Deputy Director of Nursing for Quality and Clinical Excellence

Job summary
Are you an inspirational nursing leader with a passion for quality, clinical excellence and improving outcomes for patients?

Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group (LCHG) is seeking an exceptional Deputy Director of Nursing for Quality & Clinical Excellence to join our Executive Nursing Leadership Team at an exciting time of transformation and integration.

This is a pivotal Group leadership role, providing strategic leadership across both our acute and community services. Reporting to the Group Chief Nursing Officer , you will work alongside the Group Deputy Chief Nurse and Deputy Director of Nursing for Workforce & Professional Excellence to shape the future of nursing, midwifery and allied health professional practice and deliver outstanding care for the people of Lincolnshire.

Main duties of the job
As Deputy Director of Nursing for Quality & Clinical Excellence, you will provide strategic leadership for the Group's quality, clinical excellence and continuous improvement agenda across both acute and community services.

You will lead the strategic quality and clinical excellence agenda, ensuring continuous quality improvement is embedded across the Group and that quality remains at the heart of everything we do. Working collaboratively with Clinical Governance, Patient Safety, Infection Prevention and Control, operational leaders and multidisciplinary teams, you will influence improvement across organisational boundaries, ensuring learning, innovation and evidence-based practice translate into measurable improvements in patient care and experience.

This role offers the opportunity to influence care at scale, providing strategic leadership to one of the largest integrated provider groups in England while working with executive colleagues, clinical leaders and system partners to deliver our ambitious vision for integrated healthcare.

About us
Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group brings together community and acute hospital services to deliver integrated, high-quality care for the people of Lincolnshire.

We are ambitious about the future of healthcare and are committed to delivering outstanding patient care through compassionate leadership, innovation, continuous improvement and collaboration. Our Group provides a unique opportunity to influence healthcare across hospital, community and neighbourhood settings, creating seamless pathways that improve outcomes for our patients and communities.

As part of our Executive Nursing Leadership Team, you will work alongside experienced and supportive colleagues who are passionate about developing our professions, improving quality and creating an environment where people can thrive.

At LCHG, our values guide everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels respected, valued and empowered to achieve their potential. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and particularly encourage applications from colleagues who bring diverse experiences and perspectives to our leadership teams.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of nursing, midwifery and allied health professions within an integrated healthcare system and make a lasting difference to the communities we serve.

Details
Date posted: 10 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8d
Salary: £94,356 to £108,814 a year
Per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 818-COR259
Job locations: Lincoln County Hospital, Greetwell Road, Lincoln, LN2 5QY, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
You will:

• Lead the development and implementation of the Group's strategic vision for quality and clinical excellence.
• Champion a culture of continuous quality improvement, innovation, evidence-based practice and professional excellence across all services.
• Work collaboratively with Clinical Governance, Patient Safety, Infection Prevention and Control and divisional leadership teams to identify organisational priorities, establish quality improvement objectives and drive measurable improvements in patient outcomes.
• Lead the development of Group quality improvement priorities, quality indicators and assurance frameworks that support delivery of safe, effective and person-centred care.
• Provide professional leadership to the Associate Director of Nursing for Quality, fostering compassionate leadership and high professional standards.
• Support the Group Quality Impact Assessment process, ensuring quality is integral to service redesign, transformation and decision-making.
• Present highly complex quality, safety and performance information to the organisation Sub Board Committees and system partners, providing expert advice and assurance.
• Work in partnership with the Group Chief Nursing Officer, Group Deputy Chief Nurse and Deputy Director of Nursing for Workforce & Professional Excellence to develop, implement and evaluate the Group Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions (NMAHP) Strategy , ensuring it delivers measurable improvements in professional practice, research, innovation, education, quality improvement and patient outcomes.
• Lead programmes that reduce unwarranted variation, improve clinical outcomes and embed a culture of learning and continuous improvement across acute and community services.
• Hold delegated responsibility for designated budgets within the quality portfolio, ensuring effective stewardship of resources and value for money.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including regulators, commissioners, partner organisations and higher education institutions.
• Deputise for the Group Chief Nursing Officer as required and participate in the Executive on-call rota.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Registered Nurse (Adult) - current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Master's degree or equivalent level of experience in leadership, quality, patient safety or healthcare management
• Evidence of continued professional development at senior level
• Leadership/management qualification or equivalent senior leadership experience

Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification in Quality Improvement, Patient Safety or Healthcare Leadership
• Formal Quality Improvement training (e.g. Improvement methodology, Lean, Six Sigma, Model for Improvement)
• Fellowship or membership of a relevant professional body

Skills/Competencies
Essential

• Highly developed leadership and influencing skills at Board and system level
• Ability to present highly complex, sensitive and contentious information to large and senior audiences
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to interpret complex datasets and translate into action
• Ability to set strategic direction and drive delivery through others
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage, challenge and inspire at all levels
• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills across multidisciplinary and organisational boundaries
• Ability to manage ambiguity, complexity and competing priorities
• High level of emotional intelligence, resilience and professional credibility

Desirable

• Advanced facilitation skills in large-scale change or improvement programmes
• Coaching or mentoring experience at senior leadership level

Knowledge
Essential

• In-depth knowledge of national quality, patient safety and clinical governance frameworks (e.g. PSIRF, CQC standards)
• Strong understanding of quality improvement methodologies and application at scale
• Knowledge of healthcare policy, regulatory requirements and system working
• Understanding of workforce, operational and financial drivers impacting quality and safety
• Knowledge of data, metrics and benchmarking used to assure quality and drive improvement

Desirable

• Knowledge of digital clinical safety standards (e.g. DCB0129/DCB0160)
• Awareness of emerging national policy and system transformation agendas

Experience
Essential

• Significant senior leadership experience within nursing/clinical services at Band 8C/8D or equivalent
• Demonstrable experience of operating at strategic and system level, influencing across organisational boundaries
• Experience of leading quality, safety or clinical governance agendas at scale
• Experience of setting and delivering quality improvement priorities and measurable outcomes (QIs)
• Experience of managing complex change and delivering improvement through others (not direct management)
• Experience of leading and developing senior staff, including line management of senior leaders
• Experience of contributing to or managing budgets and financial decision-making
• Experience of working across community healthcare settings

Desirable

• Experience of acting in a Deputy/Executive capacity
• Experience of leading organisational responses to inspections or external reviews

Special attributes/specific requirements
Essential

• Ability to work collaboratively across organisational and professional boundaries
• Resilient and adaptable in a complex, high-pressure environment
• Strong commitment to improving patient outcomes and reducing harm
• Ability to challenge constructively and hold others to account
• Strategic thinker with a focus on delivery and impact

Desirable

• Innovative and forward-thinking approach
• Commitment to developing others and building leadership capability

Personal qualities
Essential

• Visible, values-driven and compassionate leader
• Ability to travel across a large geographical footprint
• Ability to work flexibly and participate in the senior on-call (Gold) rota

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. 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).

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.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration.