About this role
Job summary
This is an exceptional opportunity for an outstanding nursing leader to shape the quality, safety and experience of care at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals as part of the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group.
As Site Chief Nurse, you will provide visible, empowering professional leadership for our nursing, midwifery and allied health professional workforce. Working as a key member of the Hospital Leadership Team, you will share responsibility for delivering safe, high-quality and compassionate services, while helping to shape the Group's wider strategic direction.
You will lead organisation-wide improvements in patient care and experience, fostering a culture of innovation, learning, inclusion and continuous improvement. The role offers the scope to influence beyond the hospital site: deputising for the Group Chief Nurse and leading Group-wide portfolios, programmes and priorities.
We are advertising for positions at both QEH and NNUH. If you wish to be considered for QEH as well as NNUH please make sure you express that in your supporting statement, there is no need to apply to both adverts.
Contact details to find out more about each site and the Group can be found below.
Main duties of the job
Working closely with the Site Medical Director, Executive Managing Director and Group Chief Nurse, you will:o Hold senior professional responsibility for the quality and safety of care delivered at the hospital site.o Provide visible leadership to nursing, midwifery and allied health professional teams.o Lead improvements in patient safety, patient experience, clinical governance and professional practice at site and Group level.o Ensure the workforce is skilled, productive, engaged and clinically and financially sustainable.o Shape workforce, education and development plans that meet current and future service needs.o Lead the site's response to regulatory requirements and maintain constructive relationships with the Care Quality Commission and professional regulators.o Champion an open, fair and learning culture in which colleagues feel safe to speak up.o Support service transformation, innovation and the development of integrated pathways across Norfolk and Waveney.o Build strong partnerships with patients, carers, staff representatives, education and research partners, commissioners, and the wider health and care system.o Represent the Executive Managing Director and Group Chief Nurse as required.
About us
The newly formed Norfolk & Waveney University Hospitals Group (NWUHG) is placing people and culture at the heart of its transformation.
By working as one system, the Group is strengthening workforce development, improving staff experience, and creating consistent, supportive leadership across all three hospitals. This unified approach enables better training, enhanced well-being support, and a stronger culture rooted in compassion, flexibility, and continuous learning.
Focusing on people also supports national priorities--ensuring the workforce is skilled, adaptable, and ready for future models of care--and strengthens NWUHG's overall performance by improving quality, resilience, and sustainability.
Together, this creates a Groupwide commitment to making NWUHG a great place to work, with clear benefits for staff including:
Flexible working hours
Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
Multi Faith prayer room at NNUH Colney Lane site
Discounted gym memberships
Generous pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH Colney Lane site
Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
On-site Nursery at NNUH Colney Lane
On-site cafes offering staff discounts at NNUH Colney Lane
Support in career development
Flexible staff bank
Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics
Job description Job responsibilities
You will bring extensive senior nursing leadership experience within a complex organisation, including experience operating at director level and influencing strategic decisions. You will have a strong track record in quality governance, quality improvement, patient safety and risk management, alongside experience of leading service innovation, transformation and collaboration across health and social care. You will be able to manage complexity, make sound decisions and communicate clearly with staff, boards, regulators and partners, supported by strong financial, workforce and strategic planning capability. Your collaborative, inclusive and compassionate leadership style will give you the credibility to inspire others, challenge constructively and role-model the highest professional standards.
Why join us?
This is a rare opportunity to influence care at both hospital and Group level during a period of significant development for health services across Norfolk and Waveney. You will work with talented clinical and corporate leaders, contribute to major transformation programmes and help create an environment in which our people can deliver their best for patients.
We are looking for a leader who combines professional authority with humility, openness and a deep commitment to inclusion. If you share our ambition for excellent, safe and compassionate care, we would welcome your application.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Registered nurse with a current registration with the NMC. Master's degree in relevant subject area or equivalent knowledge
Experience Essential
Experience at Director level Experience of leading collaboration across a health and social care system
Knowledge & Skills Essential
Strong strategic planning skills with the ability to take decisions, make recommendations and plan using data, analytical skills and expert opinions Strong persuasive and influencing skills with the ability to present ideas and proposals effectively through to Board level Clear analytical skills to allow explanation, evaluation and interpretation of information and opinions Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship 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).
Employer details Employer name Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
Address Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital
Colney Lane
Norwich
NR4 7UY
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.nnuh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)