About this role
Job summary
Mid and South Essex Foundation trust areseeking an exceptional clinical leader to join our Group Executive Team as Chief Nursing Officer.
This is a significant opportunity to provide professional leadership for nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals and to inspire a workforce whose commitment, skill and compassion are central to the service provided to our patients and communities every day.
As Chief Nursing Officer you will lead and support a large and diverse workforce, offering clear and compassionate leadership, inspiring colleagues to be their very best and continuing to build on both organisations shared commitment to outstanding care for every patient.
Please note, we are hoping to interview on the 15th June 2026.
Main duties of the job
The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) provides visionary leadership to nursing, midwifery and allied health professional (AHPs) staff; being responsible for professional practice and for leading the strategic planning and delivery of high quality, innovative and evidenced base practice across these professional groups.
Placing quality of care at the centre of practice, the CNO will work in partnership with the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to deliver the quality agenda, with specific responsibility for the following portfolios: patient engagement and experience, safeguarding, harm free care, clinical legal services and relationship management with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Working with the Chief Medical Officer, the CNO will ensure we take a multi-disciplinary approach to our clinical care and that we have a robust quality and safety governance framework in place learn and improve our quality.
As a highly visible, compassionate and professional leader, the CNO will set an inspiring strategic direction for clinical compliance and governance across our three main hospitals and their satellite sites, working with and through the directors of nursing, the Managing Directors and their senior leadership teams. The CNO will ensure the patient voice is at the heart of care delivery, and that the learning and improvement response to clinical incidents, harms and complaints is of a consistently high standard across MSEFT.
About us
Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.
We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.
Job description Job responsibilities
The post holder will also strategically lead the development and delivery of aligned workstreams within the integrated quality improvement plan, ensuring that a culture of quality, performance and sustainability is embedded within frontline teams and with their local leaders
As a member of an integrated executive team, the CNO will take the lead role for strategic and corporate issues within their corporate portfolio and also collective responsibility across the wider executive portfolios. The CNO will also foster good relationships across system partners and lead transformation work across our health and care system to deliver better care and outcome to the population of Mid and South Essex.
The post holder will also strategically lead the development and delivery of aligned workstreams within the integrated quality improvement plan, ensuring that a culture of quality, performance and sustainability is embedded within frontline teams and with their local leaders.
As a member of the Trust Board, the post holder will always role model our values and behaviours. This includes promoting diversity and inclusion in all forms, and a culture of learning and continuous improvement through actively leading and embodying our Leadership and Management Behaviours Framework across all our care settings.
The post holder is an executive, voting member of the Board of Directors and reports to the Chief Executive.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Masters level or equivalent experience Management qualification or recent leadership development Evidence of continuous professional and personal development
Knowledge and Experience Essential
Significant board level experience in an NHS Acute Trust Demonstrable record of achieving high quality outcomes for patients Substantial experience of managing change in a complex multi-professional, unionised environment Experience of senior leadership to Nurses and midwifes and optimising their contribution to patient care Track record of strategy and policy development & implementation Direct experience of business planning and robust financial management Understanding of the regulatory framework and experience of working closely with regulator Understands the strategic direction of the local and regional health economy. Knows how to make effective use of a board environment Ability to achieve credibility, lead and stimulate change through clinicians and other professionals.
Desirable
Experience of working in a group or large multi-site organisation
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 Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Address Basildon
Nethermayne
Basildon
SS16 5NL
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.mse.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)