Job vacancy: Chief of Nursing, Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB, Southampton

Job summary

Main area: Chief of Nursing
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37 hours per week
Job ref: 104-ICB-6433KB-A

Employer: Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB
Employer type: NHS
Site: Omega House
Town: Southampton
Salary: £150,150 - £178,500 per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 30/03/2026 23:59

Chief of Nursing

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Provide strategic clinical leadership across the ICB, setting the overall clinical direction in partnership with the Chief Medical Officer.

Ensure the ICB meets all statutory and regulatory requirements relating to:

Quality and patient safety

Patient experience

Safeguarding

Infection Prevention and Control

Establish and maintain robust clinical governance and oversight frameworks.

Embed strong quality assurance processes through effective contract management of commissioned services.

Drive significant and sustained improvements in care quality and health outcomes.

Support the Chief Executive in delivering ICB priorities, contributing to the ICB’s role as a strategic commissioner.

Person specification

Personal Values

Essential criteria

Commitment to the Nolan Principles of Public Life, NHS values, the NHS People Plan and the Fit and Proper Persons regime
Compassionate, people centred leadership style
ives openness and integrity, creating cultures where these thrive
Collaborative approach across organisational and sector boundaries
Personally driven, fostering a culture of continuous improvement

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Registered nurse
Significant evidence of Continuous Professional Development

Experience

Essential criteria

Experience of providing clinical leadership, mentorship, and professional development at a very senior level with demonstrable outcomes
Senior level experience in healthcare
Substantial Board level experience of leading and delivering complex change and strategy development programmes in a politically sensitive and complex environment
Experience of successfully operating in, and delivering in a partnership environment and across organisational boundaries
Experience of managing highly sensitive situations with internal and external stakeholders
Proven delivery of strategies that optimise resource use and achieve lasting improvement
Significant experience of leading the development of strategies, frameworks and commissioning plans with the engagement of a wide range of stakeholders

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Knowledge of corporate and clinical governance including risk management
Understanding of the whole health and care economy, of clinical service provision in a range of settings (primary, secondary, mental health, community, social care etc) and an understanding of the wider determinants of health and care
Deep understanding of healthcare value — the relationship between outcomes achieved and resources consumed
Knowledge of Quality and Safety responsibilities of an ICB, including Safeguarding
In depth additional expert knowledge acquired over a significant period in strategy formulation, service improvement and resource management

Skills

Essential criteria

Able to create and shape an innovative strategic vision
Proven strategic ability; an agent of change with the ability to enthuse, empower, influence and involve colleagues and partners in shaping and delivering a future vision
Ability to inspire and work creatively on solutions to solve organisational and system challenges
Horizon scanning and assessing implications of national and regional policy requirements and translate these to support local priorities
Ability to shape and develop ICB policy and planning within appropriate requirements and frameworks
Ability to influence and shape the agenda for information design, delivery and management, including information standards
Ability to think critically and analytically to draw sound conclusions based on complex information
Strong leadership skills, and proven ability to build, lead, motivate and empower diverse teams delivering multidisciplinary and complex services
Proven track record in developing strategic and operational plans, managing budgets, and delivering against people, operational and financial resource plans

Please note the following before applying:

1. We reserve the right to amend the closing date based on the volume of applications received. Vacancies attracting a high volume of applications may therefore close earlier than advertised.

2. In compliance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, all applicants must be able to communicate fluently in English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed as part of the selection process.

3. As a Disability Confident Employer we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. As an ICB, we value diversity and are committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.

4. If you are successful and are joining from a non-NHS background, there will be an expectation that you will be engaged from the bottom of the pay band. If you would like to review the Agenda for Change pay scales in more detail and to view other benefits of working in the NHS, please visit the Agenda for Change website for further details.

5. New employees to the ICB will be subject to a probationary period of six months (some exemptions apply, please refer to the ICBs policy for full details).

We encourage and support our staff to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as this remains the best way to protect ourselves, our families, our colleagues, and patients from the virus.

We recognise that some candidates for accessibility reasons may use software to support their application. At our Organisation, our selection process ensures we recruit candidates with the right skills and values. We monitor applications and remain alert to misuse that misrepresents abilities including the inappropriate use of AI.