Head of Therapies(UK Visa Sponsorship)

Job Description

Role Overview

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is seeking an experienced and visionary professional to join its senior leadership team as Head of Therapies. This leadership position will guide the strategic development and operational management of the hospital’s therapy services during a period of major service redesign.

The successful candidate will help shape the future of therapy services for children and young people by leading innovation, improving care pathways, and ensuring the highest standards of clinical practice.

This role offers a unique opportunity to influence service transformation across the Core Clinical Services Directorate, working alongside senior leaders and professional heads to improve patient outcomes and staff engagement.

Key Responsibilities

As Head of Therapies, you will:

Provide strategic and operational leadership for therapy services including:

• Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Dietetics

Lead programmes that support service transformation and improvement within the directorate.

Work collaboratively with the Chief of Service, Heads of Profession, and senior managers to ensure therapy services align with both hospital and national NHS priorities.

• Promote a culture of continuous quality improvement, patient safety, and clinical excellence.
• Oversee workforce planning, professional development, and service redesign initiatives.
• Strengthen partnerships with both internal teams and external healthcare stakeholders.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) within the organisation.

About the Organisation

Great Ormond Street Hospital is internationally recognised for delivering specialised healthcare for children and young people. The Trust is committed to providing compassionate, innovative, and high-quality care.

The hospital strongly values diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those from:

• Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities
• People with disabilities
• LGBTQ+ individuals

Staff networks such as REACH, ENABLED, PRIDE, and Women’s networks help promote an inclusive and supportive working environment.

Essential Qualifications

Applicants should demonstrate:

• A relevant undergraduate degree or equivalent senior clinical/management experience.
• Professional qualification in an Allied Health Profession (AHP).
• Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.

Desirable Qualifications

The following would be advantageous:

• A Master’s degree in healthcare, leadership, or management (or equivalent experience).
• Involvement in academic research or peer-reviewed publications.

Required Experience

Candidates must show evidence of:

• Senior leadership experience within healthcare.
• Managing organisational change and workforce engagement.
• Delivering high standards of clinical quality and safety.
• Working with regulatory organisations such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
• Leading serious incident reviews and service improvement initiatives.
• Workforce planning and service redesign in complex healthcare environments.

Key Skills and Competencies

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Strong leadership and team-development abilities.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to implement long-term service improvements.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience writing business cases, reports, and strategic documents.
• Analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Advanced IT skills including data and spreadsheet analysis.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure within large organisations.
• Additional Desirable Skills
• Formal project management training.
• Knowledge of quality improvement methodologies used in healthcare.

Visa Sponsorship

Applications from international candidates who require UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship are welcomed and will be considered alongside other applicants.

Helpful Government Resources for Applicants

Candidates unfamiliar with UK healthcare systems or employment regulations may find these official resources useful:

• NHS workforce guidance
• Equality and diversity law in the workplace
• Healthcare regulation and patient safety oversight (CQC)