Quality Improvement Operations Manager

Royal College of Radiologists

Hours
35 hours per week

Length of contract
12 month

About the Organisation

Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) is the leading professional membership body for clinical radiologists and clinical oncologists, and a registered charity that educates and supports doctors throughout their careers. With over 14,000 members in the UK and internationally, together we’re contributing to the advancement of each new generation of doctors and helping to improve patients’ lives.

We require a broad range of skills and experience to deliver our strategic goal of increasing the clinical radiology and clinical oncology workforce, which will ultimately lead to improving imaging and cancer care services for all. If you’re inspired by our strategy and values and are passionate about helping us meet our ambitious goals in an environment that celebrates differences, values diversity, and recognizes that everyone here plays a role in the success of the College, then we encourage you to consider a career at the RCR.

About the role

The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) and the College of Radiographers (CoR) jointly set the national benchmark for safe, effective, and patient-centred imaging services through the Quality Standard for Imaging (QSI). To support services on their improvement journey, the Colleges have created a dedicated Quality Improvement (QI) Unit, hosted by the RCR. The Unit guides imaging providers through the QSI Hub, offering expert support and awarding the prestigious QSI Quality Mark to services that meet the standard.

As Quality Improvement Operations Manager, you will play a central role in leading and coordinating this work. You will manage and develop our team that delivers assessments against the standard, and the administrative team that supports their work. You will ensure consistency, quality, and alignment across both assessment and administrative support functions.

You will lead a business process improvement project over the duration of your tenure, during which you will work with your team to identify, prioritise, and, with the support of other relevant colleagues, significantly streamline key business processes through the intelligent deployment of workflows, automation, and other relevant tools.

You will also act as a key point of contact for some of our larger and more complex member organisations, guiding them through their QSI Hub journey and helping them prepare for successful review. This is a role for someone who enjoys leading people as much as they enjoy improving systems, working collaboratively, who thrives on variety, and is motivated by improving the quality and safety of imaging services across the UK.

Responsibilities

Operational Management and Team Leadership:

• Manage and support team members, ensuring consistency of approach and fostering a positive, high-performing team culture.
• Set clear priorities and expectations and manage workload pressures, ensuring work is planned realistically and transparently.
• Oversee day-to-day operational delivery, ensuring systems, processes, and resources are aligned to meet the whole team’s objectives and customer needs.
• Ensure standard operating procedures (SOPs), handbooks, and guidance are clear and kept up to date.
• Manage records (attendance and absence) of direct reports using the RCR’s HR system.
• Ensure activities within the team are delivered in a sustainable, cost-effective way.
• Lead, motivate, performance manage, and develop the QSI team in accordance with RCR policies and the Scheme of Financial, Contractual, and HR Delegation.
• Promote effective communication between members of the QSI team of the wider Education and Professional Practice and other relevant members of RCR staff and stakeholders.

Business Process Improvement:

• Plan and project manage a defined programme of business process improvements focused on improving efficiency, consistency, user experience and sustainability across the team’s core activities.
• Work with colleagues to prioritise known pain points and agree solutions that will deliver the greatest benefit, balancing pace with sensitivity to other operational pressures whilst maintaining momentum.
• Work with colleagues to design and implement workflows and automation, making effective use of existing RCR platforms (SharePoint, Salesforce), and reducing reliance on manual processes. Work closely with internal stakeholders to align improvements with organisational standards and priorities.
• Explore and implement the intelligent use of digital tools, including AI-enabled solutions, where these can safely and appropriately support productivity and quality.
• Embed agreed improvements into business-as-usual and continuously evaluate their efficacy.
• Support continuous improvement of the QSI scheme, using feedback, data, and insights to refine processes and help the team evolve and adapt to changing priorities.
• Develop clear documentation, guidance and (where needed) straightforward training materials so that new ways of working are understood and sustained.

