Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist Breast Surgery

Job overview

The Cambridge Breast Unit (CBU) is seeking to appoint a confident, experienced, and highly motivated Lead Band 8a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) team lead. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic and supportive team dedicated to delivering high-quality care to both in- and out-patients across the breast cancer (including reconstructive onco-plastics) and breast screening pathways.

You will have a key role to play in the management and coordination of care for patients referred in on suspected cancer pathways, or those recalled after breast screening ensuring adequate CNS staffing and skill mix. You will be expected to have strong communication and inter-personal skills, acting as patient advocate in MDT discussions.

You will run independent nurse-led clinics which requires a high level of clinical knowledge and autonomous decision-making with the ability to multitask and prioritise clinical care effectively, therefore previous breast care or oncology experience is an essential requirement.

We strongly encourage informal enquiries or visits and would be delighted to welcome you to meet our team and learn more about the role.

Main duties of the job

As Lead CNS, you will undertake key managerial and leadership elements such as managing the financial budget and taking responsibility for recruitment and selection of staff including the development of specialty business cases where needed.  Furthermore, you will also line manage the existing B7s, ensuring timely appraisals and development of staff with clear, measurable KPIs; promoting a culture of compassionate leadership and a positive culture whilst actively addressing poor performance. Service delivery, transformation and service improvements would form part of your role, including producing annual reports for your team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have: -    applied for a Graduate visa -    or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment

For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.

Due to the nature of the role, to encourage all women of all cultures and religions in our community to access breast screening, applicants must be female. This is deemed to be an occupational requirement in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 schedule 9 paragraph 1 and the Employment Statutory Code of Practice Chapter 13 paragraphs 13.5-13.9.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 7 May 2026

Interviews are due to be held on 21 May 2026

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.