Overview
WWL is seeking a strategic, inspirational Corporate Director of Nursing to join the senior leadership team. The role offers autonomy to lead change, transform services and be highly visible across the borough. The post oversees Patient Experience; Charitable Funds; Volunteers; Living with Dementia; Smoking Cessation; Chaplaincy; PALS and Complaints; and ASPIRE accreditation.
The successful candidate will ensure patients, service users and communities are heard, shape the NMAHP strategy and service improvements, work system-wide to drive innovation, understand local demographics and health inequalities, and adopt a less hospital-centric approach to improve access. Professional curiosity, the ability to challenge the norm and the confidence to use senior-level autonomy are essential.
Leader development is a focus; the post is collaborative and part of the senior CNO team. Informal discussions and due diligence discussions with stakeholders are available for interested applicants.
Responsibilities
The Corporate Director of Nursing is responsible for development and implementation of Trust policies and strategy designed to achieve quality in healthcare including Patient Experience and Engagement, Voluntary Services, Harm Free Care, Patient Relations & Complaints, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for patients and the wider system.
Please note that this vacancy may close early if a sufficient number of applications are received. We encourage interested candidates to apply promptly to avoid disappointment.
About us
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provide acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. We value our staff, believing that happy staff makes for happy patients, and we have a recognised track record in staff engagement and living our values.
Our values: People at the Heart; Listen and Involve; Kind and Respectful; ONE Team.
WWL is committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges dignity. We welcome applications from all sections of society.
Details
Date posted: 12 March 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for Change
Band: Band 8d
Salary: £91,342 to £105,337 a year pro rata, per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference: 302-26-7802014CPR
Job locations: Trust Headquarters, Wigan Lane, Wigan, WN1 2NN
Job responsibilities
Please see individual job descriptions as they contain additional details concerning the specifics of each of the job roles.
Person Specification
Knowledge – Essential
* Clear understanding of complex issues prevailing around national drivers in the health/public sector
* Extensive knowledge of patient experience and public engagement including inclusive working with seldom heard groups
* Knowledge and understanding of quality accreditation process
* Extensive experience of developing audit programmes to support positive change
* Knowledge of Infection Prevention and Control agenda
* Evidence of knowledge of safeguarding agenda
* Knowledge of national, regional & local strategic drivers for change with respect to professional workforce and models of care
* Evidence of continuous professional development and/or personal development
Knowledge – Desirable
* Extensive understanding of the legal framework of EDI and the Public Sector Equality Duty to ensure improvements in patient care
WWL Behaviours – Essential
* Demonstrable ability to lead with purpose grounded in WWL values
Experience – Essential
* Extensive senior management experience in NHS and/or private sector healthcare
* Experience of working with senior executives and non-executive teams, senior managers and clinicians
* Experience of working directly with patients and the public
* Experience of research methodologies and techniques to engage with all stakeholders
* Experience of public consultation
* Experience of leading organisations/local change based on the needs of the patient/service user and the workforce
* Experience of working across boundaries and with multiple stakeholders
* Extensive experience in strategy development, budgetary control & clinical leadership
* Evidence of high-level professional credibility
* Significant experience implementing governance structures & risk management
* Experience of partnership working
* Experience of multi-agency/system-wide working
* Experience of managing high-level risk stratification
Experience – Desirable
* Experience of working in primary and social care settings
* Knowledge of the North West and the Wigan Borough
* Evidence of appreciation of the Trust values and workings of the public sector
Skills – Essential
* Excellent communication skills and ability to influence strategic direction
* Extensive skills in co-production/co-design and working with senior leadership while maintaining integrity for area of responsibility
* Demonstrable skills in strategic leadership
* Ability to think creatively and develop a vision for the future
* Proven record of building and motivating teams delivering high standards of collaborative working and integrated solutions
* Proven record of leading and developing high-level strategy driving improved outcomes
* High level of emotional intelligence
* Able to manage sensitive and contentious information
* Skilled in interpreting and triangulating complex data and producing accurate reports
* Extensive skills in report writing, narrative and data-based Trust Board reports
* Strategic thinking with practical, innovative solutions
* Critical thinking in data analysis
* Extensive experience of agile leadership across services
* Compassionate and caring leadership, empowering workforce
* Able to manage multiple complex transformational change projects to deadlines
* Excellent time management
* Able to motivate others
* Ability to work under pressure
* Able to participate in relevant on-call rota
Skills – Desirable
* Excellent IT skills
Qualifications – Essential
* Registered Nurse/AHP with relevant degree
* Relevant post-graduate qualifications or substantial equivalent experience
* Master's Degree in relevant subject
* Evidence of continued personal and professional development
Additional – Essential
* Diplomatic
* Positive thinker
* Good listener
* Creative/innovator
* Can work on own initiative
* Work sensitively/tactfully
* Able to prioritise and deliver timely, quality results
* High level of personal and professional credibility
* Motivated and enthusiastic
* Assertive and decisive
* Resilience
Legal and Sponsorship
Disclosure and Barring Service Check: This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and a Disclosure to the DBS.
Certificate of Sponsorship: Applications from job seekers requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered. For further information, see official UKVI guidance. Guidance on overseas criminal records checks is available.
UK Registration: Applicants must have current UK professional registration.
Employer details
Employer: Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Trust Headquarters, Wigan Lane, Wigan, WN1 2NN
Employer's website: wwL.nhs.uk
#J-18808-Ljbffr