Associate Director of Nursing

Job summary
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT) is seeking two exceptional nursing leaders to join the Division of Medicine at Aintree University Hospital as newly created Associate Directors of Nursing.

Reporting to the Divisional Director of Nursing and AHPs, these influential roles offer the opportunity to shape patient care, workforce development, quality improvement and service transformation across some of the Trust's largest and most complex services.

We are recruiting to two portfolios:
- Associate Director of Nursing - Acute and Emergency Medicine, Discharge and Flow
- Associate Director of Nursing - General and Specialist Medicine

As a member of the Divisional Senior Leadership Team, you will provide visible professional leadership, driving excellence in patient safety, patient experience, operational performance and nursing practice. Working closely with senior clinical, operational and corporate colleagues, you will help deliver the Trust's ambitions for outstanding care while leading significant programmes of improvement and change.

These are rare opportunities to influence services at scale, develop future nursing leaders and contribute to the strategic direction of one of the UK's largest teaching hospital organisations. Whether leading services at the hospital front door or driving innovation across specialist medical services, you will play a pivotal role in improving outcomes for patients and staff.

Main duties of the job
Reporting to the Divisional Director of Nursing and AHPs, the Associate Director of Nursing is a key member of the Divisional Senior Leadership Team, providing strategic, professional and operational leadership across their portfolio within the Division of Medicine.

The post holder will lead the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality patient care, ensuring services meet professional, regulatory and organisational standards. Working in partnership with senior clinical, operational and corporate colleagues, they will contribute to divisional strategy, service performance and quality improvement.

As a visible and influential nursing leader, they will champion excellence in patient care, patient safety, workforce development, staff engagement and transformation. They will promote continuous improvement, innovation and compassionate leadership while ensuring the highest standards of nursing practice.

The role holds responsibility for quality governance, patient experience, workforce planning, talent development, operational performance and the delivery of change programmes. Working collaboratively across organisational and system boundaries, the post holder will support the development of responsive, sustainable and high-performing services.

The Associate Director of Nursing will help shape divisional priorities, develop future nursing leaders and drive improvements that enhance outcomes, experience and value for patients, staff and the wider organisation.

About us
NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHL Group) was formed on 1 November 2024, born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our communities.

We are one of the largest employers in region, with over 18,900 colleagues who are dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services that extend to more than two million people in the North West.

We operate from five hospital sites:

• Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside, and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility.
• Broadgreen Hospital is home to several elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation.
• Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology and respiratory medicine, both in the hospital and out in the community.
• Liverpool Women's Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK's largest single site maternity hospital each year.
• The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single en-suite bedrooms and mainly focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

Details
Date posted: 28 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8c
Salary: £79,504 to £91,609 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 287-AMED-273-26
Job locations: Aintree University Hospital, Lower Lane, Liverpool, L9 7AL

Job description
For further details regarding the main responsibilities please see the Job Description and Person Specification attached to the advert.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• First level registration NMC
• Degree level qualification or equivalent in relevant discipline
• Evidence of knowledge to Master's level or equivalent
• Significant evidence of post registration continued professional development
• Evidence of Leadership development

Desirable

• Post-graduate/registration Management or Training qualification /equivalent

Experience
Essential

• Significant management and leadership experience to including experience of working at a senior level
• Demonstrable experience of leading clinical innovation or leading change within clinical practice
• Demonstrable experience in , workforce planning, managing resources budgetary and financial management
• Demonstrable experience in development of Nursing/ therapies / radiographers as professional in their practice
• Evidence of relevant involvement in meeting the Trust Quality and Patient Safety objectives
• Evidence of making operational judgements involving highly complex facts/ situations
• Demonstrate the ability to maintain high standards of care and team management over a sustained period
• Evidence of networking ,working effectively across organisational and professional boundaries

Desirable

• Research experience

Knowledge
Essential

• Understanding and appreciation of diversity
• Key issues and pace of change facing the NHS nationally and locally, assess and describe impact on the nursing professions and services
• Principles and impact of the NHS Constitution

Desirable

• Knowledge and understanding of computerised financial, management, budgetary management, and workforce information systems
• Knowledge and understanding of governance arrangements and standards in the NHS and the wider health and social care economy

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).

Employer details
Employer name: Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Aintree University Hospital, Lower Lane, Liverpool, L9 7AL
Employer's website: Apply through our website

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Divisional Director of Nursing and AHPs
Meg Langley
01515296246