JOB PURPOSE

The Assistant Director, Acute Care Operations provides strategic and operational leadership across acute care services, ensuring safe, efficient,high-quality and patient-centred care.

Working closely with clinical, nursing, allied health and corporate partners, the role drives operational excellence, optimises patient flow and resource utilisation, and advances service and workforce transformation. The portfolio includes inpatient wards, the Emergency Department, the Bed Management Unit, Health Information Services and the Clinical Coding Unit, with accountability for operational performance, service continuity and regulatory compliance.

MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Operations Leadership

Strategic Planning and Execution

Translate organisational and divisional priorities into operational plans and initiatives by:

Developing and implementing departmental workplans aligned with Woodlands Hospital and NHG strategic priorities.

Monitoring healthcare trends, operational risks, service demand and emerging opportunities that may affect acute care operations.

Analysing operational, financial and performance data to support evidence-based planning and decision-making.

Leading service, care model and workforce transformation initiatives, supported by appropriate technology solutions.

Coordinating strategic projects and programmes across inpatient and related departments.

Service Development and Transformation

Lead the development, implementation and evaluation of initiatives that:

Improve patient outcomes and experience.

Enhance operational efficiency, quality and safety.

Optimise patient flow, bed utilisation and discharge processes.

Introduce innovative care models and operational solutions.

Organisational Preparedness and Risk Management

Lead operational preparedness and resilience planning, including:

Civil emergency and pandemic preparedness.

Business continuity planning.

Surge capacity management.

2. Operational Leadership

Operations and Facilities Management

Partner with clinical and nursing teams to ensure safe, efficient and effective operations across the following areas:

Acute general wards.
Community Hospital wards.
Inpatient hospice palliative care services wards.
Emergency Department.

Key responsibilities include:

Monitoring operational performance and capacity utilisation.

Supporting patient flow and bed management strategies.

Ensuring compliance with regulatory, accreditation, quality and safety standards.

Coordinating operational readiness and service continuity.

Leading facility planning, space optimisation, infrastructure enhancement and operational improvement initiatives.

Overseeing facilities-related procurement, including requirements definition, proposal evaluation, budget planning, contract management and project implementation.

Monitoring the utilisation of operational resources and assets to support effective deployment and responsible stewardship.

Supporting relocation, expansion and redevelopment projects as required.

Bed Management Unit

Provide operational oversight and data governance for the Bed Management Unit by:

Monitoring bed utilisation and occupancy trends.

Developing and implementing bed allocation and prioritisation processes.

Ensuring timely and accurate reporting of operational and performance indicators.

Overseeing reporting definitions, methodologies and data quality assurance to maintain a single source of truth.

Using data to identify trends, operational risks and improvement opportunities.

Supporting data-driven operational planning, surge management and capacity planning.

Health Information Services

Oversee Health Information Services by:

Establishing policies and standards for health information management.

Ensuring compliance with regulatory, medico-legal and organisational requirements.

Overseeing information governance, record integrity and service performance.

Clinical Coding Unit

Provide operational oversight of the Clinical Coding Unit by:

Monitoring efficiency and quality, and ensuring compliance with national coding standards and reporting requirements.

Driving initiatives to improve clinical documentation and coding accuracy.

Supporting audit readiness and coding quality improvement.

Partnering with clinical stakeholders to strengthen documentation and coding outcomes.

Supporting funding, casemix, workload reporting and organisational performance requirements.

Continuous Improvement and Change Management

Lead and support initiatives to:

Improve processes and transform services and workforce practices across the portfolio.

Implement appropriate technology-enabled solutions and automation opportunities.

Support organisation-wide transformation and change management efforts.

Financial and Resource Management

Support budget planning and resource management by:

Monitoring operating and capital budget utilisation.

Developing business cases and service proposals.

Lead initiatives to improve cost recovery and reduce waste.

Ensuring responsible stewardship and effective use of resources.

3. People Leadership

Organisational and Leadership Development

Build high-performing teams and foster a culture of accountability, innovation and service excellence.

Lead succession planning and leadership development for critical operational functions.

Guide and coach emerging leaders across the division and other Woodlands Hospital teams.

Staff Engagement and Organisational Culture

Foster trust, collaboration, transparency and continuous improvement.

Champion staff engagement, recognition and well-being initiatives.

Lead organisational communication and change engagement across operational services.

General

Undertake any other duties assigned by the reporting officer.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education, Training and Experience

Bachelor's degree OR
A Master's degree in Business Administration, Public Health or a related discipline is preferred.
At least 10 years of relevant experience is preferred, including at least five years in a management role, ideally within a large organisation.
Experience in healthcare management, particularly hospital operations, is preferred.
Demonstrated experience leading teams.