Job summary
The Unit Manager for the Jersey Neonatal Unit provides expert clinical, professional, and operational leadership within a specialist 8 bed neonatal service. Working within a close knit island healthcare system, the post holder will lead the delivery of safe, effective, highly specialised neonatal care while supporting families through some of their most vulnerable moments.
As Unit Manager, you will be part of a team that thrives on collaboration, compassion, and continuous learning, working alongside paediatricians, social workers, emergency transfer teams, therapists, and wider family support services. The relationships you cultivate will be essential in maintaining the highest standards of clinical governance, safeguarding, and holistic support.
As a small island service, the Jersey Neonatal Unit offers a unique and rewarding clinical leadership environment.
With an 8bed capacity and around 80 admissions per year, the Unit Manager plays a central role in overseeing a service that delivers care across the full spectrum of neonatal conditions. This offers a rare opportunity to maintain and advance highly specialist skills while leading a close knit, adaptable, and professionally diverse team of 12 neonatally trained senior Nurses and Midwives and 7 NN/HCA.
Main duties of the job
Your leadership will ensure the team continues to thrive in this environment, supporting safe, family centred care while balancing the operational challenges of an island service.
This is a role where your expertise, compassion, and commitment to excellence will make an immediate and meaningful difference.
As Unit Manager, you will be at the forefront of neonatal care in Jersey guiding clinical standards, championing quality improvement, and supporting babies and families through complex, emotional, and critical moments in their journey.
You will also oversee, coordinate, and support the air transfer of sick neonates who require specialist care in UK tertiary centres. Full training and ongoing development in neonatal stabilisation and transfer processes will be provided. Your leadership will be crucial in ensuring safe decision making, smooth pathways, and family centred communication.
About us
At Health and Care Jersey, were not just delivering healthcare - were shaping the future of health and wellbeing for over 100,000 Islanders and visitors. Our dedicated team of over 2,000 professionals provides essential care across 30+ diverse departments, offering a wide range of specialist services from acute and emergency care to community and preventative health initiatives.With state-of-the-art facilities like the brand-new Enid Quenault Health and Wellbeing Centre and exciting plans to modernise our healthcare infrastructure, this is a great time to join us. Whether you're providing frontline patient care, supporting health initiatives in the community, or contributing to vital mental health and social services, your work will make a meaningful impact on people's lives every day.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The ward manager will be professionally and managerially responsible for the overall
governance, quality and safety of patients within a designated area.
Ward managers will lead a multi professional team appropriate to speciality and ensure that
specific care pathways are established maintained and evaluated according to need.
They
will operate in a supervisory capacity and will be highly visible within the clinical area to
patients staff and relatives. They will work alongside staff as a role model, mentor and
develop clinical competencies and leadership skills within the team.
Overall governance responsibility will include compliance to evidence based best practice
standards, inextricably linked to the Health & Community Services quality agenda,
including the Jersey Nursing Assessment & Accreditation System. Clinical
supervision models will be integral to the overall support and wellbeing of staff.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The ward manager will be professionally and managerially responsible for the overall
governance, quality and safety of patients within a designated area.
Ward managers will lead a multi professional team appropriate to speciality and ensure that
specific care pathways are established maintained and evaluated according to need.
They
will operate in a supervisory capacity and will be highly visible within the clinical area to
patients staff and relatives. They will work alongside staff as a role model, mentor and
develop clinical competencies and leadership skills within the team.
Overall governance responsibility will include compliance to evidence based best practice
standards, inextricably linked to the Health & Community Services quality agenda,
including the Jersey Nursing Assessment & Accreditation System. Clinical
supervision models will be integral to the overall support and wellbeing of staff.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of 4 years relevant post qualification experience
- Proven post-registration experience and evidence in leading a multi-professional team
- Demonstrable knowledge of Safeguarding
- Evidence of leadership
- Experience of implementing, managing and achieving changes in clinical practice
-
- Provide relevant training/education programmes to colleagues at all levels
- Experience of working in a multi professional environment
- Evidence of effective staff management and running a ward/area/department.
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered with the NMC as a first level registered nurse/registered midwife
- Degree (or level 6 qualification) in Nursing or Midwifery or equivalent.
- Recognised Management qualification
- CMI Level 5 or equivalent
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
Desirable
- Masters level qualification in appropriate speciality
- Intermediate Life Support
- Recognised Teaching qualification
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Minimum of 4 years relevant post qualification experience
- Proven post-registration experience and evidence in leading a multi-professional team
- Demonstrable knowledge of Safeguarding
- Evidence of leadership
- Experience of implementing, managing and achieving changes in clinical practice
-
- Provide relevant training/education programmes to colleagues at all levels
- Experience of working in a multi professional environment
- Evidence of effective staff management and running a ward/area/department.
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered with the NMC as a first level registered nurse/registered midwife
- Degree (or level 6 qualification) in Nursing or Midwifery or equivalent.
- Recognised Management qualification
- CMI Level 5 or equivalent
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
Desirable
- Masters level qualification in appropriate speciality
- Intermediate Life Support
- Recognised Teaching qualification
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).