Job summary
This is an interim opportunity for up to 9 months.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Royal London Hospital and Mile End Hospital as our Interim Deputy Director of Nursing and Governance for a fixed period of up to 9 months.

Reporting directly to the Hospital Director of Nursing, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the delivery of the professional nursing agenda across both hospitals during an important period of continued improvement and organisational ambition. The role has a particular focus on quality, governance, professional practice, research and innovation, patient experience, end of life care and mental health education.

We are seeking an exceptional senior nursing leader who combines strategic vision and operational credibility with a genuine commitment to compassionate, inclusive and values-led leadership.

Main duties of the job
We are looking for a highly skilled, compassionate and inclusive leader who will provide visible professional leadership across all care settings, encouraging innovation, creativity and strategic thinking about service provision, quality improvement and staff experience.

Above all, we are looking for a leader who leads with compassion, kindness and integrity. Someone who is visible and approachable, creates psychologically safe environments for staff, and is committed to developing an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive.

The successful candidate will join a supportive Corporate Nursing Team and be a key member of the wider Barts Health Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals leadership community.

About us
Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Details
Date posted: 27 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 9
Salary: £121,528 to £138,529 a year per annum inc
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 9 months
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 259-8394471RLH

Person Specification
Experience

• Essential: Significant nursing leadership experience at senior level.
• Evidence of senior managerial responsibilities and operational experience in an acute setting.
• Ability to analyse complex problems and to develop practical and workable solutions to address them.
• Ability to think and plan strategically, tactically and creatively, and to prioritise work programmes in the face of competing demands.
• Ability to manage and deliver to deadlines and within resources.
• Experience in the supervision of staff and students, including HR issues.
• Experience of audit in evaluating and developing a service.
• Change management experience.
• Experience of close multi professional working in an inpatient environment.
• Experience of managing other professional groups.
• Manager on-call.
• Desirable: Experience in a similar role.

Skills

• Capable of critical thinking and problem solving.
• Excellent communication skills and presentation skills (written and in person).
• Honed leadership through influence skills.
• Good analytical and organisational ability.
• Ability to influence and facilitate MDT working.
• Awareness of developments in the NHS and service delivery.
• Ability to develop or source professional development materials.

Qualifications

• First Level registered nurse (child, adult or midwife).
• Evidence of ongoing, relevant postgraduate education.
• Masters level education or equivalent.
• Management/Leadership qualification.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is 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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer contact details
Interim Director of Nursing: Kirsty Blanks, kirsty.blanks1@nhs.net

Privacy notice
Barts Health NHS Trust's privacy notice.