Position Summary
The Operations Project & Performance Officer will provide project, performance, analytical and operational support to the Office of the Chief Operations Officer (COO).
The post holder will support the COO in monitoring hospital operational performance, coordinating delivery of key operational priorities and improvement initiatives, preparing management information and ensuring effective follow-through of agreed actions.
The role will work across hospital services and corporate departments to collate, analyse and present information to support operational decision-making. The post holder will also provide project and administrative support to the COO Office, contributing to an effective and responsive office function.
The post holder will be expected to work independently within the scope of the role, manage competing priorities and develop effective working relationships with staff across the organisation.
The post holder is not expected to replace specialist data or business intelligence functions but should have sufficient analytical capability to interpret operational information and present it in a meaningful format.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Operational Performance and Reporting
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Support the COO in monitoring key hospital operational performance indicators across scheduled care, unscheduled care, patient flow and other operational services.
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Collate and maintain regular operational performance reports and dashboards for the COO Office.
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Analyse available operational data to identify trends, exceptions, areas of deterioration and emerging operational issues.
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Support monitoring of key indicators including Patient Experience Time (PET), hospital occupancy, trolley numbers, length of stay, discharge performance, delayed transfers of care, scheduled care activity and cancellations.
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Prepare daily, weekly and monthly operational reports as required.
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Work with relevant hospital departments to ensure that information presented to the COO is timely, accurate and clearly understood.
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Support benchmarking of hospital performance against relevant national targets, peer hospitals and available HSE performance information.
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Assist with preparation of performance information and reports for the Executive Management Team, Hospital Board, HSE and other governance structures.
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Develop clear charts, tables and presentations to support communication of operational performance.
Project and Service Improvement Support
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Provide project support for operational improvement initiatives led or sponsored by the COO.
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Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, milestones, action logs and risk registers.
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Coordinate project meetings and ensure actions, responsibilities and timelines are clearly recorded.
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Follow up with action owners and escalate delays or emerging risks as appropriate.
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Support implementation and evaluation of new operational processes, pathways and models of care.
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Undertake process mapping, data collection, benchmarking and other project activities as required.
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Support preparation of business cases, project proposals and implementation plans.
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Assist in evaluating whether improvement initiatives have achieved their intended outcomes.
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Support implementation of recommendations arising from reviews, audits, national programmes or other improvement initiatives.
Operational Coordination
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Support the COO in coordinating hospital-wide operational priorities.
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Maintain oversight of agreed actions arising from key operational and performance meetings.
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Liaise with clinical directorates, nursing, patient flow, scheduled care, finance, HR, quality and other departments as required.
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Support coordination of information required to inform short and medium-term operational planning.
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Assist in coordinating responses to emerging operational pressures and requests for information.
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Maintain an overview of key operational deadlines, deliverables and dependencies across the COO portfolio.
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Support the development and maintenance of appropriate standard operating procedures and operational documentation.
Management Information and Analysis
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Collate information from existing hospital information systems, reports and data sources.
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Undertake appropriate analysis using Microsoft Excel and other available reporting and business intelligence tools.
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Ensure data presented within reports is clearly defined, appropriately contextualised and capable of supporting management decision-making.
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Work collaboratively with hospital data, informatics and performance teams where more detailed analysis is required.
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Support development of a consistent suite of operational metrics for the COO Office.
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Maintain appropriate records to enable monitoring of performance over time.
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Identify opportunities to improve or automate routine reporting processes.
Briefing and Governance Support
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Prepare draft briefing notes, reports, presentations and other documentation for the COO.
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Support preparation for meetings with the CEO, Executive Management Team, Hospital Board, HSE and other internal and external stakeholders.
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Undertake research and benchmarking to support operational decision-making and service development.
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Maintain action, decision and risk logs associated with relevant COO programmes and meetings.
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Monitor agreed actions and proactively follow up with responsible individuals.
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Support timely responses to requests for information from internal and external stakeholders.
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Maintain appropriate records and documentation in accordance with hospital policies and information governance requirements.
COO Office Support and Resilience
Work collaboratively with other members of the COO Office to ensure an effective and responsive office function.
This will include:
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Providing administrative and coordination support where required.
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Providing appropriate cover for essential office functions during periods of leave or exceptional operational demand.
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Supporting coordination of meetings, documentation and correspondence when required.
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Maintaining effective systems for tracking key requests, correspondence and actions.
While administrative support forms part of the role, the primary focus of the post is operational performance, project support, analysis and coordination.
Planning and Organisation
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Manage a varied workload and competing priorities within a busy operational environment.
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Demonstrate initiative and the ability to progress work with appropriate levels of supervision.
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Prioritise requests according to organisational importance and agreed deadlines.
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Maintain effective systems for monitoring projects, actions and deliverables.
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Anticipate upcoming reporting requirements and prepare information in advance where possible.
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Escalate significant risks, delays or performance issues appropriately.
Communication and Stakeholder Engagement
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Communicate effectively with staff at all levels of the organisation.
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Present complex or detailed operational information in a clear and concise manner.
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Develop constructive relationships with operational, clinical and corporate colleagues.
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Demonstrate confidence in following up actions and seeking information from senior stakeholders.
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Exercise appropriate discretion and judgement when handling confidential or sensitive information.
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Prepare high-quality written reports, correspondence and presentations.
Quality and Service Improvement
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Promote a culture of continuous improvement and evidence-based decision-making.
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Support the use of data to identify opportunities for service improvement.
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Participate in relevant improvement, audit and evaluation activities.
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Support standardisation of operational processes where appropriate.
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Identify opportunities to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of processes within the COO Office and wider operational services.
General Responsibilities
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Comply with all relevant hospital policies, procedures and governance requirements.
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Maintain confidentiality and comply with data protection and information governance requirements.
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Participate in relevant training and professional development.
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Contribute positively to the development of the COO Office.
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Undertake other appropriate duties consistent with the grade and purpose of the post as assigned by the COO.
