Job summary
Permanent | Full Time | Assessment events will take place week commencing 9th March 2026
Sheffield Children's is a unique organisation -- friendly, compassionate and committed to creating healthier futures for every child and young person. We are seeking two outstanding senior nursing leaders to join us as Associate Directors of Nursing: one supporting our Medicine Care Group and one within our Community, Wellbeing and Mental Health Care Group. These roles suit experienced nursing leaders who champion high standards of care and are confident, visible and supportive across teams and services.
As an Associate Director of Nursing, you will be a trusted and influential leader, working as part of the Care Group Triumvirate to shape priorities, strengthen nursing culture and ensure children, young people and families are central to all decisions. You will support multidisciplinary teams across varied clinical areas, promoting safe, effective and kind care.
Your leadership will drive nursing quality, governance and patient safety, while supporting operational delivery and workforce innovation. You will work closely with senior colleagues and system partners, and act on behalf of the Deputy Chief Nurse when required.
With a proud 150-year heritage and exciting developments ahead, including the opening of the National Centre for Child Health Technology, this is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of children's healthcare.
Main duties of the job
Sheffield Children's is a unique place to build your Senior Nursing career. We are one of only three dedicated specialist children's hospital trusts in the UK - and the only one providing integrated hospital, mental health and community services exclusively for children and young people.
What You'll Lead
Your leadership will directly shape how our nursing services evolve to meet the needs of children and young people across South Yorkshire and beyond. You will thrive in this role if you can provide:
- Visible, compassionate professional leadership across clinical areas, ensuring high standards of nursing practice and modelling our Trust vales.
- Quality, governance and patient safety oversight, acting as the accountable officer for nursing quality and leading continuous improvement.
- Safe, effective operational delivery, including oversight of staffing, acuity, resources and service flow.
- Nursing workforce strategy and development, shaping future workforce models and supporting recruitment, retention and education.
- Strategic influence and partnership working with the Care Group Triumvirate, across the Trust, and with system partners - deputising for the Deputy Chief Nurse when required.
About us
At Sheffield Children's, our purpose is clear: to provide healthier futures for children and young people. Our three strategic aims are Outstanding Patient Care, Brilliant Place to Work, and Leaders in Children's Health.
We work with partners across local, regional, and national levels to deliver physical and mental healthcare in both acute and community settings. Many of our clinicians are nationally and internationally recognised for their expertise.
We're proud that 73% of colleagues would recommend Sheffield Children's as a place to work, placing us among the top five NHS trusts in England -- and the top-ranked trust in the North East and Yorkshire -- in the latest NHS Staff Survey.
Our nearly 4,000 colleagues bring our CARE values -- Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence -- to life every day, creating a kind, welcoming environment where patients and families feel safe and supported.
As we approach our 150th anniversary in 2026, we're excited to keep building our leadership in children's health, improve experiences for patients and staff, and focus on our communities and population health.
We also offer excellent benefits to support your wellbeing, with generous annual leave and pension schemes, health and wellbeing programmes, and exclusive discounts -- helping you thrive at work and beyond.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information about these opportunities, please see the attached Role Information Pack, job description and person specification.
This role has been assigned the occupation code 1171 using the CASCOT coding tool. To check the eligibility of this code for sponsorship and right to work please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations-and-codes
Diversity Statement
At Sheffield Childrens, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and supports everyones success. We prioritise Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in our recruitment practices, creating a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds, including ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ members.
Recognising that inclusivity is an ongoing effort, we review our processes and welcome feedback to enhance our practices. A diverse team strengthens our organisation and the quality of care we deliver. For ideas on how we can improve, please contact our Recruitment Manager atscn-tr.recruitment.team@nhs.net. Together, were building a workplace where everyone belongs.
#LI-Onsite
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information about these opportunities, please see the attached Role Information Pack, job description and person specification.
This role has been assigned the occupation code 1171 using the CASCOT coding tool. To check the eligibility of this code for sponsorship and right to work please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations-and-codes
Diversity Statement
At Sheffield Childrens, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and supports everyones success. We prioritise Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in our recruitment practices, creating a welcoming space for people of all backgrounds, including ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ members.
