Job summary
To apply for this role, you must be employed by an East of England ICB organisation. Applications from outside an ICB Organisation and area will not be accepted.
Interview Date: 02 December 2025
Do you want to make a positive impact on the health outcomes of people in Essex? Are you passionate about leading teams to drive quality improvements in healthcare? Can you inspire and engage stakeholders to help redesign health services for the future? If yes, we'd love to hear from you.
We're seeking a Director of Nursing to join the senior leadership team of the proposed Essex Integrated Care Board. This exciting role offers the chance to work with providers across diverse healthcare settings, collaborate with local authorities and the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector, and help deliver the ten-year health plan and medium-term planning framework.
You'll help shape how the ICB maintains a strong focus on high-quality patient outcomes, safe services, and positive experiences. You'll also drive ambitions to shift services from treatment to prevention, hospital to home, and enable digitally enhanced healthcare.
We are a values-led organisation looking for an experienced senior nursing leader ready to lead change, deliver large-scale programmes, and commission services that improve the health and lives of people in Essex.
Main duties of the job
The Director of Nursing will support the Executive Director of Nursing in articulating the ICBs quality responsibilities in line with NHS Englands Model ICB, and associated good practice documents, providing a compelling vision to ensure delivery of core statutory and non-statutory functions, whilst developing quality governance systems for contractual assurance of providers with system partners and key stakeholders.
The Director of Nursing has a collective responsibility, with the Executive Director of Nursing, to ensure the Nursing & Quality Team is well led, successful and managerially supported, promoting integration and delivery through the neighbourhoods and places.
You will also support the Executive Director of Nursing with the designated accountability for statutory and non-statutory functions that the ICB will perform, specifically leading teams delivering safeguarding, infection, prevention and control, and patient experience/complaints management.
You will be required to work autonomously and will ultimately be responsible for helping deliver the negotiation, agreement and delivery of the ICB strategy. You will be responsible for bringing partners together to agree multiple programmes of work and for agreeing contribution of resources to these programmes.
About us
Mid and South Essex ICB is a statutory organisation responsible for the planning and delivery of local health and care services, across Mid and South Essex and is part of the wider integrated care system. Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are partnerships of health and care organisations that come together to plan and deliver joined up services and to improve the health of people who live and work in their area. The headquarters for the organisation is Seax House, Chelmsford. There is a hybrid model of working, which includes attendance at the office in Chelmsford or community visits across Essex and home working.
We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers better patient outcomes. We welcome applications regardless of peoples age, disability, sex, gender, identity and gender expression, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, religion or belief. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process, including the consideration of reasonable adjustment for people who have a disability. We also encourage applicants to raise any personal circumstances they would like us to be aware of so we can consider possible adjustments.
Unfortunately, the organisation does not have a Sponsorship licence.
Job description
Job responsibilities
ROLE PURPOSE / SUMMARY
The proposed Essex Integrated Care Board will be a new organisation formed through the consolidation of three ICB areas in response to the NHSs ambition to deliver a more streamlined, strategic and cost-effective model of health commissioning. Operating within a reduced running cost envelope and aligned to the new requirements of ICBs in England, the Greater Essex ICB will focus on improving population health outcomes, health equity and smarter resource allocation.
As the ICB transitions to become a leaner, more focused strategic commissioning organisation the post holder will be expected to support the Executive Director of Nursing and the CEO in delivering on the three fundamental shifts set out in the NHS 10-year plan:
- From Treatment to Prevention: Embedding preventative, personalised and population based approaches to commissioning.
- From Hospital to Community: Championing care model redesign that supports community and neighbourhood health.
- From Analogue to Digital: Enabling clinically driven transformation through digital innovation, data analytics and evidence based improvement.
The post holder will support the Executive Director of Nursing and wider Executive team in developing and articulating strategic direction, delivery of its statutory duties in line with the ICB Model Blueprint and Good Practice Documents, thereby providing a compelling vision for the ICS and has a broad role in supporting the strategic ambitions to:
- Reduce health inequalities
- Create opportunities for our residents
- Support health and wellbeing
- Bring care closer to home where possible
- Transform and improve our services
The post holder will be expected to exemplify an inclusive and collaborative approach in the ICB. This will include:
- Demonstrating high quality leadership and supporting clinical and professional leaders across the system to also demonstrate the highest standards of leadership through their conduct.
- Ensure that quality outcomes, positive patient experience, and sustainability form an integral part of commissioning decisions and contract management.
