Theatre Manager

Transformationunitgm; Greater London; On-site; GBP 56,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK healthcare provider is seeking a Theatre Manager for their paediatric surgical services in London. The role involves overseeing operational management of multiple theatres, leading a multidisciplinary team, and ensuring compliance with clinical governance standards. Applicants should possess a postgraduate degree, related professional development, and significant leadership experience in the clinical field. This permanent, full-time position offers a competitive salary package and opportunities for career growth in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in clinical expertise across theatre discipline.
• Proven leadership experience managing theatre staff.
• Knowledge of infection control and safety protocols.

Responsibilities

• Manage the operation of 7 inpatient theatres and 2 outpatient theatres.
• Lead a multidisciplinary team of theatre staff.
• Ensure compliance with clinical governance standards.

Skills

Operational management

Leadership

Resource management

Clinical governance

Education

Postgraduate degree or equivalent

Ongoing professional development relevant to role

Leadership and management course

Job description

Main area Nursing Manager, Theatre Team Leader, Band 7 Team Leader Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Working pattern will be Monday to Friday with no nights and weekends) Job ref 196-NM13568-N

Employer Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Guys' and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust - Evelina Children's Heathcare Town London Salary £56,276 - £63,176 Per annum inclusive of HCA Salary period Yearly Closing 25/01/2026 23:59 Interview date 12/02/2026

Theatre Manager

NHS AfC: Band 7

Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.

Guy’s is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions.

Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients.

In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world‑leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world‑renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world‑leading research.

We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit.

Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’. Our adult community services achieved a rating of ‘outstanding’.

The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS. We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients.

We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS.

Job overview

The post holder will be pivotal in ensuring the safe, efficient and compassionate delivery of surgical services within a paediatric theatre environment. The post holder will be responsible for the day-to‑day management of operating theatres, leads a multidisciplinary team to deliver high standard of care tailored to the unique needs of children and young people.

This role involves strategic planning, staff coordination, resource management, and compliance with clinical governance standards. The post holder is expected to foster a culture of excellence, safety and continuous improvement, working closely with surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, and allied health professionals to optimise patient outcomes and experiences.

Main duties of the job

Key responsibilities include:

• Overseeing the operational management of paediatric surgical theatres.
• Leading and developing theatre staff, ensuring appropriate training and professional development.
• Managing theatre schedules and resources to maximise efficiency and minimise delays with
• Ensuring adherence to infection control, safeguarding, and paediatric‑specific safety protocols.
• Collaborating with clinical and administrative teams to support integrated care pathways.
• Monitoring performance metrics and implementing quality improvement initiatives.

Working for our organisation

At Evelina London, our paediatric theatres are central to specialist surgical care. We operate seven inpatient and two day case theatres, each with dedicated recovery units, supporting a wide range of specialties including ENT, Orthopaedics, Spine, Plastics, Urology, General Surgery, Dental, Ophthalmology, and Robotic Surgery. Our team also supports procedures in MRI, Interventional Radiology, Cath Lab, PET Scan, and occasionally adult theatres for paediatric cardiac and ophthalmology cases.
Despite being spread across the hospital, our theatre staff work as one cohesive team, rotating across all areas. This fosters strong multidisciplinary collaboration and enables staff to develop specialist skills and grow professionally.
We are supported by dedicated clinical educators who deliver structured training and development. The Trust promotes flexible working and upskilling programmes, helping staff gain competencies across perioperative specialties. These efforts contribute to high staff retention and a culture of continuous improvement.
Evelina London also collaborates with other NHS trusts, creating opportunities for innovation and service expansion. We are preparing to launch the Children’s Cancer Service—a transformative project enhancing our paediatric oncology expertise. This is a unique opportunity to join a pioneering team delivering exceptional care to vulnerable children while advancing your career in a dynamic, supportive environment.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Manage the day‑to‑day running of 7 inpatient theatres and 2 day case theatres, including recovery units.
• Coordinate theatre schedules, staffing, and resources to optimise patient flow and minimise delays.
• Ensure compliance with infection control, safeguarding, and paediatric‑specific safety protocols.

Clinical Governance & Quality

• Monitor and evaluate clinical standards, ensuring adherence to national and Trust policies.
• Lead on incident reporting, risk management, and implementation of quality improvement initiatives.
• Support audit, research, and service evaluation activities.

Workforce Management

• Lead a multidisciplinary team, promoting collaborative working across demographically split areas including MRI, Cath Lab, Interventional Radiology, and PET Scan.
• Facilitate staff rotation across all areas to support skill development and team cohesion.
• Conduct appraisals, manage performance, and support career progression.

Education & Development

• Work closely with dedicated clinical educators to identify training needs and deliver structured development pathways.
• Promote upskilling programmes across perioperative services, enabling staff to gain competencies in multiple specialties.
• Support preceptorship, mentorship, and student placements.

Strategic & Service Development

• Contribute to strategic planning and service expansion, including the upcoming Children’s Cancer Service.
• Represent the theatre service in Trust‑wide initiatives and external collaborations.
• Drive innovation and transformation in paediatric surgical care.

Person specification

Education/Qualification

• Evidence of post graduate degree or equivalent
• Evidence of ongoing professional development relevant to role required
• Evidence of leadership and management course
• Master's degree or working towards it

Experience

• Clinical expertise across theatre discipline - anaesthetics/scrub/recovery
• Experience in roster management and resource management
• Leadership experience as a Band 6
• Experience in workforce management (staff appraisals/sickness management)

Knowledge and Skills

• Up‑to‑date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues
• Understanding of clinical governance, quality and safety and risk management
• Skills in medicines management
• Resource Management Skills - budget management and team performance
• Ability to analyse and interpret data

Values and Behaviour

• Upholding high standard of ethical practice, confidentiality and accountability
• Demonstrates active listening to colleagues and patients, clear and sensitive explanation of care
• Promotes equality, diversity and inclusion at all times

Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.

Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy.

As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends.

We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking in to account the individual’s personalcircumstances as well the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the on‑boarding process.

Due to recent changes inthe UK immigration rules which affect Skilled Worker Visas, Global Business Mobility, Higher Skill Level and Increased Salary Thresholds, please ensure that you are able to meet the requirements to live and work in the UK before applying. Further informationabout eligibilityis available on the UK Government website.

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Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.