About this role
Job summary
We are recruiting a Director of Midwifery and Neonatal Services to provide strong strategic and exceptional clinical leadership to our Midwifery and Neonatal services.
Our maternity services were rated as Outstanding in 2024 by the Care Quality Commission. We are looking for a leader who can build on this outstanding service to further improve outcomes and experience for women, birthing people, babies and families.
Across the NHS, maternity services are evolving in response to national priorities including improving safety and outcomes, addressing inequalities in care, strengthening personalised care, and ensuring a sustainable workforce.
The health and wellbeing of our staff is paramount to provide safe and compassionate care. We are looking for a visible, compassionate and values-driven leader who will continue to strengthen a culture of inclusive, high-performing teams.
This is a very exciting time for our services. The Trust is shaping the future model of maternity services, including reviewing the development of an elective maternity centre. You will play a pivotal role in this next phase of transformation.
Any development will complement the existing services of the Bath Birthing Centre and maternity units in Trowbridge, Frome, Paulton & Chippenham, supporting approx. 4500 births per year across all services. Our Neonatal Unit (level 2) is situated in a state of the art, low carbon building , providing a therapeutic environment for babies, their families & our staff.
Main duties of the job
In this integral role, you will report directly to the Chief Nursing Officer, providing assurance to the Trust Board and BSW Hospitals Joint Committee on the quality, safety and performance of maternity and neonatal services at a pivotal time for maternity care nationally. You will act as the senior professional voice for midwifery and neonatal services, ensuring safe, effective and responsive care for all.
You will work across the Directors of Midwifery across BSW Hospitals Group, the Integrated Care System and key partners, including the Local Maternity and Neonatal System and regional networks, to lead transformation of services, working in collaboration with the LMNS and the Neonatal network whilst developing meaningful relationships with our service users, our colleagues, Maternity Voices Partnership Plus and voluntary sector organisations.
You will play a key role in translating insights from women, families, staff and partners into meaningful, measurable improvement, ensuring equity of access, outcomes and experience across the population we serve.
You will be supported to develop and reach your potential which translates to you accessing the plethora of opportunities that build your professional and personal portfolio.
Interviews for this role will take pace the week commencing 22nd June 2026.
About us
We are proud to be part of BSW Hospitals Group - a formal partnership between the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. With a combined workforce of over 17, 600 colleagues, and budget of 1.6 billion the Group is united by a common purpose to deliver the best possible care to over 1 million people.
We are creating a health and care system that works with the people we care for, reducing the differences people currently face in access, experience and outcomes, improving the experience of our colleagues and tackling shared challenges like sustainability and finances. Every improvement we make across our Group will be guided by what creates the greatest benefit for our colleagues, our patients, our communities and our partners.
By working together, we make a real difference for our patients, each other, and our community. Every role matters in delivering the exceptional, person-centred care we're proud of.
We're committed to a compassionate, inclusive culture where kindness is championed, differences are valued, and diversity makes us stronger.
We want to support you to thrive, taking your career to its full potential. We prioritise staff wellbeing - and yes, we even have a pool!
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Job description Job responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification for further details about this opportunity.
Person Specification
Qualifications and training Essential
Registered Midwife with current NMC registration
Knowledge and experience Essential
Contemporaneous experience of leading maternity and neonatal services for a provider organisation Evidence of advanced leadership and development, commensurate with executive or very senior leadership roles Significant experience of professional leadership and accountability across maternity and neonatal services, including local, national and regional networks Ability to provide Board level assurance on perinatal safety, quality and experience
Desirable
Experience of working as a Director of Midwifery or equivalent
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
Address Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
Combe Park
Bath
BA1 3NG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.ruh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)