Job overview
North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an outstanding Director of Midwifery (DoM) with a strong focus on safety, quality, and outcomes for women, birthing people, and their families. The DoM will be a visible and inspirational leader, joining a collaborative senior team within a maternity department rated ‘GOOD’ by the CQC in 2023.
As the most senior midwife in the Trust, the DoM will provide strategic, clinical, and professional leadership across maternity services, ensuring care is safe, personalised, and continuously improving. The postholder will be a key member of the Clinical Business Unit (CBU) Quinumvirate, offering expert midwifery leadership to the wider Care Group and acting in an advisory capacity to senior clinical leads and Trust executives.
Main duties of the job
The Director of Midwifery is responsible for leading the professional midwifery agenda across the Trust, ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality, and compassionate maternity services. They will provide expert advice to the Chief Nurse, Trust Board, and executive colleagues, shaping policy and strategy aligned with national priorities and local needs. The postholder will foster a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous improvement, working in close collaboration with system partners, service users, and multidisciplinary teams. A key element of the role involves championing the Professional Midwifery Advocate model, supporting staff wellbeing, and enhancing clinical supervision across the workforce.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The postholder will be accountable for the strategic oversight and professional leadership of all midwifery staff across North Cheshire and Mersey Hospitals. They will lead on implementing national maternity programmes, including Ockenden and Amos recommendations, and ensure compliance with regulatory and quality standards. Working closely with executive colleagues and the wider Care Group leadership, the Director of Midwifery will help shape service transformation, contribute to long-term planning, and influence the development of maternity services across the Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS). They will maintain robust systems of governance, drive forward initiatives to improve patient safety and experience, and ensure the Trust meets its statutory and professional obligations. Through strong financial and workforce leadership, the DoM will oversee staffing, training, and resource planning to support a high-performing, responsive maternity service that is centred on the needs of women, birthing people, and their families.
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
- Knowledge of health and social care structures and policy at national, regional and local level
- Political awareness and ability to influence and work with stakeholders at all levels
- Up to date knowledge of current clinical and professional issues
- An understanding of audit and research based nursing/midwifery practice
- Able to build and maintain strong confidence in engagement with the Executive Directors and Trust Board and Local Maternity & Neonatal System
- Ability to effectively engage and communicate with a broad range of stakeholders
- Political awareness and ability to influence beyond line management
- Ability to work in a climate of rapid change and uncertainty
- The ability to think and act strategically, yet developing workable and practical solutions to achieve strategic outcomes
- The ability to think creatively and develop a vision for the future
Experience
Essential
- Leadership Experience at Senior clinical leadership level within a maternity service
- A track record of successfully leading a midwifery function in a complex organisation
- Evidence of implementing significant organisational change
- Evidence of strong and positive leadership behaviours
- Evidence of working across boundaries, influencing and developing staff and working with multiple stakeholders
- Proven experience in the implementation of corporate and professional strategies
- Demonstrable experience of improving patient experience
- Demonstrable experience of improving patient safety
Qualifications
Essential
- Registered Midwife
- Degree level education or equivalent
- Evidence of continued personal & professional development
- Master's Degree in relevant subject or equivalent experience in a senior Midwifery role
Desirable
- Registered Nurse
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Director of Midwifery - Band 8D with Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Warrington Hospital. It is listed as a Band 8 Manager and corporate role. The advertised salary is £94,356 - £108,814 per annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 26 Aug 2026.
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