Job overview
Chief Nurse (VSM)
University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group
Exceptional care. Compassionate leadership. Lasting impact.
University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) is seeking an outstanding and inspirational nursing leader to join our Executive Team as our substantive Chief Nurse.
This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of care across Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital, leading nursing, midwifery and allied health professional practice at a pivotal time for our organisation.
As a key member of the Executive Team, the Chief Nurse will have responsibility for championing the highest standards of quality, patient safety, experience and professional practice, while helping to deliver our organisational priorities:
- High-quality patient care
- A positive, inclusive and compassionate culture
- Financial sustainability
The successful candidate will provide visible professional leadership, working alongside colleagues across clinical, operational and corporate teams to ensure patients receive safe, effective and compassionate care every day.
We are looking for a leader who is passionate about improving care and outcomes for patients, developing and supporting our people, and creating the conditions for teams to thrive.
If you are an experienced executive nurse leader who shares our commitment to high-quality care, compassionate leadership and continuous improvement, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
The Chief Nurse will play a pivotal role in:
- Providing executive leadership for quality, patient safety and patient experience.
- Leading and supporting the nursing, midwifery and AHP workforce.
- Strengthening our culture of compassion, inclusion, learning and continuous improvement.
- Driving improvements in quality, safety and clinical outcomes.
- Developing professional standards, workforce capability and leadership at all levels.
- Working collaboratively with partners across the wider health and care system.
- Supporting the delivery of organisational transformation and financial sustainability while maintaining a relentless focus on quality and safety.
We are seeking an experienced executive leader with:
- Current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
- A strong track record of leadership at Board or executive level within a complex healthcare organisation.
- Significant experience leading quality, patient safety and professional practice improvements.
- A demonstrable ability to influence, inspire and lead through complexity and change.
- Strong strategic, operational and financial awareness.
- A commitment to partnership working and system leadership.
- Exceptional communication and engagement skills.
At UHN, we believe that how we achieve our goals is just as important as the goals themselves.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We are looking for a values-based leader who demonstrates compassion, integrity, inclusion and accountability in everything they do.
The successful candidate will:
- Be a visible and approachable leader.
- Lead with authenticity, humility and compassion.
- Create an environment where staff feel valued, listened to and empowered.
- Foster a culture of openness, learning and continuous improvement.
- Champion equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Build trust across professional, organisational and system boundaries.
- Hold themselves and others to high standards while supporting people to succeed.
We want someone who can balance challenge with support, pace with compassion, and delivery with engagement.
This is an opportunity to join an organisation with ambitious plans for the future and a strong commitment to improving outcomes for patients and communities.
You will work alongside dedicated colleagues who are passionate about making a difference and who understand that sustainable improvement is achieved through strong relationships, shared purpose and collective leadership.
For a full list of all roles and responsibilities please refer to the attached job description and person specification
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Person specification
Skills
Essential
- Well-developed communication and influencing skills, with the ability to motivate teams and gain consensus at all levels within and between organisations.
- Ability to lead and work in multi-disciplinary team.
- Strong personal impact. Highly developed interpersonal, networking, advocacy, written and presentation skills that are persuasive and influential and develop relationships that inspire respect, trust and confidence with a wide range of organisations and individuals, both internally and externally.
- Highly developed analytical skills with the ability to think and act strategically/laterally, maintain a clear view of the issues affecting the Trusts.
- The ability to translate strategic vision into operations, to communicate those objectives and ensure they are actioned.
- Demonstrable success in building, leading, motivating and developing multi-disciplinary teams and promoting, leading and implementing strategies and change programmes to secure continuous service improvement, successful outcomes and significant operational and service changes.
- Evidence of communicating successfully and working effectively in co-operation with a wide range of internal and external bodies, including statutory and non-statutory organisations, senior managers, colleagues and their representatives.
- Able to deal positively and promptly with colleagues’ concerns and personal problems, challenge colleagues on any inappropriate behaviours or poor performance and investigate and deal with complaints as required.
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Expensive knowledge and experience of clinical governance systems, infection prevention and control and children’s and adults safeguarding.
- Extensive experience of leading and directing change in clinical practice with evidence of successful outcomes in a Provider Trust.
- Experience of improving the patient experience.
- Successful track record at senior leadership levels, including exposure at Board Level in a large complex organisation.
- An understanding of key NHS Service Quality and Safety Standards.
- Experience of developing and implementing transformation programmes with a track record of successful delivery against national and local targets.
- Demonstrable experience of setting and delivering a long-term vision, whilst responding to short-term challenges and opportunities.
- Experience of successfully delivering quality improvement programmes.
- Experience of supporting integration and collaboration across separate legal entities.
- Sound knowledge of clinical governance and risk management.
- Knowledge of national NHS policy and strategy.
- Ability to assess, analyse, synthesise and act upon complex data and information.
Educations, Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Nurse or Midwife.
- MSc in relevant subject, or equivalent experience.
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
- Evidence of leadership development
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Chief Nurse with Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in University Hospitals of Northamptonshire. It is listed as a Nurse (adult and children) role. The advertised salary is £138018.00 to £195526.00. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 14 Sep 2026.
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