Head of Nursing - Urgent and Emergency Care

Imperial; Newport; On-site; GBP 88,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in London is seeking an experienced senior nursing leader to join our Urgent and Emergency Care Directorate as a key member of the leadership team.

The postholder will provide visible, compassionate professional leadership, working closely with the General Manager, Clinical Director, Heads of Service, Matrons and multidisciplinary teams to deliver safe, high‑quality care and an excellent experience for patients and staff.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with current registration.
• Postgraduate qualification (MSc) or working towards it.
• Demonstrated management qualification.
• Formal training in improvement science or similar.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior professional nursing leadership across Urgent and Emergency Care, with multidisciplinary teams.
• Lead delivery of quality, safety and clinical governance priorities and drive improvements.
• Use data to identify opportunities, develop action plans and ensure sustainable improvements.
• Develop workforce strategies, recruitment, retention and succession planning.
• Deputise for the General Manager and contribute to Directorate leadership.

Education

Registered Nurse

MSc or working towards attainment

Management Qualification

Formal Improvement training

Job description

Head of Nursing - Urgent and Emergency Care

Band 8c

Main area Urgent and Emergency Medicine Grade Band 8c Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 290-MIC-2296

Site St. Marys Hospital Town London Salary £88,250 - £100,355 pa inclusive Salary period Yearly Closing 05/11/2026 23:59

Fulfil your potential in hospitals that make history:

Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Mary’s, Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea and Western Eye.

With five world-renowned hospitals, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is full of opportunity if you are looking to develop your healthcare career.

We are an NHS Trust of approximately 16,000 people, providing care for over a million and a half patients from north west London and beyond every year.

We have a rich heritage and an ambitious vision for the future of our patients and local communities.

With our partners, Imperial College London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, we form Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, one of 6 academic health science centres in the UK, working to ensure the rapid translation of research for better patient care and excellence in education.

We are proud of our heritage in innovation and we are early adopters of new insights in technologies, techniques and treatments for improving health.

Job overview

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic senior nursing leader to join our Urgent and Emergency Care Directorate as a key member of the Directorate leadership team.

The postholder will provide visible, compassionate professional leadership, working closely with the General Manager, Clinical Director, Heads of Service, Matrons and multidisciplinary teams to deliver safe, high-quality care and an excellent experience for patients and staff.

The role has a strong focus on quality, safety, performance and service transformation. The successful candidate will use data, professional judgement and feedback to identify opportunities for improvement, challenge existing ways of working and support innovative solutions that improve patient flow, quality and productivity.

People leadership will be central to the role, supporting staff engagement, recruitment and retention, professional development and succession planning while promoting a positive and inclusive culture.

Working with the Directorate leadership team, the postholder will contribute to workforce and business planning, financial management and delivery of Trust priorities. They will be confident working in a complex, fast-paced environment, influencing across professional boundaries and supporting teams to deliver the best possible outcomes for patients.

Main duties of the job

• The postholder will provide senior professional and operational leadership for Urgent and Emergency Care, working with the General Manager, Clinical Director, Heads of Service, Matrons and multidisciplinary teams to deliver safe, effective and high-quality patient care.
• They will lead service development and support delivery of operational, quality, workforce and financial priorities in line with Trust objectives. Using data and performance information, they will identify opportunities for improvement, develop action plans and ensure improvements are implemented and sustained.
• The postholder will provide visible professional leadership, supporting high standards of clinical governance, patient experience, risk management and infection prevention and control. They will ensure learning from complaints, incidents and feedback informs continuous improvement.
• The role includes leading workforce development, recruitment and retention, staff development and succession planning, while promoting a culture of engagement and innovation. The postholder will support service redesign, business planning and effective financial management, working collaboratively across professional and organisational boundaries.
• As a key member of the Directorate leadership team, they will work closely with the General Manager and Clinical Director and deputise for the General Manager when required.

Working for our organisation

At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.

Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You’ll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.

