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Job summary

Main area
Nursing
Grade
Band 9
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
264-6966317-COR-B
Employer
Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
University Hospitals of Northamptonshire
Town
Kettering
Salary
£105,385 - £121,271 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
03/03/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust logo

UHN Director of Nursing - Workforce and Education

Band 9

Job overview

We are seeking an exceptional Director of Nursing to join University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) at a pivotal time in our journey. This is a unique opportunity to provide professional nursing leadership across our integrated healthcare system, driving excellence in patient care, workforce development, and innovation.

As a key member of the senior leadership team, you will play a crucial role in shaping the future of nursing at UHN, ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and patient experience. You will lead on professional nursing strategy, workforce transformation, and quality improvement, working collaboratively with clinical and operational teams across the organisation.

Main duties of the job

At UHN, we are committed to two fundamental principles:

  • For our patients: We expect all patients to receive the same standard of care that we would want for a loved one
  • For our colleagues: We expect colleagues to be treated with the same values we believe are important; compassion, respect and integrity  

We are looking for a highly experienced and inspiring leader who is passionate about delivering outstanding care. You will have a proven track record of driving transformational change, improving clinical outcomes, and championing professional nursing practice. Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to engage and influence at all levels are essential.

At UHN, we are committed to creating a culture of inclusivity, shared decision-making, and continuous improvement. If you are an ambitious and compassionate nursing leader ready to take on this exciting challenge, we would love to hear from you.

Working for our organisation

**Please submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close any adverts before the closing date once we have received sufficient applications**

Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered a Group Model with neighbouring Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.

Our Excellence Values

  • Compassion
  • Accountability
  • Respect
  • Integrity
  • Courage

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential. 

The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups.  We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.

We recognise the valuable contribution that the Armed Forces community make to our organisation. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and achieved Silver Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme. 

We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification for a full list of roles and responsibilities.

Person specification

Education, Training & Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Educated to First Degree (Health related subject) level or equivalent level of education, training or experience
  • Registered Nurse
  • Master’s Degree level working or equivalent
  • Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable criteria
  • Additional professional/management qualifications

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria
  • Extensive managerial experience at a senior level in the NHS including at 8c/d or above
  • Evidence of leading organisational change
  • Proven track record in leadership and change management
  • Experience of Leading Safeguarding team at senior level
  • Gold on call experience
  • Evidence of working within ICS in a senior leadership role
  • In-depth knowledge of current issues in nursing and midwifery
  • Aware of developments in nursing policy and practice at national level
  • Able to describe how the above fit into current key issues in the NHS
  • Understanding of the complex dynamics of a multi-professional environment
Desirable criteria
  • Involvement in initiatives at national and/or regional level
  • Experience in education and professional development
  • Familiar with National Service Frameworks and current clinical national strategies e.g., stroke, dementia, end-of-life care
  • Conversant with the mandatory requirements for adult and children’s safeguarding and the Mental Health and Mental Capacity Acts
  • Previous experience at Board level in an NHS Foundation Trust or ICS
  • Deputy Chief Nurse/Deputy exec level working
  • Experience of working with the Care Quality Commission and the National Health Service Litigation Authority
  • Complaints Management
  • Experience of working as a director or at Sub Board level

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills, with highly developed skills of persuasion, motivational, negotiating and communication
  • Excellent standard of report writing and action planning
  • Ability to communicate at all levels, including highly complex information in a manner to ensure the message is understood
  • Highly developed interpersonal skills
  • Ability to contribute effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team which includes Executive and non-executive Directors
  • Ability to manage and promote change
  • High level analytical skills
  • Ability to work under pressure
  • Good IT skills
  • Strategic thinker
  • Proficient nursing skills to carry out any clinical aspects of the role
  • Ability to mobilise across hospital sites for ward/department visits
  • Able to demonstrate high levels of concentration on a daily basis and/or during on-call, which is likely to be interrupted and require a moving from one task to another at speed
  • Ability to deal with potentially traumatic/distressing incidents/scenes or situations as part of safeguarding issues, patient deaths, incidents, or complaints
  • Demonstrate compassion and tact when delivering difficult/distressing/bad news
Desirable criteria
  • Has had lead responsibility for significant project/change management initiatives with successful outcome
  • Sound general management experience – budget management skills, business case preparation, staff management

Key Competencies/ Personal Qualities & Attributes

Essential criteria
  • Passionate and committed to bring our Dedicated to Excellence values to life, improving the way we work with each other, particularly focusing on empowerment, equality diversity and inclusion of our staff, patients, and service users
  • Ability to work independently/autonomously with minimal supervision
  • Has natural authority and gains respect of others
  • Individual credibility
  • Influencing skills
  • Strategic vision Team player
  • Change agent Resilience
  • Stamina and Drive
  • Ability to travel between the Kettering and Northampton hospital sites and other sites often with limited time between meetings

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Veteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyMenopause Friendly EmployerAge positiveDisability confident leaderInvestors in People: GoldImproving working livesArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.National Preceptorship for Nursing Quality Mark

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Julie Hogg
Job title
Chief Nurse
Email address
[email protected]
Additional information

Interested candidates should submit an application stating why you want the post and the experience you bring by midnight on Wednesday 5th February 2025. Interview will take place on Monday 10th February 2025

For further information or for an informal discussion please contact Julie Hogg or Sam Hayto ([email protected])