Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Job summary
We are seeking an exceptional, inspiring and experienced nursing leader to join Royal Free London Group, as Head of Nursing for our Emergency Department at North Middlesex health unit. This pivotal role sits within our Divisional Leadership Team, shaping high-quality services and create environments where staff can truly thrive.
At Royal Free London we haveset out an ambitious plan to enable our staff to deliver world-leading healthcare for all our patients, meet growing demand and create a healthier future for local people and those further afield who come to our hospitals for specialist treatment.
Our clinical vision is transforming how we deliver world-class care, and the way people access our services. Our hospitals have different opportunities and challenges based on the patients they care for. We have developed local clinical priorities that reflect the needs and expectations of those different communities
About You
You will be a credible, visible and values-driven nursing leader, able to:
- Envision and implement future models of nursing care aligned to system priorities.
- Lead through influence, collaboration and clinical credibility.
- Foster high-performing, compassionate teams and inclusive, positive working cultures.
- Balance strategic leadership with operational grip and delivery.
- Champion equality, diversity and inclusion for patients & staff.
Main duties of the job
As Head of Nursing for the Emergency Department, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across a diverse workforce, driving excellence in patient experience, quality, safety, workforce development and performance. You will work closely with clinical, operational and executive colleagues to shape the future of emergency care and ensure the department continues to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex healthcare landscape.
You will be a credible clinical leader who is highly visible within the clinical environment, approachable to staff, and committed to creating a positive and inclusive culture.
You will have:
- Significant senior nursing leadership experience within an acute setting.
- A proven track record of delivering improvements in quality, safety and patient outcomes.
- Strong experience of workforce planning, recruitment, retention and staff engagement.
- Excellent leadership, influencing and relationship-building skills.
- Experience of leading cultural change and service transformation.
- A passion for developing people and creating high-performing teams.
- The ability to balance operational pressures with strategic vision and innovation.
- Evidence of successful partnership working across professional and organisational boundaries.
- Ensure delivery of safe, evidence-based, compassionate and person-centred care.
- Strengthen patient pathways, improve outcomes, & enhance experience for service users.
Person Specification
Education & Professional Qualities
Essential
- Registered trained nurse MSc and/ or equivalent clinical experience that recognises highly developed and complex levels of knowledge
- Management/leadership qualifications or equivalent experience
- Specialist knowledge at doctorate level or equivalent experience in a related field
- Evidence of continuing personal development
Experience
Essential
- Significant acute operational nursing experience in a complex healthcare organisation
- Evidence of nursing leadership role in an acute setting
- Ability to analyse complex problems and to develop practical and workable solutions to address them
- Ability to manage and deliver to deadlines and within resources
- Experience in the supervision and management of staff and students
- Experience in complex employment related issues
- Experience of using acuity tools and triangulation of data to review and ensure safe skill mix
- Manager on-call
- Evidence of leading and managing change within a complex environment
- Experience of representing a service within a Trust setting
- Experience of managing a budget
- Experience of managing other staff groups
- Managing a cross site, complex function
- Experience of SLAs and contractual working
Skills & Aptitudes
Essential
- Ability to self-evaluate and self-reflect
- Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills suitable for a range of audiences, including chairing of meetings
- Ability to initiate and implement change and improvements
- Good analytical and organisational ability
- Ability to demonstrate and model strong leadership skills
- Awareness of developments in the NHS and service delivery
- Ability to influence and facilitate MDT working
- Able to communicate with patients and families in an empathetic manner regarding their treatment and procedures and communicate complex sensitive information
- Effective problem-solving skills
- Good computer skills
- Experience of implementing Evidence Based Practice
- Applies working knowledge of relevant health legislation
Personal Qualities & Attributes
Essential
- Ability to lead by example, promoting the highest standards of personal and professional conduct, integrity and probity
- High level of work organisation, self-motivation, drive for performance and improvement and flexibility in approach and attitude
- Committed to the continuous development of staff and self
- To be flexible, decisive, using sound judgement in decision making in a timely and confident manner
Closing Date: 8 November 2026
To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.