PCN Operations DirectorNHS

Job summary

Are you looking for an opportunity to lead and shape a large Primary Care Network?

We are seeking an energetic PCN Operations Director to drive PCN delivery and patient outcomes, with responsibility for the day-to-day running of our Primary Care Network.

This is a highly visible, active role, working side-by-side with our Clinical Director, PCN Board and practices. You will be a process-driven leader who can turn strategy into smoothly running daily operations.

Main duties of the job

You and your team will provide essential operational oversight and ensure seamless delivery against NHS contractual requirements and the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES).

You will also manage the complex logistics of our expanding workforce under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS), ensuring strong HR compliance, recruitment, and staff retention.

Financially, you will take ownership of the PCN budget, maximising income streams from the Network Contract DES, monitoring claims, and ensuring transparent financial reporting back to member practices and the Board.

The current post-holder will be retiring in April 2027, and we are ideally seeking a substantial handover period prior to this.The successful applicant should be available from February 2027. Interviews will take place in October 2026.

Job description

The PCN Operations Director is a senior leadership role responsible for the day-to-day management, strategic delivery, governance, HR and financial assurance of the Primary Care Network.

Working closely with the Clinical Director and the PCN Board, the post holder ensures that the network operates safely, compliantly, and efficiently at scale. This role bridges clinical vision and business execution, managing contractual obligations, the overall workforce and workforce expansion (such as Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme - ARRS staff), regulatory compliance, and stakeholder engagement across all 12 member practices.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

1. Governance, Assurance, and Risk Management

• Lead and maintain the PCNs corporate governance frameworks, ensuring strict adherence to NHS England, Integrated Care Board (ICB), and limited company requirements.
• Manage corporate governance documentation, including policies, risk assessments, standard operating procedures (SOPs), data protection, health and safety, business continuity plans and work with Company Secretary to ensure limited company compliance.
• Oversee the PCN complaints and significant incidents process, ensuring timely investigations, root-cause analyses, learning dissemination, and proper escalation to the Clinical Director & Board where appropriate.
• Oversee the Annual General Meeting jointly with the Clinical Director, planning agenda, managing actions, and recording accurate governance records.
• Attend the PCN Board meetings supporting the Clinical Director where appropriate.
• Jointly with the Clinical Director, ensure patient safety and high standards of care are embedded into all PCN initiatives.

2. Contractual Management & Compliance (DES & Local Schemes)

• Lead with the Clinical Director on the implementation, monitoring, and ongoing management of the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) and associated service specifications.
• Ensure all reporting deadlines, key performance indicators (KPIs), and enhanced service requirements are fully met across the network.
• Responsible for the monitoring of activity data, performance metrics, and clinical quality targets to ensure optimal patient outcomes, maximum funding capture and DES objectives compliance.
• Work closely with and have oversight of the PCN Enhanced Access service, supporting the Enhanced Access Manager to achieve the EA PCN DES requirements.
• Support the Clinical Director in their PCN duties.

3. Financial Management

• Overall responsibility and main contact for overseeing the financial management of the PCN. Prepare PCN and Enhanced Access budgets, ARRS allocations, DES funding, and project-specific grants.
• Monitor expenditure and income against budgets, identify financial risks or opportunities, and assist in developing robust business cases and funding bids. Take appropriate action/make recommendations to the Clinical Director/PCN Board where appropriate.
• Responsible for banking arrangements and payments, including the payroll preparation and submission via external payroll company.
• Work closely with external operational accountant to ensure ARRS claims, accounting software work, periodic budget updates and year end finance work is completed accurately and on time and liaise with relevant stakeholders in the PCN.
• Responsible for ensuring pension and HMRC requirements are met, whether by the PCN or third parties e.g. payroll bureau, accountant.
• Manage practice funds relating to PCN DES services ensuring they are correctly allocated and paid.
• Ensure financial probity, proper audit trails, value for money, and compliant claims validation processes.

4. Workforce Strategy, ARRS management & HR Management

• Provide strategic leadership with the Clinical Director for the PCN workforce. Particularly overseeing the recruitment, integration, deployment, and retention of ARRS and other staff.
• Monitor workforce capacity, utilisation, and professional development needs, ensuring a supportive and multidisciplinary team environment.
• Work with external human resources advisors on employment matters, staff performance management and appraisals, staff absence and workforce compliance. Carry out and support meetings in relation to the above ensuring compliance with PCN policies.
• Main operational contact responsible for human resources and people management within the PCN.

5. Digital Infrastructure

• Manage digital transformation initiatives through the Digital Transformation Lead ensuring alignment with local and national NHS IT infrastructure, data protection, and GDPR compliance.
• Ensure digital systems are effective in managing the developing needs of the PCN, supporting practices and sharing best practices.

6. Stakeholder Engagement and System Leadership

• Act as a primary senior operational link between the PCN, member practices, the ICB, community providers, and secondary care partners.
• Represent the PCN in a non-clinical capacity with Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Primary Care (IPC), attending regular meetings, working collaboratively and representing the network.
• Represent the PCN at local, regional, and system-level meetings where appropriate, forging collaborative partnerships to improve integrated care pathways.

Any other duties as may be requested by the Clinical Lead or Board Members of the PCN

About us

Rugby Health PCN Rugby Health is a private limited company wholly owned by all the Rugby GP practices. As a GP led organisation, we represent 12 GP practice shareholders and cover circa 126,000 patients. We describe our work as building on the core of current primary care services to enable greater provision of proactive, personalised, coordinated and more integrated health and social care. Our aim is to move from reactively providing appointments to proactively caring for the people and communities we serve.

Why Work For Us?

• On-site parking at GP practices (where available)
• Flexible hours and working arrangements considered from day 1
• Dynamic and adaptable team
• Training and support, enabling you to develop within the role

Important Information

Right to work checks

All applicants invited for interview will need to prove their right to work in the UK at the interview stage

We are not able to offer sponsorship for this role.

Interviews will take place in early October.

Please ensure you complete all sections of the application form fully and accurately as incomplete applications may not be shortlisted. Applications will only be accepted via the NHS Job Portal, individual CVs will not be accepted.