remit adhere to agreed performance & reporting standards, templates and formats, including clear and measurable benefits, project tracking, risk & issue management and agreed milestones which demonstrate progress.

Ensure all activities within your remit are set up with appropriate governance structures, meeting schedules and reporting processes which align with the overall Oriel programme governance requirements

Support the Director of Operational Change – Oriel in reporting workstream delivery at Oriel Executive Board (or equivalent), and any other Trust meetings as necessary, preparing reports and presentations, and deputising at meetings where required

Ensure activities within remit are compliant with corporate policies, in particular ensuring information governance (IG) and quality and safety policies are adhered to. Provide support and guidance to junior team members on ensuring appropriate corporate policies are followed.

• Partnership & Team Working
• Maintain effective relationships with Oriel partners, ensuring that workstreams align with wider partner strategies and goals
• To be responsible for positive and effective relationships and communication channels with internal and external stakeholders and partners.
• Manage external contractors where required, overseeing delivery of contracts within workstream remit.

Act as a change ambassador, providing support and coaching to colleagues as necessary, advising on operational matters, project management & delivery, stakeholder management and quality improvement methodology where required

Person specification

Education

Essential criteria

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
• Relevant Masters qualification or equivalent experience of working as a senior operational or strategic manager in a relevant field
• Project management training or qualification or equivalent experience in change management
• Evidence of ongoing CPD activity

Desirable criteria

• Effectiveness in conflict resolution and management.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Extensive experience of management within an acute NHS environment
• Experience of managing large budgets and the complexities of managing high numbers of staff across a variety of disciplines.
• Managing Complex Change
• Leading multi-professional and cross organisational development
• Experience of managing a team to achieve delivery of planned benefits
• Experience influencing staff at all levels to achieve project outcomes

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Understanding of the Health and Social care strategic and management environment and roles and responsibilities within it
• Performance management methodology, project management tools and methodologies, including benefits tracking, risk and issue management, project scheduling and reporting
• Knowledge and awareness of: National targets and the NHS Plan, Clinical Governance, Workforce development and Organisational Development methods

Due to the nature of this position, employment is subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK, completion of a satisfactory DBS disclosure and two references. We do not offer visa sponsorship for roles unless clearly stated in our adverts, so please consider this before applying.

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of our organisational culture.

As part of our pledge to take positive action in recruitment we encourage applications from under-represented candidates including BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) and Disabled candidates as we work towards a representative workforce that is able to provide the quality, the dignity and respect and to deliver above and beyond.

Moorfields is a flexible working friendly organisation, and we are committed to helping our employees achieve a work-life balance that is beneficial for health and wellbeing, motivation levels and job satisfaction. Every employee of the Trust has the right to request to work flexibly. Please speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.

If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

If we receive sufficient applications, we will close this ad prior to the closing date. You are advised not to delay submitting your completed application.

If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying or would like an accessible version of any recruitment documents, please contact the recruitment team at moorfields.recruitment@nhs.net.

https://www.moorfields.nhs.uk/work-for-us

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Documents to download

• Oriel Operational Manager JD and PS April 2026 (PDF, 488.4KB)
• Oriel Operational Manager JD and PS April 2026 (PDF, 488.4KB)
• MEH Staff Benefits (PDF, 919.1KB)
• MEH Privacy Notice (PDF, 138.0KB)

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name Chloe Cox Job title Director of Operational Change - Oriel Email address chloe.cox@nhs.net Telephone number 07783974225

If you have problems applying, contact

Address Any

Telephone emma.blake10@nhs.net