Joint Associate Director - Facilities

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 19 October 2026

Senior leadership of end-to-end Soft Facilities Management across DHC & DCH portfolio--Cleaning, Patient Catering, Portering, Security, Grounds, Waste, Linen & Laundry, Administration & Car Parking, Transport and Car Parking and Switchboard / Receptions ensuring each service line operates to clear standards, unambiguous KPIs, and a robust governance framework that demonstrably supports clinical care, safety, patient experience, and operational resilience across all sites and settings.

The Head of Service is accountable to the Joint Director Estates and Facilities for the provision of leadership, direction, health & safety and financial control for all Facilities operational services, contributing to and ensuring delivery of strategic and operational service objectives set by DCH & DHC Board and Executive Management Team

Translate corporate and clinical strategy into a coherent Soft FM operating model and annual plan People,Process,Technology, Commercials, Outcomes

Provide executive assurance
that DCH & DHC Soft FM operations meet statutory and mandatory requirements, are audit-ready at all times, and are supported by clear risk registers, incident learning loops, and forward plans that prevent recurrence and drive continuous improvement.

Lead transformation and innovation at scale
--reframing service delivery models, modernising methods, and embedding a culture of data-driven decision-making and measurable benefits realisation.

Act as the professional lead for Soft FM
, advising executives, Divisions and clinical boards, deputising for the Joint Director EFM where appropriate on Soft FM matters, and providing compelling, evidence-based briefings, options appraisals and recommendations for investment, disinvestment, or service re-design.

To role model compassionate and inclusive leadership in order to shape the creation of a collective leadership culture within the trust. This means demonstrating a consistent leadership style which (a) engages, enables and empowers others (b) uses coaching to promote ownership of learning and quality improvement and (c) facilitates team working and collaboration within teams / departments and across organisational boundaries.

At DCHFT, we pride ourselves on the care we provide for our patients, and on the culture, we are creating for our staff. We work hard to create a fair, inclusive environment for our staff.

Our Mission is to provide outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them, and our vision is Dorset County Hospital, working with our health and social care partners, will be at the heart of improving the well-being of our communities.

We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under-represented groups.

We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate's individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.

Right to Work in the UK:
This role is not available for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to support visa applications for this post in line with UKVI regulations.

Please see the attached Job Description/Person Specification for full details of the main responsibilities of this position.

• Master's-level knowledge (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (e.g., Facilities & Estates) with substantial, proven experience leading Soft FM across large, complex, multi-site organisations. Demonstrates deep understanding of how non-clinical services…