Director of Healthcare Operations & Income

London, Greater London (On-site)
Up to £110,000
Full-time
Permanent

Actively Interviewing

This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!

Job description

Director of Healthcare Operations & Income

When registering to this job board you will be redirected to the online application form. Please ensure that this is completed in full in order that your application can be reviewed.

Director of Healthcare Operations & Income

Hybrid 

Full Time/Permanent

Our offer to you 

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work, providing a supportive culture with opportunities to grow and develop your career, achieve a healthy work life balance and to be recognised for the great work you do. You will receive: 

  • Competitive salary and pension scheme
  • 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays) - increasing to 38 days over 5 years
  • Hybrid, Flexible working
  • Cycle to work scheme Electric Vehicle Scheme
  • Health and Wellbeing portal – access to financial, health and wellbeing support and an Employee Assistance Programme
  • Discounts – you will have access to Blue Light and NHS Discounts as well as discounts on mobile phones, gym membership, cinema tickets, restaurants, holidays and shopping 

 
About Us 

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 1,300 employees and over 28,000 volunteers, united by our goal of saving lives through essential first aid services, training and campaigning.  As a charity with rich heritage and a long history of serving humanity, we are proud of our past and excited about creating a healthier, safer, more resilient future.  

St John Ambulance works at the heart of communities, supporting and enabling them to access and receive physical and mental health first aid. We do this through developing and providing effective community response and outreach services including our Ambulance Operations and using our longstanding expertise to empower people with vital clinical skills and the confidence to use them such as SJA Volunteers, and our Young Responders programmes. There is also a buoyant social enterprise network which delivers first aid training and supplies medical consumables to businesses and consumers.  And now with a new strategy and after a review of our current structures were recruiting to a new National Head of Ambulance Operations to help take our delivery to the next level and build our services. 
 
Job Summary 

In a newly refreshed role, were looking for an outstanding individual, someone that will bring robust experience in aligned fields, is used to working in a challenging but rewarding environment, enjoys leadership and is genuinely driven by the cause of St John. 

We have huge ambition at St John to increase our income, reach and impact and as lead Director, you will hold overall responsibility and accountability for the Healthcare Operations Directorate encompassing Event Healthcare, Ambulance Operations and Community Healthcare delivery. You will drive the commercial ambition of your portfolio, shaping strategy, setting direction, and delivering against stretching targets. You’ll work closely with volunteer leaders across the organisation, forging strong partnerships that strengthen our impact and help us build new community centred healthcare provision. 

You will take the lead on our engagement with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and key external partners, regulators, stakeholders and commissioners, including Event Customers, ICBs, Trusts and the wider NHS. Central to the role is championing innovative, high quality, patient centred services that are reliable, financially viable, effective and continuously improving. You will provide visible, motivational leadership across your directorate, embedding our HEART values and positioning our services as an employer of choice beyond the NHS. Alongside fellow leaders, you will share collective responsibility for delivering the charity’s strategic objectives, while confidently managing a significant P&L of approximately £20m+.

About You 

You will be degree‑educated (with a relevant master’s desirable), ideally hold a clinical qualification such as Registered Paramedic. You’ll bring substantial senior leadership experience in large, complex organisations, with a strong track record in delivering ambulance or health service strategies, leading in CQC‑regulated environments, and managing a commercial operation of £20m+ with full P&L accountability. You’ll have experience shaping effective policies and processes, leading large staff and volunteer teams, and delivering complex change programmes. Exceptional interpersonal, influencing and people‑centred leadership skills, underpinned by emotional intelligence and collaboration, are essential.

About the Role 

  • To lead and hold overall responsibility and accountability for our major services including Event Healthcare, Ambulance Operations and Community Healthcare delivery.
  • To hold overall accountability for a significant P&L and ensure adherence to plan
  • To ensure that our services are patient focused, responsive, safe, effective, well led, and sustainable, and hold overall accountability for CQC leadership and the highest standards of delivery.
  • To role model, empower and enable your people. To champion and exemplify compassionate, ethical and accountable leadership and St John HEART values.
  • Inspire excellence, compassion and commitment in your leadership team
  • In collaboration with key colleagues, lead on the development of effective business and commercial development and marketing strategies that drive revenue surplus, enhance market share, and strengthen brand value.   
  • Establish and drive continuous improvement of KPIs and dashboards to measure and drive effectiveness across the various teams, including Events and Ambulance Operations, and the business and to ensure we meet compliance of all Healthcare Operations contracts, continually measuring and acting on customer/stakeholder feedback
  • Cultivate relationships with external stakeholders, partners and customers (including key Event customers, Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), ICB’s, and NHS England), ensuring the Charity is well positioned to capitalise on potential business and funding opportunities

Please see the job description for more detail (this can be viewed on our website or once you click apply) 

If you are a current St John Ambulance employee, please apply here: Click here 

For all other candidates, or St John Ambulance volunteers wishing to apply: please apply below 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive high volume of applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. 

St John Ambulance are committed to increasing the diversity of our team and making sure we best reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.   At St John, everyone is valued and supported to thrive, we have several networks including Multi Culture, Disability and Accessibility, Pride, Family and Carers and Women’s groups.  We do not tolerate any form of discrimination and engender a sense of belonging for all, by creating an environment of mutual respect, where we value unique differences and demonstrate authentic allyship. We believe passionately in equality, diversity and inclusion.    

'St John Ambulance is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice. Therefore, all successful applicants will undergo pre-employment checks, including DBS Clearance, as part of the onboarding process, if applicable to the nature of the role'. 

Please note: St John does not accept speculative CVs and will only review CVs sent in application for an advertised vacancy. 

Organisation
St John Ambulance View profile Organisation type Registered Charity Company size More than 1000
Posted on: 13 February 2026
Closing date: 13 March 2026 at 23:30
Job ref: 303671CHJ
Tags: Operations