Director – National Operations

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Post: Director – National Operations

Location: To be agreed. Agile and flexible working is supported.

Hours per week: 37 (this role participates in an on‑call rota)

The Scottish Ambulance Service is going through an exciting period of change and transformation as we deliver our 2030 strategy and work with Health and Social Care partners to deliver high quality and innovative care to our patients. The National Operations Director reports to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and will contribute fully to the leadership and governance of the National Operations Directorate and the Scottish Ambulance Service as a whole.

The National Operations Director will manage a diverse portfolio currently including the Ambulance Control Centres, NRRD, Air Ambulance/ScotSTAR and the Events Planning teams.

You will lead the Directorate in the provision of leadership and operational management for the planning, delivery, and improvement of services across the directorate and the wider Service. Working with individuals and teams, you will develop and implement continual improvement and innovative solutions to deliver modern, safe and effective services, providing a person‑centred experience. Leading a dedicated and experienced management team, you will strive to deliver excellent outcomes, be able to influence others and effect change as well as develop a person‑centred culture. You will also have a key role in leading on the collaboration with the wider system across Health and Social Care.

You will have a strong background in operational management, in particular an excellent track record of performance delivery as well as exceptional values‑based people leadership/management skills and experience of working in partnership with trade union representatives in a large and complex organisational setting.

The successful post holder will have an unprecedented opportunity, through their interactions with regional colleagues to help shape and implement Health and Social Care services across Scotland. Therefore, the right candidate will be able to demonstrate past experience in collaborative working across a wide range of partners and stakeholders.

Strong communications and interpersonal skills are essential, as is the ability to seek and incorporate the views of patients, staff, external partners, and other significant stakeholders into the long‑term strategic direction of the Service. You will also need to have the ability to analyse and interpret complex operational and clinical data to identify trends and support the development of the future workforce model.

The post will have a remit for the National Operations Directorate, therefore travel throughout Scotland will be required at times. There is flexibility in the base location which will be discussed at interview.

The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate their skills, experience and knowledge in all of the above dimensions as well as the ability to effectively contribute to the SAS Executive Team.

Successfully shortlisted candidates will be notified by through job train.

The selection elements will include online psychometric testing, an internal selection process concluding with a value‑based interview.

If you wish to discuss the position, please contact Paul Bassett, Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Chief Executive at in the first instance.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigration Service. As part of the pre‑employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre‑settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.

Please note that SAS is NOT licensed to issue certificates of sponsorship under current UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) regulations. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship to work with us.

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

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