Very Senior Manager (VSM) London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Location: Waterloo, London
London Ambulance Service is one of the busiest ambulance services in the world, serving more than nine million people across the capital. We are looking for an exceptional leader to join our Trust Operations senior leadership team as Deputy Chief Operating Officer.
This is a high-profile role at the heart of one of the NHS's most complex and demanding operational environments. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, you will act as their principal deputy, providing the critical link between strategic ambition and operational delivery. You will help lead performance, planning, resilience and improvement across Trust Operations while also building and maintaining strong relationships with partners across London's health and care system.
Please note that informal discussions with the recruiting manager will not take place prior to longlisting. Candidates selected for longlisting will be invited to discuss the role in more detail before shortlisting decisions are made.
For further information and to apply, please refer to the full Job Description and Person Specification. We welcome applications from all communities and are committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the population we serve.
Assessments & Interviews will take place w/c 2nd November 2026
As Deputy COO, you will provide visible and inspiring leadership across the organisation. You will work alongside operational leaders to drive performance, improve patient outcomes and ensure that the Trust remains focused on delivering safe, compassionate and high-quality care. You will also play a key role in major incident management, emergency preparedness, workforce planning, organisational improvement and system-wide transformation.
We are looking for an experienced senior leader with a proven track record of delivering results in a large, complex healthcare or public service organisation. You will bring substantial experience of operational leadership, performance improvement, partnership working and leading through change. You must demonstrate the ability to influence at the most senior levels, build credibility quickly and make sound decisions in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.
The successful candidate will be a visible and values-led leader who champions inclusion, collaboration and psychological safety. You will have the confidence to provide constructive challenge, the ability to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders and a commitment to developing a culture where people can perform at their best.
This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of ambulance services in London and contribute to improving outcomes for patients across the capital.
Our strategy 2023-2028 outlines how we plan to achieve this, and is centred upon three missions focused on:
Our care – delivering outstanding emergency and urgent care whenever and wherever needed.
Our organisation – being an increasingly inclusive, well-led and highly skilled organisation people are proud to work for.
Our London – using our unique pan-London position to contribute to improving the health of the capital.
To achieve these three missions we have set ourselves 50 commitments to deliver over the next five years. In developing these ambitious commitments, we have engaged extensively both inside our organisation, with our partners and with our patients, and we have analysed population trends and horizon scanned the future.
Essential requirements include:
- Significant senior leadership experience within an NHS provider or similarly complex organisation.
- Extensive experience leading large-scale operational services and delivering performance against key standards and targets.
- Experience of working across organisational boundaries with partners, regulators and stakeholders.
- Strong strategic, operational and financial leadership skills.
- Experience of leading major change programmes and service improvement initiatives.
- Ability to work as part of the Trust's Executive/Strategic On-Call rota.
Why join us?
This role offers the opportunity to:
- Help shape the strategic direction of one of the UK's largest ambulance services.
- Lead significant operational improvement and transformation programmes.
- Influence system-wide planning and delivery across London's urgent and emergency care system.
- Work alongside a dedicated team committed to providing outstanding care to patients every day.
This vacancy is open to both internal and external candidates. In line with the Trust's organisational change policies and its commitment to supporting colleagues affected by organisational change, preferential consideration will be given to applicants who are formally at risk of redundancy and who meet the essential criteria for the role.
