Chief Nursing Executive

Reimagine Nursing Leadership. Advance Community Health.

The County of Santa Clara is not just any government agency-it's a premiere public agency known for excellence, strategic leadership, and innovation. Serving more than 1.9 million residents, Santa Clara County is the largest of the nine Bay Area counties and larger than 12 states. With a workforce of more than 23,000 employees across 30+ departments, the County delivers essential services in healthcare, public safety, social services, housing, and more.

Our teams are driven by a commitment to improving the quality of life for everyone in our community-especially those who need us most.

Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) is the cornerstone of public healthcare in Santa Clara County, delivering compassionate, high quality, and accessible care to all residents regardless of ability to pay. As the largest public healthcare system in Northern California, SCVH provides world class services through Valley Medical Center, Regional Medical Center, O'Connor Hospital, St. Louise Regional Hospital, and an extensive network of outpatient clinics.

Every day, our teams advance health equity, safeguard community wellbeing, and serve as a critical safety net provider for the region.

We are seeking a Chief Nursing Executive to lead nursing and patient care services throughout the SCVH enterprise with purpose, innovation, and impact. This is your opportunity to shape the future of nursing and patient care in one of the most complex, mission driven healthcare systems in the region.

Your Mission

Lead, elevate, and transform nursing and patient care services across a comprehensive healthcare delivery system that includes acute care, specialty care, ambulatory services, behavioral health, trauma and burn services, rehabilitation, and more. As the Chief Nursing Executive (CNE), you will direct standards of care, drive excellence in autonomous nursing practice, and guide a workforce dedicated to advancing patient and family centered care.

What Makes This Role Unique

* Systemwide Leadership:
You will oversee nursing, care management, and medical social services across SCVH's full continuum of care, ensuring seamless integration, quality, and equity.

* Strategic Scale:
From emergency and critical care to maternal-child health, psychiatric services, perioperative care, and rehabilitation, you will guide clinical operations that touch thousands of patients each day.

* Mission Driven Impact:
As a senior executive, you will help shape organizational strategy, participate in key governance bodies, and influence care delivery across the region.

* Commitment to Excellence: SCVH is advancing systemwide performance through quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and standards aligned with American Nurses Association Magnet principles.

* Workforce Empowerment:
You will set the vision for recruitment, retention, education, and professional growth for a diverse and expansive nursing workforce.

View the full job specification on our career site.

What You'll Do

Strategic Nursing Leadership

* Direct the daily operations of acute care nursing to ensure safe, high quality, patient centered care.

* Lead nursing standards, practices, and policies across SCVH, ensuring alignment with mission, goals, and accreditation standards.

* Develop and implement short- and long-range plans for nursing and patient care services.

Care Management, Social Services, and Quality

* Oversee care management/utilization review and social services, ensuring operational efficiency and cost-effective care transitions.

* Partner with inter disciplinary teams to strengthen continuous quality improvement, risk management, and patient safety.

Operational and Fiscal Stewardship

* Establish staffing plans, resource needs, and budgets that support clinical excellence and compliance with regulations.

* Lead system wide improvements to enhance patient family experience, staff engagement, and operational efficiency.

Collaboration and Representation

* Serve as the voice of nursing in key executive committees and governance bodies.

* Build strong relationships with community partners, teaching affiliates, nursing schools, and health system leaders.

What You Bring

* Active California Registered Nurse (RN) license.

* Master's degree in nursing or a related healthcare/business field.

* Approximately 5-10 years of increasingly responsible nursing administration experience, including senior leadership roles-ideally in a teaching hospital.

* Expertise in nursing operations, quality, care management, performance improvement, regulatory compliance, and patient safety.

* Ability to lead a large, complex patient care organization with strategic clarity, operational rigor, and strong relationships.

* Commitment to nursing excellence, staff development, and equitable, patient centered care.

What Success Looks Like

In the first 6-12 months, you will:

* Strengthen alignment of nursing practice across the continuum of care.

* Improve collaboration with clinical,…