Stakeholder Management:

• Provide corporate account management to larger or more complex partner organisations.
• Establish and continue to nurture effective relationships with radiologists and radiographers, services, regulators, national bodies, and other relevant stakeholders to understand their needs.
• Coordinate regular operational reporting to relevant groups within both RCR and CoR governance structures (joint QSI Quality Mark Committee, RCR Professional Practice Board, CoR Board of Trustees).

General:

• Maintain and manage records in accordance with the RCR’s data protection policy and guidance.
• Maintain documentation on all activities carried out.
• Undertake such other duties appropriate to the level of the postholder’s qualifications and experience as may be required by the RCR from time to time.

Internal Working Relationships:

• Direct reports - lead, manage and motivate
• Colleagues in the wider Professional Practice & Quality Improvement team and Directorate
• Relevant internal teams, particularly Digital Products and IT.
• Quality Improvement Manager – escalate risks, keep apprised of operational and emerging strategic challenges and opportunities
• RCR leadership and management teams, including the Senior Management Team and Elected Officers – advise, update
• College of Radiographers leadership and management teams, including senior managers and the designated Professional Officer for Radiology Service Managers and QSI – advise, update
• Relevant governance boards and committees of both Colleges.

External Working Relationships:

• Radiology services and imaging networks, including Clinical Directors/Clinical Leads, QSI Leads, and Radiology Service Managers – promoting the benefits of the Colleges’ scheme, routinely seeking and acting on feedback, supporting them in making business cases for investment in QSI
• Fellows and members of both Colleges are communicating the QSI scheme and its successes
• Other colleges and professional bodies in the UK and globally are networking and sharing information

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Knowledge, Qualifications & Experience:

• Experience of leading operational delivery in a service-focused and programme-focused environment, ideally within healthcare, quality improvement, regulation, and professional standards.
• Significant experience in managing and developing staff, including setting objectives, monitoring performance, and supporting well-being.
• Demonstrable experience in process improvement, service development, and quality assurance (using feedback, data, and continuous improvement methodologies).
• Experience of stakeholder engagement at multiple levels, ideally including clinicians, service managers, national bodies, and regulators.
• Experience in delivering or coordinating assessments, audits, and reviews against standards.
• Experience in managing key stakeholder relationships and customer accounts.
• Knowledge of the UK health sector, professional bodies, and national quality frameworks.

Skills & Abilities:

• Accurate use and understanding of English, written and oral, including an ability to explain complex issues clearly and the ability to adapt style to different audiences
• Effective interpersonal skills:
  • Skilled manager of people, able to bring together, motivate, co-ordinate and develop a team.
  • Ability to work collaboratively and build and sustain effective working relationships with a diverse range of colleagues, partners, and stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and use insight to drive improvements.
• Ability to work independently, use initiative, and make informed decisions within defined parameters.
• Project management capability, including coordinating multiple streams of work.

Other Requirements:

• Commitment to equality and valuing diversity, and understanding of how this applies to the delivery of one's own area of work
• Commitment to the aims and charitable objectives of the RCR
• Self awareness
• Enthusiasm for learning and development, and taking on new tasks
• Committed to own continuing professional development.

Compensation & Benefits

• Generous Annual Leave Allowance
• Excellent Pension Scheme
• Interest-Free Season Ticket loan 
• Cycle to Work Scheme

Conditions of employment

• Candidates must have the right to work in the UK

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely

How to apply

• Please send an email to [email protected] with your CV and a 1-page cover letter, your Full Name, Role, and a completed Diversity Monitoring Form.
• If you consider yourself to have a disability and require a hard copy pack or a different format, for example, large print, please contact the HR team at [email protected]

Interviews

• Shortlist interviews are scheduled for 30th April 2026, and selection interviews are scheduled for 8th May 2026.

Policies

Diversity means better ideas, better solutions, and more innovation. That’s why one of our key priorities is ensuring our workforce reflects our communities. We’re committed to creating an inclusive workforce and working environment for us all to enjoy, where everyone can bring their whole self to work to create change and reach new heights of creativity.

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