Environmental sustainability
Climate change and poor air quality is a health emergency that harms people’s health and wellbeing and widens health inequalities. The Trust is also committed to reducing its impact on the environment by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to Net Zero by 2045. All our employees have a role to play, and we have an active green network that supports staff to act in ways that ensures that our services are efficient, sustainable and reduce our impact on the environment www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/our-strategy/green-plan .

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The postholder will provide senior professional nursing leadership across Urgent and Emergency Care services, working in partnership with the General Manager, Clinical Director, Heads of Service, Matrons and multidisciplinary teams to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality patient care.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Provide visible, credible and compassionate nursing leadership across Urgent and Emergency Care services, promoting high professional standards and a positive culture for patients and staff.
• Lead and support the delivery of quality, safety and clinical governance priorities, including patient experience, complaints, risk management, infection prevention and control and compliance with Trust and regulatory standards.
• Work with the General Manager and Clinical Director to deliver key operational and performance objectives, developing and monitoring improvement and corrective action plans where required.
• Use performance, quality and workforce data to identify areas for improvement, inform decision-making and ensure actions deliver measurable and sustainable outcomes.
• Lead and support service improvement, transformation and redesign, working collaboratively with clinical and operational teams to identify opportunities to improve patient care, flow, efficiency and experience.
• Support the development of business cases, capital schemes and other service developments within the Directorate.
• Ensure national guidance and Trust policies relevant to patient care and service delivery are effectively implemented and embedded across services.
• Lead and support the nursing workforce agenda, including recruitment and retention, workforce planning, induction, appraisal, education, training, professional development and succession planning.
• Coach, motivate and develop teams, promoting engagement, accountability and continuous improvement while creating opportunities for staff to develop and progress.
• Work collaboratively across professional and organisational boundaries, developing strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and representing Urgent and Emergency Care at relevant meetings and forums.
• Contribute to the effective management of Directorate resources and budgets, working with operational colleagues to understand financial performance, identify efficiencies and ensure resources are used effectively.
• Support annual business planning and the delivery of financial, workforce, quality and performance objectives.
• Ensure patient and staff feedback, including complaints, compliments and other patient experience information, informs service planning and improvement.
• Communicate complex and sensitive information effectively, ensuring appropriate escalation and keeping senior leaders informed of significant professional, operational and patient care matters.
• Provide professional advice and leadership during periods of operational pressure and support effective management of risk and service pressures.
• Deputise for the General Manager as required and contribute fully to the collective leadership of the Directorate.

Person specification

Education/qualifications

• Registered Nurse
• MSc or working towards attainment
• Management Qualification
• Formal Improvement training

Experience

• Significant and extensive experience in a senior clinical operational role within the specialty
• Evidence of continual professional development
• Proven success in delivering change and performance with and through management of local teams
• Expert Negotiation, influencing and Change management experience and skills
• Extensive Experience of managing multidisciplinary teams and the ability to build high-performance teams
• Extensive Experience of budget and staff management
• Extensive Experience of service redesign and development and the implementation of quality initiatives
• Extensive experience of patient experience and the resolution of complaints, patient safety including incident management and clinical effectiveness, including nursing audit
• Extensive experience of managing safe staffing levels
• Extensive experience of policy development
• Experience of leading a large diverse team with competing challenges

Right to work

If you need sponsorship to work in the UK, please visit the Home Office website for information on sponsorship and visa status before you fill in your application form. Due to recent changes in the UK immigration rules which affect Skilled Worker Visas, Global Business Mobility, Higher Skill Level and Increased Salary Thresholds, please ensure that you are able to meet the requirements to live and work in the UK before applying. Further information about eligibility is available on UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

We operate a joint recruitment hub across the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative Group. As part of this, your application and personal data may be shared with partner trusts within the group for recruitment and workforce purposes, in line with general data protection regulation (GDPR).

Vacancy Closing Date

This vacancy may close before the current listed closing date. You are advised not to delay submitting your completed application.

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.