Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Midwifery leader to join Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as Director of Midwifery.
Formed in April 2020, the Trust comprises two acute sites: Luton and Dunstable University Hospital and Bedford Hospital. Our maternity service is among the largest in the East of England, with Luton and Dunstable NICU being one of only three Level 3 centres in the region. While challenges exist, we are entering an exciting phase with the opening of a new maternity unit at Luton, ensuring our services deliver the highest standards of care for our population.
The Trust Board is committed to supporting teams in driving improvements for both communities and staff. The Director of Midwifery plays a pivotal role within the triumvirate, working closely with the cross-site Clinical Director and General Manager, and supported by two Heads of Midwifery.
We seek a credible, values-driven clinical leader with senior-level experience, strong influencing skills, and the confidence to constructively challenge across all staff groups. Excellent communication and a passion for delivering outstanding maternity care are essential.
Interviews will be held week commencing 19 January 2026.
Main duties of the job
Professional midwifery leadership is a key and fundamental function of the Director of Midwifery role, professionally accountable to the Chief Nursing Officer, with a focus on the strategic delivery of high standards of midwifery services across the two sites of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The role involves developing key relationships with organisations across the ICB, regional and national teams including NMC, Care Quality Commission, the Regional Chief Midwife, the Royal Colleges and other key stakeholders. The key priority for this role is the implementation and embedding of national policy and recommendations to develop long term sustainable processes and policy to support women and families across Bedfordshire in providing high quality and sustainable services delivery good outcomes and family experiences.
Working for our organisation
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology.
Our Values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description for full details of the role:
The post holder works alongside the Clinical Director and General Manager for maternity Services and takes the lead on midwifery and maternity development programmes, midwifery and nurse staffing including recruitment and retention, measuring and improving standards of care and the women’s experience.
The post holder will support strategic and innovative midwifery developments across the Bedfordshire and contribute to a system wide approach to delivering maternity transformation.
The post- holder is pivotal to ensuring safe, timely and compassionate care.
The post holder will lead a consistent and standardised approach across the organisation to delivery and achievement of NHS Resolution Safety Actions, supporting CNST recommendations and implementation of the SBLCB, Ockenden recommendation and any additional National recommendations.
The post holder will support the Head of Midwifery on the two hospital sites to ensure safe standards of midwifery care are delivered to the highestquality.
The post holder will:
Be expected to demonstrate a highly visible, authoritative compassionate and transformational leadership style which is underpinned by the values of Bedfordshire Hospital.
The Director of Midwifery is the professional lead for the group on all matters relating to midwifery, and provides advice to the Chief Nursing Officer, Clinical Director, General Managers, Executive, Maternity Safety Champions (NEDs) and the Board of Directors
The Director of Midwifery will act as the expert on midwifery and maternity issues both internally and externally and ensure that a culture of proactive professionalism is embedded and promoted. The Director of Midwifery will also act as a role model for all midwives and nurses at alltimes.
Have a key role in influencing strategic direction for development of maternity services within the ICB, LMNS partnership and national direction working with strategic partners.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. •Registered as a practicing Midwife with the NMC
2. •Management training or evidence of equivalent competence
3. •Education/Mentorship qualification
4. •Master’s degree or equivalent level of academic achievement
5. •Evidence of sustained personal and professional development
Experience
Essential criteria
6. •Head of Midwifery experience is essential with a broad range of clinical midwifery experience acquired through significant practice at a senior level
7. •Significant experience of leading clinical teams and professional agendas
8. •Experience of leading cross-boundary projects
9. •Significant experience of leading / managing clinical governance within a healthcare organisation
10. •Experience of leading organisation / service change to deliver improvement
11. •Experience of strategy development and implementation
12. •Experience of working at a senior level across organizational boundaries
13. •Experience of developing successful networks and delivering innovation.
14. •A demonstrative track record or delivering initiatives to improve quality of care
15. •Statistical analysis and presentation
16. •Designing and delivering training
Desirable criteria
17. Board level experience
Knowledge
Essential criteria
18. •Evidence of strategic workforce planning
19. •Ability to apply evidence-base in practice
20. •Proven practice and service development skills
21. •Be able to manage all aspects of work including· identifying training needs, conduct and capability cases of a department
22. •Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills. Able to deal with extremely sensitive or contentious issues, potentially in a challenging or hostile environment
23. •Expert understanding of the NHS
24. •Expert knowledge of the Care Quality Commission and NMC requirements
25. •In depth understanding of national policy in relation to clinical quality and Care Quality Commission activities and methodologies
26. •Risk Management legislation and policy
27. •Ability to improve clinical quality in acute setting
Desirable criteria
28. •NHS targets & regulatory frameworks
29. •Health & Social Care Act 2008
30. •Health & Adult Social Care Act (Registration Requirements) Regulations 2009
Personal Skills
Essential criteria
31. •Leadership skills and ability to motivate a team
32. •Practical problem-solving ability
33. •High influencing and negotiation skills to contribute to strategic direction of maternity services
34. •Ability to adapt behaviour to changing circumstances Evidence of a flexible and innovative approach lo service delivery and development
35. •Able to rapidly assimilate a range of complex (often clinical) and sometimes conflicting information and make expert judgments using advanced analytical skills
36. •Exceptional report writing skills
37. •Strategic vision
38. •Able to work under pressure to tight deadlines
Desirable criteria
39. •Coaching and mentoring skills
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.