Job Summary
As Deputy Chief Nursing Officer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of nursing and clinical governance across NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). Reporting to the Chief Nursing Officer, you will lead the development and delivery of professional nursing standards, drive strategic workforce planning, and champion a culture of learning, safety and compassionate care. You’ll influence national policy, strengthen our governance frameworks, and ensure our nursing workforce is equipped to deliver high‑quality, safe and consistent care. Working with senior leaders across the UK, you’ll bring clarity, expertise and ambition to an organisation where your contribution directly supports our purpose: saving and improving lives every day.
Main duties of the job
1. Lead the development and delivery of NHSBT’s clinical governance and nursing strategy.
2. Ensure consistent clinical and professional standards across the Nursing workforce, including leadership, capability, and workforce planning.
3. Provide expert professional advice to the Board, Executive Team and senior leaders on nursing, quality and patient safety.
4. Lead risk management, safeguarding, infection prevention and control, and quality improvement portfolios for the organisation.
5. Drive the development and implementation of the NHSBT Nursing Strategy, including performance monitoring and evaluation.
6. Build strong national partnerships, aligning NHSBT with nursing strategies across all four UK nations.
7. Oversee directorate planning, budgets, business cases, and resource allocation to ensure value for money and strong delivery.
8. Promote a compassionate, open, learning culture, ensuring lessons learned translate into improved patient and donor outcomes.
9. Deputise for the Chief Nursing Officer with full autonomy, representing NHSBT at national meetings and strategic forums.
10. Lead the development of clinical governance systems, ensuring effective reporting, assurance and regulatory compliance.
About You
Experience and Knowledge
11. Extensive experience as a registered nurse.
12. Substantial experience leading clinical governance, safeguarding, infection control and professional nursing at system or national or international level.
13. Substantial experience of leading risk management.
14. Direct experience in leading complex projects and change processes.
15. In depth knowledge of all relevant legislation and the regulatory environment governing NHSBT
16. Direct experience in professional case management at organisational level and NMC case management.
17. Experience in people management, leadership and delivering through people as well as knowledge of HR processes, and relevant legislation.
18. Experience in strategic management and planning.
19. Experience in finance and management accounting.
20. Experience in performance management
21. Experience in clinical risk management
22. Experience in delivery of clinical and quality governance, aligning to sub board committees.
23. Understand and have good knowledge of principles and application of IT software and hardware applications especially those relevant to Tissues management.
24. Experience in media awareness.
25. Experience in education, commissioning and strategy development.
26. Experience in regulatory compliance including leading CQC inspections and leading /delivering improvement plans.
27. Extensive knowledge and understanding of principles of good Corporate, Clinical and Scientific Governance
28. Experience of professionally leading and implementing strategy and delivering major projects
29. Experience of management of significant resources and delivering against stretching organisational targets
30. Advanced level critical thinking and problem solving.
31. Experience of acting as part of a highly diverse and successful senior team.
Qualifications and Training
32. Master’s degree in relevant subject.
33. Professional and Leadership experience across a wide range of analytical, strategy, procedure and practices along with relevant clinical experience.
34. Highly developed knowledge, clinical experience, and training in strategy development and programme and portfolio management.
35. Registered Nurse (NMC) with requirement to maintain registration.
36. Demonstrate commitment to own Continued Professional Development (CPD).