Job summary
Deputy Head of Nursing - Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC)
Band 8c | Fixed-Term Secondment Opportunity - 6 months

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and ambitious senior nurse leader with a strong background in Urgent and Emergency Care to join our Division as Deputy Head of Nursing.

Working closely with the Divisional Head of Nursing, you will provide visible professional leadership across UEC services, supporting the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care and driving improvements in quality, patient experience and workforce performance. You will work collaboratively with clinical and operational teams to deliver service excellence across a complex, fast-paced and evolving urgent care environment.

We are seeking a highly motivated Registered Nurse with substantial senior nursing leadership experience within Urgent and Emergency Care services. You will have a proven track record of leading teams, delivering quality improvement, managing operational pressures and improving patient outcomes within busy acute and emergency care settings. Strong communication, influencing and change leadership skills are essential.

Main duties of the job
The Deputy Head of Nursing for Urgent and Emergency Care is a pivotal senior leadership role responsible for providing strategic, professional and operational leadership across a diverse portfolio of services. As a key member of the divisional triumvirate, the post holder will lead the delivery of safe, high-quality and compassionate patient care, drive service improvement and transformation, and provide assurance on nursing quality, governance, workforce and performance. The role includes leadership of matrons and senior nursing teams, workforce planning, financial management, quality improvement, and partnership working across the Trust and wider health system. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced nursing leader to shape the future of urgent and emergency care services, influence organisational strategy and deliver outstanding outcomes for patients, staff and communities.

About us
Please submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close any adverts before the closing date once we have received sufficient applications

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.

Our Excellence Values

• Compassion
• Accountability
• Respect
• Integrity
• Courage

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential.

The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative.

We recognise the valuable contribution that the Armed Forces community make to our organisation. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and achieved Silver Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme.

We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.

Details
Date posted: 15 October 2026
Closing date: 21 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8c
Salary: £79,504 to £91,609 a year per annum
Contract: Secondment
Working pattern: Full-time, Job share, Flexible working
Reference number: 265-8331791-MED

Job responsibilities
For further information on the role it can be found on the attached jd/ps and candidate pack for the role.

You will be clinically credible, passionate about patient care and committed to developing and supporting staff to deliver the highest standards of care.

This is an excellent opportunity for an established senior UEC nurse leader to broaden their leadership experience, contribute to strategic service development and make a real difference to patients, staff and services across Urgent and Emergency Care.

If you are a compassionate, resilient and innovative nurse leader with significant Urgent and Emergency Care leadership experience and are looking for your next challenge, we would love to hear from you.

Informal enquiries are welcome. Please contact Jane Daniel, Head of Nursing for Medicine, at Jane.daniel5@nhs.net.

Person Specification
Qualifications

• Essential: Registered Nurse with current NMC Registration and no restrictions on practise
• Essential: Master's degree in Nursing, leadership or management or relevant subject or evidence of practical application of expertise at this level
• Essential: Post-graduate qualification within a leadership programme/study or evidence of practical application of expertise at this level
• Essential: Evidence of continuing personal and professional development relevant to post

Knowledge and Experience

• Experience of senior nursing management or professional leadership in a large and/or complex healthcare setting
• Experience of senior professional leadership and operational management across a range of clinical specialities and care settings
• Demonstrable experience managing clinical services and of leading improvements in clinical settings, patient care, and experience across multiple specialities
• Knowledge and experience of human resources management, communicating highly complex and contentious information to individuals and large groups
• Experience of managing budgets and financial resources, including budget setting and financial planning
• Experience of actively leading service improvements across multiple areas
• Experience of workforce planning and recruitment and retention strategies
• Familiarity with IT applications including e-Rostering
• Demonstrable evidence of highly specialist knowledge of the professional leadership and management of nurses
• In depth knowledge of the clinical governance agenda including clinical risk and safety
• Up to date with current clinical nursing practice, with excellent clinical skills, and maintains clinical competence as a Registered Nurse
• Excellent communicator, providing authentic and clear communication and direction even in times of uncertainty/ambiguity
• Influencing a wide range of stakeholders
• Shares leadership with and is respected by clinical and non-clinical staff
• Up to date with current NHS policy and strategy
• Demonstrates a clear understanding of and continuing acceptance of the need for financial governance and probity

Skills

• Highly developed communication skills with the ability to communicate on highly complex matters and difficult situations
• Ability to establish credibility and develop and maintain effective working relationships at Executive and senior management levels
• Has strong influencing and negotiating skills
• Can engage with and lead a team, and work as part of a team
• High level analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and present in a clear concise manner
• Demonstrates sound judgement in the absence of clear guidelines or precedent, seeking advice as necessary
• Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues
• High level professional, people management skills and leadership qualities
• Ability to communicate complex information to diverse audiences

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. Apply through our website for further information.

Employer details
Employer name: Northampton General Hospital
Address: Northampton General Hospital, Cliftonville, Northampton, NN1 5BD, United Kingdom
Contact: Jane Daniel, Head of Nursing - Medicine and Urgent Care, jane.daniel5@nhs.net, 07811441300

Applicants are considered on merit in line with the Trust's equality, diversity and inclusion commitments.