Associate Director of Nursing

Job overview

• Are you an inspiring senior nurse leader ready to shape the future of care across a complex and evolving healthcare system?
• Do you thrive on leading transformational change that improves outcomes, experience and quality for service users and communities?
• Can you bring strategic vision, operational grip and compassionate leadership together to drive meaningful impact?

This is a pivotal senior leadership opportunity for an experienced and ambitious nurse leader to shape the delivery of high-quality, safe and effective care across Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

As Associate Director of Nursing, you will play a critical role in providing visible, strategic and professional leadership across clinical networks, ensuring outstanding outcomes for service users and communities. Working closely with the Director of Nursing and wider multi-professional leadership teams, you will lead on the development and delivery of service improvement, performance and workforce strategies in line with Trust and system priorities.

You will drive excellence across the core dimensions of safety, effectiveness and patient experience, while balancing operational performance, financial sustainability and workforce development. This role requires a collaborative and forward-thinking leader who can influence at system level, build strong partnerships, and lead transformational change across complex services.

Main duties of the job

• Provide senior clinical and professional leadership across clinical networks, acting as a visible and credible leader
• Lead delivery of high-quality services, ensuring safety, effectiveness and patient experience standards are met
• Take joint accountability for clinical, operational and financial performance against local and national targets
• Develop and implement strategic plans and service improvement programmes aligned to Trust priorities
• Drive robust governance, risk management and quality assurance frameworks across services
• Lead on workforce planning, development and succession, supporting high-performing and compassionate teams
• Build and maintain effective partnerships across the Trust, ICS, regulators and external organisations
• Influence and contribute to Trust-wide strategy, policy development and transformation programmes
• Provide expert advice and leadership on clinical practice, quality improvement and professional standards
• Champion equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring services meet the needs of all communities

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Provide senior clinical and professional leadership across clinical networks, acting as a visible and credible leader
• Lead delivery of high-quality services, ensuring safety, effectiveness and patient experience standards are met
• Take joint accountability for clinical, operational and financial performance against local and national targets
• Develop and implement strategic plans and service improvement programmes aligned to Trust priorities
• Drive robust governance, risk management and quality assurance frameworks across services
• Lead on workforce planning, development and succession, supporting high-performing and compassionate teams
• Build and maintain effective partnerships across the Trust, ICS, regulators and external organisations
• Influence and contribute to Trust-wide strategy, policy development and transformation programmes
• Provide expert advice and leadership on clinical practice, quality improvement and professional standards
• Champion equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring services meet the needs of all communities