Associate Director of Nursing

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 26 February 2026

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.

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 values.
• 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.

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.

For further information about these opportunities,…