Principal Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing and Subject Lead

NHS; Worcester; On-site; GBP 57,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

An academic institution in Worcester seeks a Principal Lecturer and Subject Lead in Mental Health Nursing to enhance educational provision and research in this essential field. Responsibilities include curriculum design, strategic leadership, and fostering a collaborative academic culture. Candidates should hold relevant postgraduate qualifications and NMC registration and demonstrate exceptional communication and team-working skills.

Qualifications

• Masters degree qualification in a relevant subject.
• Post graduate qualification in Higher Education and/or Fellowship/Senior Fellowship of Advance HE.
• Current registration with the NMC as a Nurse.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the mental health nursing discipline.
• Lead the design, development, and delivery of mental health nursing curricula.
• Champion inclusive and trauma-informed pedagogies.

Skills

Excellent planning and organisational skills

Excellent awareness of national strategic developments

Effective team-working and interpersonal skills

Exceptional communication skills

Education

Masters degree qualification in a relevant subject

Post graduate qualification in Higher Education

Job description

Job summary

To apply please go to our website:https://jobs.worcester.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?id=2256&forced=2

Alternatively, click the "Apply directly" link under the supporting links section, which will also take you to the website.

This is an exciting opportunity for an exceptional, experienced academic to join the School of Nursing and Midwifery as Principal Lecturer and Subject Lead in Mental Health Nursing. We are seeking a dynamic and visionary individual to lead our mental health nursing provision, shaping the future of education, research, and practice in this vital field.

This role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on the future of mental health nursing education and practice. You will be supported in your own professional development and encouraged to contribute to the schools research profile and external engagement.

If you are passionate about mental health nursing and ready to lead with vision and integrity, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

As Subject Lead, you will provide strategic leadership for the mental health nursing discipline, ensuring academic excellence, regulatory compliance, and alignment with national healthcare priorities. You will lead the design and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate curricula, champion inclusive and trauma-informed pedagogies, and inspire both students and colleagues through research-informed teaching and mentorship.

You will work closely with internal and external stakeholders, including the Schools senior leadership team and NHS Trusts to develop meaningful learning opportunities and ensure our graduates are prepared for their roles in diverse care settings. You will also play a key role in staff recruitment, development, and retention, fostering a collaborative and high-performing academic culture.

About us

The School of Nursing and Midwifery is nationally recognised for its innovative and inclusive approach to healthcare education. Our programmes, including the FdSc Nursing Associate, BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult, Childrens and Mental Health) are approved by the NMC and with our MSc Advanced Clinical Practice Apprenticeships consistently achieve high student satisfaction and graduate employability.

Details Date posted

02 July 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£57,422 to £66,537 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

N0012-25-0021

Job locations

Campus

St Johns

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR2 6AJ

Job description Job responsibilities

1. Provide strategic leadership for the mental health nursing discipline within the school, ensuring academic excellence and regulatory compliance.

2. Shape and implement the schools vision for mental health nursing education, research, and external engagement.

3. Lead the design, development, and delivery of innovative undergraduate and postgraduate mental health nursing curricula aligned with NMC standards and contemporary mental health care needs.

4. Lead the development of mental health content across the school portfolio to reflect national strategies and health care priorities, regulatory requirements, guidelines and best practice.

5. Deliver an outstanding learning experience for students through inspirational teaching, underpinned by research and scholarship, and excellent pastoral care.

6. Champion inclusive, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented pedagogies that reflect the complexities of modern mental health practice.

7. Represent the discipline at internal and external forums, influencing policy, practice, and educational developments in mental health nursing.

8. Drive improvements in student recruitment, progression, and graduate outcomes, with a focus on widening participation and workforce sustainability.

9. Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing academic team culture.

10. With the Head of Department, lead the recruitment, development, and retention of academic staff in mental health nursing.

11. Translate national mental health priorities into educational strategies that prepare graduates for leadership in diverse care settings.

12. Participate in and lead student recruitment activities, including outreach to schools and colleges, and attendance at open and applicant days.

13. Contribute to course management and coordination of teaching across mental health nursing programmes.

14. Liaise with external stakeholders in mental health services to develop and oversee student learning opportunities.

15. Actively engage in and lead research and scholarly activity in mental health nursing, contributing to the schools research profile and impact and support colleagues in their research and knowledge exchange activities.

16. Undertake and disseminate research outputs through publications, conferences, and other appropriate channels.

17. Maintain personal and professional development to meet the changing demands of the job; participate in appropriate training activities and encourage and support staff in their development and training.

18. Take steps to ensure and enhance personal health, safety, and well-being and that of other staff and students.

19. Carry out these duties in a manner that promotes equality of opportunity and supports diversity and inclusion and takes into account the University's commitment to environmentally sustainable ways of working.

Job description Job responsibilities

1. Provide strategic leadership for the mental health nursing discipline within the school, ensuring academic excellence and regulatory compliance.

2. Shape and implement the schools vision for mental health nursing education, research, and external engagement.

3. Lead the design, development, and delivery of innovative undergraduate and postgraduate mental health nursing curricula aligned with NMC standards and contemporary mental health care needs.

4. Lead the development of mental health content across the school portfolio to reflect national strategies and health care priorities, regulatory requirements, guidelines and best practice.

5. Deliver an outstanding learning experience for students through inspirational teaching, underpinned by research and scholarship, and excellent pastoral care.

6. Champion inclusive, trauma-informed, and recovery-oriented pedagogies that reflect the complexities of modern mental health practice.

