CPOC Deputy Director (Surgical) 2026
We are looking to recruit one surgical Deputy Director at the Centre for Perioperative Care (CPOC), the role is partially funded by the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) of England and is open to RCS England members only.
This role offers a unique opportunity for a senior surgical leader to help shape the future of surgical care. This role provides strategic and clinical leadership across CPOC’s full portfolio of work and is a central member of the CPOC Leadership team. CPOC’s strength lies in its multiprofessional governance and ethos, where success is driven by the partnership of voices from across the perioperative pathway.
This is a high-impact role for an individual with a track record of driving system-wide improvement, clinical excellence, and collaborative leadership, and who are committed to advancing integrated, patient centred perioperative care.
The role
As Deputy Director, you will work closely with the Director and wider leadership team to drive forward national programmes that improve outcomes for patients undergoing surgery. You will help shape policy, influence system-wide change, and ensure that perioperative care remains a central priority in the evolving healthcare landscape.
You will bring clinical credibility, strategic insight, and a collaborative mindset to the role: your ability to work across professional boundaries and champion evidence-based, patient centred care will be key to your success.
This is a flexible, part-time leadership role designed to complement your existing clinical commitments. There is no direct payment for the role. The post is supported by one Programmed Activity (PA) per week, reimbursed to the post-holder’s employing trust in order to enable the post-holder to dedicate a minimum of 4 hours per week to the work.
The post-holder will commence their duties from 01 February 2026 for a period of three years, subject to continued funding and an annual performance review. The post is renewable for no more than a second three-year term subject to the approval of the CPOC Board.
Please download the job description and person specification from the bottom of this page for full information on the role.
Application Details
Applicants should submit the following to CPOC@rcoa.ac.uk:
- CV (including phone and email contact details)
- Supporting statement about your suitability for the role.
- Letter of support from Trust/Healthcare Board
At CPOC, diversity, equality and inclusion is an integral part of our culture so it is important to us that this is reflected in everything that we do. We welcome applications from all individuals irrespective of age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or belief, disability, or parental/caring responsibilities to ensure we actively embrace an inclusive and representative culture that encourages, supports and celebrates our differences.
Closing date: 03 December 2025
Interview: 08 January 2026 (In person, RCoA Offices, London)
Start Date: 01 February 2026
For informal enquiries, contact Carly Melbourne, Associate Director of Clinical Quality & Research, at CPOC@rcoa.ac.uk