Location:
On site / South Dublin, Co.
Dublin, Ireland
Job type:
Permanent / Full-time
Sector and subsector:
Medical & Healthcare | Operations
Salary:
Negotiable salary
Job Title:
Deputy Chief Operations Officer
Reports to:
Chief Operations Officer.
Key relationships:
CEO, Executive Team, Clinical Directors, consultants, department managers, Blackrock Health group colleagues, professional advisors, contractors, regulators and external healthcare partners.
Direct reports:
Operational, service or project teams as assigned by the COO and in line with the evolving needs of the hospital.
Location:
Primarily based at Blackrock Clinic, Blackrock.
On occasion, as per business needs, support may be required at any of our Dublin locations.
On-Call Requirement:
Participation in operational on-call responsibilities as required.
Job Type:
Permanent
Hours:
37 per week (Full-Time)
Blackrock Clinic is the leading and longest established private hospital and clinic in Ireland.
Since it opened in the mid-****s, the clinic has consistently built an unparalleled reputation in new high-tech surgical procedures, medical treatments, and ground-breaking diagnostics.
Blackrock Clinic is now part of the Blackrock Health private hospital group along with the Hermitage Clinic, Galway Clinic, and Limerick Clinic, some of the most advanced hospitals in Irish private healthcare.
As a JCI accredited hospital, Blackrock Clinic is a progressive and pioneering hospital in which care for the patient is central to everything we do.
Deputy Chief Operations Officer
is a senior operational leadership role responsible for supporting the Chief Operations Officer in delivering safe, efficient, high-quality and commercially sustainable hospital operations.
The Deputy COO will coordinate day-to-day performance across clinical, therapeutic, administrative and hospital services departments, supporting patient flow, capacity utilisation, service integration, operational standards and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
– Support the COO in coordinating and overseeing daily operations, working with managers to ensure high-quality, efficient patient-centred services, monitoring performance, patient flow, capacity utilisation and KPIs, promoting integrated working, identifying and implementing process improvements, and deputising for the COO.
Hospital Growth Journey
– Contribute to delivery of growth plans, ensuring operational readiness for new services and capacity, supporting implementation across diagnostics, access, theatre, bed management, consultant engagement and infrastructure, and collaborating with the group for shared learning.
Project Management & Service Development
– Plan, coordinate and deliver capital projects, facility upgrades, digital and technology enhancements, manage project workstreams and communications, engage stakeholders, and support mobilisation of new or expanded clinical services.
Strategic Planning & Execution
– Translate strategic plans into operational objectives, collaborate with senior management, prepare reports and recommendations, identify risks and opportunities, and champion a culture of accountability.
Quality, Safety & Compliance
– Maintain quality assurance, patient safety, risk and compliance standards, support regulatory readiness, monitor improvement initiatives, and coordinate sustainability actions.
Financial & Commercial Management
– Support budget development and monitoring, analyse activity and utilisation data, identify cost-control measures, support business case development and collaborative opportunities within the group.
Leadership, People & Culture
– Provide operational leadership, support workforce planning, succession planning, leadership development, staff engagement and retention, and model the Better Together culture.
Patient Experience & Service Excellence
– Support initiatives to improve patient access, flow, satisfaction and care standards, respond to feedback, and guide operational decisions with patient safety in mind.
Capacity, Admissions & Utilisation
– Optimise admissions, bed management, patient flow and discharge processes, coordinate actions to minimise bottlenecks and ensure timely escalation.
New Consultant Onboarding
– Operate operational onboarding and integration of new consultants, coordinate readiness, access to systems and referral pathways, and resolve early operational issues.
Emergency Preparedness & Risk Management
– Support development and review of emergency preparedness plans, operational risk identification and mitigation, and post-incident reviews.
Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration
– Build relationships with internal and external stakeholders, represent the COO, support communication within the Executive Team, and promote collaboration across the network.
Key Skills and Qualifications
Education: Master's degree in healthcare administration, business administration, management, nursing, clinical leadership or a related field is desirable.
Experience: Significant progressive experience in healthcare operations, hospital management, service management or a comparable complex operational environment; senior management experience desirable.
Operational Knowledge: Strong understanding of hospital operations, patient flow, clinical services, administration, consultant practice, capacity management and service delivery.
Leadership Skills: Proven ability to lead, influence and support multidisciplinary teams in a complex, fast-paced environment.
Strategic Execution: Ability to translate strategy into practical operational plans, actions, timelines and measurable results.
Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of budgets, cost control, revenue, productivity, utilisation and business case development.
Quality and Compliance: Knowledge of healthcare regulation, accreditation, quality improvement, patient safety and risk management standards.
Project Management: Experience supporting or leading service development, capital projects, operational change, digital improvements or process redesign.
Technology and Data: Comfortable using operational data, dashboards, healthcare technology and digital systems to inform decisions and improve services.
Communication and Stakeholder Management: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to build trust and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
Values and Culture: Demonstrated commitment to patient-centred care, clinical excellence, integrity, dignity, sustainability, collaboration, inclusion and respect.
Clinical background or substantial experience working closely with clinical teams is advantageous.
Personal Attributes
Calm, credible and solutions-focused under pressure.
Commercially aware while remaining strongly patient-centred.
Collaborative and relationship-focused, confident to challenge constructively.
Highly organised, delivery-focused and comfortable managing competing priorities.
Committed to continuous improvement, innovation and sustainable growth.
A visible role model for Blackrock Health values and the Better Together culture.
Equal Opportunities
Blackrock Clinic is an Equal Opportunities employer, and we are committed to creating an environment that promotes equality and dignity at work.
Blackrock Clinic is committed to providing reasonable accommodation when needed.
Please advise if you have particular requirements, so that we can look into arranging reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.
You can contact us at ******.
It is essential that you have valid work permission for the Republic of Ireland to take up employment for this position, or in the case of critical skills, you must be eligible for a work permit.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient applications are received.
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