Recognising that inclusivity is an ongoing effort, we review our processes and welcome feedback to enhance our practices. A diverse team strengthens our organisation and the quality of care we deliver. For ideas on how we can improve, please contact our Recruitment Manager atscn-tr.recruitment.team@nhs.net. Together, were building a workplace where everyone belongs.
#LI-Onsite
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Registered Nurse (Child or Adult) with current NMC registration
- Master's degree or equivalent level of knowledge and experience
- Evidence of ongoing professional development
- Leadership or management qualification, or equivalent experience
Desirable
- Coaching or mentoring qualification
Experience
Essential
- Significant senior nursing leadership experience within a complex healthcare environment
- Proven track record of leading large, multi-disciplinary teams across multiple sites or services
- Experience of managing clinical quality, governance and patient safety systems
- Demonstrable experience of leading serious incident investigations and safeguarding processes
- Experience of workforce planning, safe staffing, recruitment and retention strategies
- Evidence of workforce planning, safe staffing, recruitment and retention strategies
- Experience of managing budgets and contributing to financial planning
Desirable
- Experience of representing an organisation at regional or national level
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Comprehensive understanding of nursing standards, professional regulation and NMC requirements
- Strong knowledge of clinical governance, risk management and regulatory frameworks (e.g., CQC, Health Act, IPC)
- Understanding of national policy, NHS strategy and system-wide priorities affecting children's and adult services
- Knowledge of workforce development, education pathways and clinical learning environments
- Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion principles and their application in workforce and service design
- Highly developed leadership skills with the ability to inspire, influence and motivate others
- Exceptional communication skills, able to convey complex or sensitive information with clarity and empathy
- Ability to build strong, respectful relationships with patients, families, staff and external partners
- Skilled in strategic thinking, planning and decision-making
- Ability to analyse complex data, identify trends and develop actionable solutions
- Strong negotiation and conflict-resolution skills
- Ability to manage competing priorities and lead during operational challenges
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Compassionate, visible and values-driven leader who models professional integrity
- Committed to delivering excellence in patient care and staff experience
- Emotionally intelligent, resilient and adaptable
- Inclusive leader who champions diversity and fosters a culture of respect
- Curious, improvement-focused and committed to learning and innovation
Person Specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential
- Registered Nurse (Child or Adult) with current NMC registration
- Master's degree or equivalent level of knowledge and experience
- Evidence of ongoing professional development
- Leadership or management qualification, or equivalent experience
Desirable
- Coaching or mentoring qualification
Experience
Essential
- Significant senior nursing leadership experience within a complex healthcare environment
- Proven track record of leading large, multi-disciplinary teams across multiple sites or services
- Experience of managing clinical quality, governance and patient safety systems
- Demonstrable experience of leading serious incident investigations and safeguarding processes
- Experience of workforce planning, safe staffing, recruitment and retention strategies
- Evidence of workforce planning, safe staffing, recruitment and retention strategies
- Experience of managing budgets and contributing to financial planning
Desirable
- Experience of representing an organisation at regional or national level
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Comprehensive understanding of nursing standards, professional regulation and NMC requirements
- Strong knowledge of clinical governance, risk management and regulatory frameworks (e.g., CQC, Health Act, IPC)
- Understanding of national policy, NHS strategy and system-wide priorities affecting children's and adult services
- Knowledge of workforce development, education pathways and clinical learning environments
- Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion principles and their application in workforce and service design
- Highly developed leadership skills with the ability to inspire, influence and motivate others
- Exceptional communication skills, able to convey complex or sensitive information with clarity and empathy
- Ability to build strong, respectful relationships with patients, families, staff and external partners
- Skilled in strategic thinking, planning and decision-making
- Ability to analyse complex data, identify trends and develop actionable solutions
- Strong negotiation and conflict-resolution skills
- Ability to manage competing priorities and lead during operational challenges
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Compassionate, visible and values-driven leader who models professional integrity
- Committed to delivering excellence in patient care and staff experience
- Emotionally intelligent, resilient and adaptable
- Inclusive leader who champions diversity and fosters a culture of respect
- Curious, improvement-focused and committed to learning and innovation
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
