Associate Director of Nursing

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust invites applications for an Associate Director of Nursing. This senior role shapes care delivery across Norfolk and Suffolk, providing visible leadership across clinical networks and driving service improvement and workforce strategies.

You will align safety, effectiveness and patient experience with financial sustainability, partnering with the Director of Nursing and multi-professional teams to deliver transformative change across complex services.

Qualifications

• Senior nurse leader with strategic responsibility.
• Experience leading service improvement and workforce strategies.
• Ability to report to Boards and Committees with clear data.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior clinical and professional leadership across clinical networks.
• Lead delivery of high-quality services with safety and patient experience standards.
• Jointly accountable for clinical, operational and financial performance vs targets.
• Develop and implement strategic plans and service improvement programmes.
• Drive governance, risk management and quality assurance across services.
• Lead workforce planning and development for high-performing teams.
• Build partnerships with internal and external organisations.
• Influence Trust-wide strategy and transformation programmes.
• Provide clinical practice leadership and promote quality improvement.
• Champion equality, diversity and inclusion across services.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Change management

Data reporting

Education

NMC registered nurse

Postgraduate leadership training

Doctorate in health subject

Job description

Site Wedgwood House Town Bury St Edmunds Salary £79,504 - £91,609 gross per annum (pro rata) Salary period Yearly Closing 05/10/2026 23:59

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust provides child and adult mental health services, learning disability, wellbeing, older people's and eating disorder services across Norfolk and Suffolk.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and want to reflect the diversity of our local communities within our teams. We welcome applications from all talented individuals with the relevant qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience.

Please note due to the nature of our roles and patient demographic, you will be required to undertake physical intervention training and remain trained, as required by your role.

Job overview

• Are you an inspiring senior nurse leader ready to shape the future of care across a complex and evolving healthcare system?
• Do you thrive on leading transformational change that improves outcomes, experience and quality for service users and communities?
• Can you bring strategic vision, operational grip and compassionate leadership together to drive meaningful impact?

This is a pivotal senior leadership opportunity for an experienced and ambitious nurse leader to shape the delivery of high-quality, safe and effective care across Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

As Associate Director of Nursing, you will play a critical role in providing visible, strategic and professional leadership across clinical networks, ensuring outstanding outcomes for service users and communities. Working closely with the Director of Nursing and wider multi-professional leadership teams, you will lead on the development and delivery of service improvement, performance and workforce strategies in line with Trust and system priorities across community and specialist teams.

You will drive excellence across the core dimensions of safety, effectiveness and patient experience, while balancing operational performance, financial sustainability and workforce development. This role requires a collaborative and forward-thinking leader who can influence at system level, build strong partnerships, and lead transformational change across complex services.

Main duties of the job

• Provide senior clinical and professional leadership across clinical networks, acting as a visible and credible leader
• Lead delivery of high-quality services, ensuring safety, effectiveness and patient experience standards are met
• Take joint accountability for clinical, operational and financial performance against local and national targets
• Develop and implement strategic plans and service improvement programmes aligned to Trust priorities
• Drive robust governance, risk management and quality assurance frameworks across services
• Lead on workforce planning, development and succession, supporting high-performing and compassionate teams
• Build and maintain effective partnerships across the Trust, ICSS, regulators and external organisations
• Influence and contribute to Trust-wide strategy, policy development and transformation programmes
• Provide expert advice and leadership on clinical practice, quality improvement and professional standards
• Champion equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring services meet the needs of all communities

Working for our organisation

Here at NSFT we pride ourselves on being a welcoming, talented, friendly and supportive team who like nothing better than sharing experiences and learning from each other. In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, we are committed to providing an environment in which you can thrive.

Why work for us?

We have challenges as a Trust, but we have ambitious aspirations, are pushing ahead with exciting transformation work and we need dedicated individuals to support us on our journey. We have strong, established professional networks coupled with an exceptional leadership team who will ensure you are truly cared for and cared about.

Why Norfolk and Suffolk? The people here are warm and welcoming, you’ll never be far from the beautiful coastline or Broads National Park. We’re an hour and a half away from London and have an international airport in Norwich too. Our villages, towns and cities are packed full of history, independent cafes, shops and theatres. We have excellent shopping, eating out, top ranking schooling and affordable house prices too.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities,

Person specification

Qualifications

• First level nurse with current NMC registration UK.
• Postgraduate training or experience of leadership/management.
• Doctorate in a health-related subject.

Experience

• Experience of working in a post with strategic nursing responsibility and operational management in a complex setting and diverse situations.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of the national professional nursing agenda.

Skills

• Ability to produce reports and documents for Boards and Committees using relevant technology to present complex data and strategy with clarity.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES Apart from its legal duties in relation to equality and diversity, the Trust recognises and actively promotes the benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief.

As a part of the Disability Confident Employer Guaranteed Interview Scheme we interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job vacancy (outlined in the Person Specification).. We encourage you to indicate your eligibility through TRAC jobs when applying.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post may be 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.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

Name Daisy Mudoni Job title Director of Nursing Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 07771957797 Additional information

To arrange an informal conversation please contact Donna Ling, PA, on 01284719756