- Leading by example and securing engagement with residents and partners as a key part of all decision making so that it is embedded as a core value of strategic commissioning work.
- Aiming for excellence in everything we do, by influencing, coaching and challenging poor delivery to ensure high standards are achieved for the local population.
- Ensuring delivery for the residents of Essex is a principle upheld across the system, placing aside personal or organisational agendas for a more collaborative approach.
- Maintaining the highest standards of public accountability for safety, quality, and our effective use of resources.
All Directors have a collective responsibility for working together to ensure the organisation is well led, successful and managerially supported, promoting integration and delivery.
CONTEXT
The Director of Nursing will support the Executive Director of Nursing in articulating the ICBs quality responsibilities in line with NHS Englands Model ICB, and associated good practice documents, providing a compelling vision to ensure delivery of core statutory and non-statutory functions, whilst developing quality governance systems for contractual assurance of providers with system partners and key stakeholders.
The Director of Nursing has a collective responsibility, with the Executive Director of Nursing, to ensure the Nursing & Quality Team is well led, successful and managerially supported, promoting integration and delivery through the neighbourhoods and places.
The postholder will also support the Executive Director of Nursing with the designated accountability for statutory and non-statutory functions that the ICB will perform, specifically leading teams delivering safeguarding, infection, prevention and control, and patient experience/complaints management.
The post holder will be required to work autonomously and will ultimately be responsible for helping deliver the negotiation, agreement and delivery of ICB strategy. The post holder will be responsible for bringing partners together to agree multiple programmes of work and for agreeing contribution of resources to these programmes.
For KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, please see attached Job Description and Person Specification.
Job description
Job responsibilities
ROLE PURPOSE / SUMMARY
The proposed Essex Integrated Care Board will be a new organisation formed through the consolidation of three ICB areas in response to the NHSs ambition to deliver a more streamlined, strategic and cost-effective model of health commissioning. Operating within a reduced running cost envelope and aligned to the new requirements of ICBs in England, the Greater Essex ICB will focus on improving population health outcomes, health equity and smarter resource allocation.
As the ICB transitions to become a leaner, more focused strategic commissioning organisation the post holder will be expected to support the Executive Director of Nursing and the CEO in delivering on the three fundamental shifts set out in the NHS 10-year plan:
- From Treatment to Prevention: Embedding preventative, personalised and population based approaches to commissioning.
- From Hospital to Community: Championing care model redesign that supports community and neighbourhood health.
- From Analogue to Digital: Enabling clinically driven transformation through digital innovation, data analytics and evidence based improvement.
The post holder will support the Executive Director of Nursing and wider Executive team in developing and articulating strategic direction, delivery of its statutory duties in line with the ICB Model Blueprint and Good Practice Documents, thereby providing a compelling vision for the ICS and has a broad role in supporting the strategic ambitions to:
- Reduce health inequalities
- Create opportunities for our residents
- Support health and wellbeing
- Bring care closer to home where possible
- Transform and improve our services
The post holder will be expected to exemplify an inclusive and collaborative approach in the ICB. This will include:
- Demonstrating high quality leadership and supporting clinical and professional leaders across the system to also demonstrate the highest standards of leadership through their conduct.
- Ensure that quality outcomes, positive patient experience, and sustainability form an integral part of commissioning decisions and contract management.
- Leading by example and securing engagement with residents and partners as a key part of all decision making so that it is embedded as a core value of strategic commissioning work.
- Aiming for excellence in everything we do, by influencing, coaching and challenging poor delivery to ensure high standards are achieved for the local population.
- Ensuring delivery for the residents of Essex is a principle upheld across the system, placing aside personal or organisational agendas for a more collaborative approach.
- Maintaining the highest standards of public accountability for safety, quality, and our effective use of resources.
All Directors have a collective responsibility for working together to ensure the organisation is well led, successful and managerially supported, promoting integration and delivery.
CONTEXT
The Director of Nursing will support the Executive Director of Nursing in articulating the ICBs quality responsibilities in line with NHS Englands Model ICB, and associated good practice documents, providing a compelling vision to ensure delivery of core statutory and non-statutory functions, whilst developing quality governance systems for contractual assurance of providers with system partners and key stakeholders.
The Director of Nursing has a collective responsibility, with the Executive Director of Nursing, to ensure the Nursing & Quality Team is well led, successful and managerially supported, promoting integration and delivery through the neighbourhoods and places.
