Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for the professional and operational leadership of our clinical services in the newly created 8a Matron roles.

These are senior clinical leadership roles with responsibility for a diverse portfolio of services, in our Clinical Divisions.

As Matron, you will provide visible, compassionate leadership to multidisciplinary teams, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality patient care. You will have a proven ability to uphold professional, clinical and regulatory standards through robust governance, audit, quality improvement and assurance processes.

Working closely with operational, nursing and medical colleagues, you will support service development, workforce growth and innovation across the paediatric pathway. You will promote a culture of accountability, learning and continuous improvement, challenging poor practice where necessary and driving high standards of care.

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong leadership, communication and relationship-building skills, with experience of managing change, operational pressures and compliance with national standards and quality indicators. A commitment to improving patient safety, experience and outcomes will be at the heart of your approach.

There are opportunities across our Surgery Division
General Surgery / Breast - CONQUEST
Head and Neck ( ENT, Maxillofacial and Ophthalmology) - EASTBOURNE / BEXHILL
Urology/ Vascular - EASTBOURNE

Main duties of the job
What we are looking for

• Registered Nurse or AHP with active NMC/HCPC registration.
• Significant senior leadership experience within clinical services and ability to provide senior operational and professional leadership out of hours.
• Proven ability to embed, monitor and improve clinical standards and quality outcomes.
• Strong experience in governance, patient safety, quality improvement and service assurance.
• Demonstrable ability to lead teams, influence practice and deliver sustainable service improvement.
• Values-driven leader with a visible, compassionate and inclusive leadership style.

Provide visible clinical and professional leadership
Ensure the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality care
Lead quality improvement, patient safety, governance and assurance programmes.
Monitor clinical standards, audits, incidents and performance, driving continuous improvement.
Develop and support the workforce through recruitment, education, appraisal and professional development.
Work collaboratively with nursing, medical and operational leaders to improve services and patient pathways.
Lead on safeguarding, infection prevention, risk management and regulatory compliance.
Manage staffing, resources and operational performance to ensure safe and sustainable services.
Provide expert professional advice and act as a visible role model for compassionate leadership.
Participate in the Matron of the day rota which includes evening and weekend working.

About us
A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries. staff restaurants and accommodation.

In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year.

There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.

Statement on the Use of AI
We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective.

Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.

We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete their applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.

Job responsibilities
Please see attached the job description
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Nurse and hold active registration with NMC or Registered AHP and hold active registration with HCPC
• Masters level qualification relevant to role to demonstrate expert clinical and leadership skills
• Leadership training / qualification

Desirable

• Mentoring or coaching qualification
• Project management and Quality improvement qualification

Experience
Essential

• Proven experience working in a leadership position within NHS or relevant healthcare organisation.
• Demonstrate experience of : Quality/Service improvement- Project Management - Operational leadership - People Management

Desirable

• Demonstrates evidence of national or regional networking

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities
Essential

• Leadership and operational management skills that demonstrate the ability to manage self and lead others
• Demonstrates knowledge of National NHS and Nursing/AHP agenda including national/local performance targets and able to interpret/develop policy change
• Expert clinical skills and competence relevant to role to support innovative, evidence-based practice.
• Demonstrates research skills, to critically analyse and interpret data, problem solve and prioritise.
• Digital Skills, use of systems, report writing and presentation skills
• Able to develop and maintain effective working relationships with all professional groups and senior managers within the organisation and external stakeholder, including conflict management

Desirable

• Experience of out of hours operational management and on call training/skills.
• Research/Audit knowledge and skills

Other
Essential

• Flexibility in working hours and patterns
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle (for domiciliary community role) and ability to travel between sites

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.
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. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
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. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).