About this role
Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Registered Nurse to join our Executive Nursing and Therapy Team as an Associate Director of Nursing. With strong expertise in physical health care, the successful candidate will lead the physical health agenda across the Trust, with a particular focus on advancing whole-person care, a key strategic priority for the Trust, led at Board level by the Chief Nurse.
We are seeking a compassionate, innovative and driven nurse leader with substantial experience and expertise in physical health nursing. The successful candidate will be highly motivated and bring excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills, underpinned by a strong track record of professional leadership.
The post will report directly to the Deputy Chief Nurse and work closely with the Chief Nurse and the senior leaders within the Executive Nursing and Therapy Team and services across clinical divisions to drive improvements in quality and patient experience within Mersey Care. The postholder will be responsible for the day to day operational and clinical management of direct reports.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide strategic and professional leadership to clinical and non-clinical colleagues and ensure high standards of physical health care and compliance with statutory requirements. The role will support excellent nursing practice to maintain the highest standards of patient care across the Trust.
In addition to the key clinical skills and expertise associated with physical healthcare, the successful candidate will be a confident and resilient leader, able to provide credible professional leadership across the organisation and lead change in a complex and evolving environment. You will bring visible, dynamic and inspiring leadership, empowering the nursing workforce to deliver safe, effective and high-quality care. With a strong strategic outlook, excellent leadership capability and a proven record of success, you will play a key role in helping the Trust deliver outstanding services and improved patient outcomes, supporting and deputising for the Deputy Chief Nurse as appropriate.
Mersey Care's vision and values drive our organisation and the way we work together to deliver services. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate during recruitment, and any subsequent employment with the Trust, that their behaviour supports our values of Continuous Improvement, Accountability, Respect, Enthusiasm and Support (CARES).
About us
At Mersey Care we strive to continually build on our values andbeliefs that will allow all our workforce to develop their potentialand bring their whole self into the organisation. In order tostrengthen our inclusivity and diversity, we recognise the need toensure we become more representative of the communities weserve.This is recognised in the NHS England EDI WorkforceImprovement Plan 2023 and NHS Workplace Race EqualityStandard that in senior NHS Leadership positions, there is anunderrepresentation of Black and Asian Minority colleagues(BME).As an organisation we are committed to our Perfect Care Goal onAnti-racism and so are employing positive action where we knowthere is underrepresentation and for this position therefore, weencourage applications from people who are from BMEcommunities.The Equality Act (2010) permits Mersey Care as a defined publicauthority, to take steps to address inequity andunderrepresentation as positive action, and this includes ourapproach for this position.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Job description Job responsibilities
Further information and details regarding this role can be found on the job description attached to the vacancy.
Shortlisting will be undertaken on 3rd July 2026
Interviews will take place on 31st July 2026
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Registered Nurse in physical health with evidence of post-basic development Educated to master's degree level or above or equivalent
Experience Essential
Significant nursing experience, at least three years of which will have been at senior nurse manager level or above Extensive experience of delivering innovation or quality in the safety agenda Able to demonstrate experience in promoting clinical and Organisational change across a large and complex organisation Significant experience of working in a major leadership or project management role Experience of working with Trust Board
Knowledge Essential
Extensive knowledge and experience of managing conflict and enabling individuals to find resolution to their concerns A demonstrated understanding of Equality and Human Rights
Skills Essential
Highly effective interpersonal skills Articulate individual and effective communicator Evidence of leadership and strategic Excellent organisational, communication and presentation skills, oral and written Ability to lead and build effective teams that can reflect on experience and promote a learning culture Ability to disseminate information in a professional manner to nurses and other professionals at regional and national level, as evidenced by presentations at conferences or peer reviewed articles Able to deliver complex projects on time Highly motivated re modernisation Effective strategic thinker/intellectual flexibility Computer literate High level written and verbal skills
Values Essential
Continuous improvement - committed to making improvements to our services for the benefit of all. Accountability - taking ownership to anticipate, develop and deliver high quality care. Respect - how we treat others in an inclusive and supportive way. Enthusiasm - demonstrate our passion and pride for what we do and how we do it. Support - actively supporting others with compassion and courage
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.
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 Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Address V7 building
Kings Business Park
Liverpool
L34 1PJ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)