The postholder will also support the Executive Director of Nursing with the designated accountability for statutory and non-statutory functions that the ICB will perform, specifically leading teams delivering safeguarding, infection, prevention and control, and patient experience/complaints management.
The post holder will be required to work autonomously and will ultimately be responsible for helping deliver the negotiation, agreement and delivery of ICB strategy. The post holder will be responsible for bringing partners together to agree multiple programmes of work and for agreeing contribution of resources to these programmes.
For KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, please see attached Job Description and Person Specification.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Extensive experience of working at a senior level in a relevant healthcare environment (NHS or other) and across complex health and care systems with demonstrable impact.
- Experience of strategic leadership in relevant commissioning functions as outlined in the ICB model blueprint.
- Experience of leading and delivering complex and contentious change and transformation programmes at scale.
- Knowledge of the health, care and local government landscape, including relevant legislation, policies and guidance and an understanding of the political dynamics of healthcare.
- Uses technology to effectively plan work and evaluate effectiveness of outcomes, programmes of work and improvement.
Governance and Assurance
Essential
- Previous experience of leading projects that require collective decision-making and how to negotiate success in those situations.
- A strong understanding of the role and importance of effective corporate and clinical governance, balancing the need to seek relevant board and executive support for decisions with the ability to work autonomously to drive delivery of decisions.
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Masters level (relevant focus) or equivalent managerial experience.
- Evidence of sustained commitment to continuing professional development.
- Evidence of professional nursing registration with Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Strategy & Analysis
Essential
- Experience working at a strategic level, including evidence of use of analytical and problem solving skills to address complex problems, ability to recognize policy implications and how to manage potential competing priorities / interests in developing strategies.
- Excellent data analysis and interpretation skills involving highly complex data, including an understanding of analytical methods and how to use data to support Population Health Management.
People & Culture
Essential
- Experience in building and maintaining high functioning teams, including recognizing and promoting talent, as well as appropriately dealing with under-performance, when necessary.
- A commitment to continuous improvement, organisation learning and achieving positive outcomes for all staff, patients, service users and carers working in line with the NHS People Promise.
Partnerships & Communities
Essential
- Experience of working across organisational boundaries in the development and delivery of complex programmes.
- Able to represent the organisation credibly and positively in all settings, including both staff and public fora.
Personal Attributes and Values
Essential
- Personal commitment to the values of the NHS 10-year Plan, the NHS People Plan, the Nolan Principles, to championing equality, diversity and inclusion within the ICB and the wide health system.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Extensive experience of working at a senior level in a relevant healthcare environment (NHS or other) and across complex health and care systems with demonstrable impact.
- Experience of strategic leadership in relevant commissioning functions as outlined in the ICB model blueprint.
- Experience of leading and delivering complex and contentious change and transformation programmes at scale.
- Knowledge of the health, care and local government landscape, including relevant legislation, policies and guidance and an understanding of the political dynamics of healthcare.
- Uses technology to effectively plan work and evaluate effectiveness of outcomes, programmes of work and improvement.
Governance and Assurance
Essential
- Previous experience of leading projects that require collective decision-making and how to negotiate success in those situations.
- A strong understanding of the role and importance of effective corporate and clinical governance, balancing the need to seek relevant board and executive support for decisions with the ability to work autonomously to drive delivery of decisions.
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Masters level (relevant focus) or equivalent managerial experience.
- Evidence of sustained commitment to continuing professional development.
- Evidence of professional nursing registration with Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Strategy & Analysis
Essential
- Experience working at a strategic level, including evidence of use of analytical and problem solving skills to address complex problems, ability to recognize policy implications and how to manage potential competing priorities / interests in developing strategies.
- Excellent data analysis and interpretation skills involving highly complex data, including an understanding of analytical methods and how to use data to support Population Health Management.
People & Culture
Essential
- Experience in building and maintaining high functioning teams, including recognizing and promoting talent, as well as appropriately dealing with under-performance, when necessary.
- A commitment to continuous improvement, organisation learning and achieving positive outcomes for all staff, patients, service users and carers working in line with the NHS People Promise.
Partnerships & Communities
Essential
- Experience of working across organisational boundaries in the development and delivery of complex programmes.
- Able to represent the organisation credibly and positively in all settings, including both staff and public fora.
Personal Attributes and Values
Essential
- Personal commitment to the values of the NHS 10-year Plan, the NHS People Plan, the Nolan Principles, to championing equality, diversity and inclusion within the ICB and the wide health system.
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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
