Job summary
We are seeking an exceptional Director of Nursing to join University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) at a pivotal time in our journey. This is a unique opportunity to provide professional nursing leadership across our integrated healthcare system, driving excellence in patient care, workforce development, and innovation.
As a key member of the senior leadership team, you will play a crucial role in shaping the future of nursing at UHN, ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and patient experience. You will lead on professional nursing strategy, workforce transformation, and quality improvement, working collaboratively with clinical and operational teams across the organisation.
Main duties of the job
At UHN, we are committed to two fundamental principles:
- For our patients: We expect all patients to receive the same standard of care that we would want for a loved one
- For our colleagues: We expect colleagues to be treated with the same values we believe are important; compassion, respect and integrity
We are looking for a highly experienced and inspiring leader who is passionate about delivering outstanding care. You will have a proven track record of driving transformational change, improving clinical outcomes, and championing professional nursing practice. Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to engage and influence at all levels are essential.
At UHN, we are committed to creating a culture of inclusivity, shared decision-making, and continuous improvement. If you are an ambitious and compassionate nursing leader ready to take on this exciting challenge, we would love to hear from you.
About us
**Please submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close any adverts before the closing date once we have received sufficient applications**
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered a Group Model with neighbouring Northampton General Hospital NHSTrust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.
Our Excellence Values
- Compassion
- Accountability
- Respect
- Integrity
- Courage
We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential.
The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.
We recognise the valuable contribution that the Armed Forces community make to our organisation. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and achieved Silver Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme.
We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification for a full list of roles and responsibilities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification for a full list of roles and responsibilities.
Person Specification
Education, Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to First Degree (Health related subject) level or equivalent level of education, training or experience
- Registered Nurse
- Master's Degree level working or equivalent
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
- Additional professional/management qualifications
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Extensive managerial experience at a senior level in the NHS including at 8c/d or above
- Evidence of leading organisational change
- Proven track record in leadership and change management
- Experience of Leading Safeguarding team at senior level
- Gold on call experience
- Evidence of working within ICS in a senior leadership role
- In-depth knowledge of current issues in nursing and midwifery
- Aware of developments in nursing policy and practice at national level
- Able to describe how the above fit into current key issues in the NHS
- Understanding of the complex dynamics of a multi-professional environment
Desirable
- Involvement in initiatives at national and/or regional level
- Experience in education and professional development
- Familiar with National Service Frameworks and current clinical national strategies e.g., stroke, dementia, end-of-life care
- Conversant with the mandatory requirements for adult and children's safeguarding and the Mental Health and Mental Capacity Acts
- Previous experience at Board level in an NHS Foundation Trust or ICS
- Deputy Chief Nurse/Deputy exec level working
- Experience of working with the Care Quality Commission and the National Health Service Litigation Authority
- Complaints Management
- Experience of working as a director or at Sub Board level
Skills
Essential
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, with highly developed skills of persuasion, motivational, negotiating and communication
- Excellent standard of report writing and action planning
- Ability to communicate at all levels, including highly complex information in a manner to ensure the message is understood
- Highly developed interpersonal skills
- Ability to contribute effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team which includes Executive and non-executive Directors
- Ability to manage and promote change
- High level analytical skills
- Ability to work under pressure
- Good IT skills
- Strategic thinker
- Proficient nursing skills to carry out any clinical aspects of the role
- Ability to mobilise across hospital sites for ward/department visits
- Able to demonstrate high levels of concentration on a daily basis and/or during on-call, which is likely to be interrupted and require a moving from one task to another at speed
- Ability to deal with potentially traumatic/distressing incidents/scenes or situations as part of safeguarding issues, patient deaths, incidents, or complaints
- Demonstrate compassion and tact when delivering difficult/distressing/bad news
Desirable
- Has had lead responsibility for significant project/change management initiatives with successful outcome
- Sound general management experience - budget management skills, business case preparation, staff management
Key Competencies/ Personal Qualities & Attributes
Essential
- Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients, and service users
- Ability to work independently/autonomously with minimal supervision
- Has natural authority and gains respect of others
- Individual credibility
- Influencing skills
- Strategic vision Team player
- Change agent Resilience
- Stamina and Drive
- Ability to travel between the Kettering and Northampton hospital sites and other sites often with limited time between meetings
Person Specification
Education, Training & Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to First Degree (Health related subject) level or equivalent level of education, training or experience
- Registered Nurse
- Master's Degree level working or equivalent
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
- Additional professional/management qualifications
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Extensive managerial experience at a senior level in the NHS including at 8c/d or above
- Evidence of leading organisational change
- Proven track record in leadership and change management
- Experience of Leading Safeguarding team at senior level
- Gold on call experience
- Evidence of working within ICS in a senior leadership role
- In-depth knowledge of current issues in nursing and midwifery
- Aware of developments in nursing policy and practice at national level
- Able to describe how the above fit into current key issues in the NHS
- Understanding of the complex dynamics of a multi-professional environment
Desirable
- Involvement in initiatives at national and/or regional level
- Experience in education and professional development
- Familiar with National Service Frameworks and current clinical national strategies e.g., stroke, dementia, end-of-life care
- Conversant with the mandatory requirements for adult and children's safeguarding and the Mental Health and Mental Capacity Acts
- Previous experience at Board level in an NHS Foundation Trust or ICS
- Deputy Chief Nurse/Deputy exec level working
- Experience of working with the Care Quality Commission and the National Health Service Litigation Authority
- Complaints Management
- Experience of working as a director or at Sub Board level
Skills
Essential
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, with highly developed skills of persuasion, motivational, negotiating and communication
- Excellent standard of report writing and action planning
- Ability to communicate at all levels, including highly complex information in a manner to ensure the message is understood
- Highly developed interpersonal skills
- Ability to contribute effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team which includes Executive and non-executive Directors
- Ability to manage and promote change
- High level analytical skills
- Ability to work under pressure
- Good IT skills
- Strategic thinker
- Proficient nursing skills to carry out any clinical aspects of the role
- Ability to mobilise across hospital sites for ward/department visits
- Able to demonstrate high levels of concentration on a daily basis and/or during on-call, which is likely to be interrupted and require a moving from one task to another at speed
- Ability to deal with potentially traumatic/distressing incidents/scenes or situations as part of safeguarding issues, patient deaths, incidents, or complaints
- Demonstrate compassion and tact when delivering difficult/distressing/bad news
Desirable
- Has had lead responsibility for significant project/change management initiatives with successful outcome
- Sound general management experience - budget management skills, business case preparation, staff management
Key Competencies/ Personal Qualities & Attributes
Essential
- Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients, and service users
- Ability to work independently/autonomously with minimal supervision
- Has natural authority and gains respect of others
- Individual credibility
- Influencing skills
- Strategic vision Team player
- Change agent Resilience
- Stamina and Drive
- Ability to travel between the Kettering and Northampton hospital sites and other sites often with limited time between meetings
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