7. Represent the discipline at internal and external forums, influencing policy, practice, and educational developments in mental health nursing.

8. Drive improvements in student recruitment, progression, and graduate outcomes, with a focus on widening participation and workforce sustainability.

9. Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing academic team culture.

10. With the Head of Department, lead the recruitment, development, and retention of academic staff in mental health nursing.

11. Translate national mental health priorities into educational strategies that prepare graduates for leadership in diverse care settings.

12. Participate in and lead student recruitment activities, including outreach to schools and colleges, and attendance at open and applicant days.

13. Contribute to course management and coordination of teaching across mental health nursing programmes.

14. Liaise with external stakeholders in mental health services to develop and oversee student learning opportunities.

15. Actively engage in and lead research and scholarly activity in mental health nursing, contributing to the schools research profile and impact and support colleagues in their research and knowledge exchange activities.

16. Undertake and disseminate research outputs through publications, conferences, and other appropriate channels.

17. Maintain personal and professional development to meet the changing demands of the job; participate in appropriate training activities and encourage and support staff in their development and training.

18. Take steps to ensure and enhance personal health, safety, and well-being and that of other staff and students.

19. Carry out these duties in a manner that promotes equality of opportunity and supports diversity and inclusion and takes into account the University's commitment to environmentally sustainable ways of working.

Person Specification Knowledge and Skills Essential

• Excellent planning and organisational skills, and exceptional ability to analyse situations and solve problems.
• Excellent awareness of national strategic and policy developments in Higher Education and active membership of professional networks and associations in mental health nursing.
• Evidence of highly effective team-working and interpersonal skills and the ability to inspire, influence and motivate others through effective leadership.
• Knowledge and experience of quality assurance and enhancement and specifically, professional approval, accreditation, and monitoring by relevant professional bodies.
• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to build and maintain consensus in teams, to address key performance issues.
• Evidence of sustained CPD.
• Evidence of providing support to others in relation to their own research, scholarship, or knowledge exchange activities (e.g., through mentoring, coaching, collaboration, or line management roles).
• Clear and sustained evidence of capacity to produce high quality publications.
• Evidence of having contributed to peer review of research (e.g., through journal reviewing, ethics reviews, grant review, REF output review).
• Evidence of securing funding and / or support, develop and supervise others who seek to attract funding.

Experience Essential

• Academic leadership and line management experience with evidence of confidence in working in multidisciplinary teams.
• Evidence of teaching at HE level that is underpinned by research and scholarship, demonstrates excellence and innovation, including the ability to enthuse, motivate and facilitate student learning and intellectual challenge, using a variety of methods of learning and teaching, including elearning.
• Evidence of leading on the development of innovative and improved approaches to teaching and learning, informed by research and engagement with practice, within mental health nursing and across the school.
• Extensive experience of module and / or programme leadership and administrative management in HE.
• Evidence of sustained CPD

Desirable

• Experience of doctoral supervision.

Qualifications Essential

• Masters degree qualification in a relevant subject.
• Post graduate qualification in Higher Education and / or Fellowship / Senior Fellowship of Advance HE.
• Current registration with the NMC as a Nurse.

Desirable

• PhD or other doctoral qualification.
• Senior / Principal Fellowship of Advance HE.

Person Specification Knowledge and Skills Essential

• Excellent planning and organisational skills, and exceptional ability to analyse situations and solve problems.
• Excellent awareness of national strategic and policy developments in Higher Education and active membership of professional networks and associations in mental health nursing.
• Evidence of highly effective team-working and interpersonal skills and the ability to inspire, influence and motivate others through effective leadership.
• Knowledge and experience of quality assurance and enhancement and specifically, professional approval, accreditation, and monitoring by relevant professional bodies.
• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to build and maintain consensus in teams, to address key performance issues.
• Evidence of sustained CPD.
• Evidence of providing support to others in relation to their own research, scholarship, or knowledge exchange activities (e.g., through mentoring, coaching, collaboration, or line management roles).
• Clear and sustained evidence of capacity to produce high quality publications.
• Evidence of having contributed to peer review of research (e.g., through journal reviewing, ethics reviews, grant review, REF output review).
• Evidence of securing funding and / or support, develop and supervise others who seek to attract funding.

Experience Essential

• Academic leadership and line management experience with evidence of confidence in working in multidisciplinary teams.
• Evidence of teaching at HE level that is underpinned by research and scholarship, demonstrates excellence and innovation, including the ability to enthuse, motivate and facilitate student learning and intellectual challenge, using a variety of methods of learning and teaching, including elearning.
• Evidence of leading on the development of innovative and improved approaches to teaching and learning, informed by research and engagement with practice, within mental health nursing and across the school.
• Extensive experience of module and / or programme leadership and administrative management in HE.
• Evidence of sustained CPD

Desirable

• Experience of doctoral supervision.

Qualifications Essential

• Masters degree qualification in a relevant subject.
• Post graduate qualification in Higher Education and / or Fellowship / Senior Fellowship of Advance HE.
• Current registration with the NMC as a Nurse.

Desirable

• PhD or other doctoral qualification.
• Senior / Principal Fellowship of Advance HE.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details Employer name

University of Worcester

Address

Campus

St Johns

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR2 6AJ

Employer's website

https://www.worcester.ac.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

University of Worcester

Address

Campus

St Johns

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR2 6AJ

Employer's website

https://www.worcester.ac.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)