Band 7 Neonatal Ward Manager

The Neonatal Unit Ward Manager is a senior clinical leader responsible for the day-to-day operational management of the neonatal unit, ensuring babies and their families receive safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care.

Working closely with the Neonatal Matron, Head of Nursing, Consultant Neonatologists and multidisciplinary teams, the postholder provides visible leadership, maintains clinical standards and supports the delivery of patient safety, quality improvement and service development priorities. The role includes workforce management, staff supervision, education, recruitment, wellbeing and professional development, fostering a positive culture of learning, accountability and continuous improvement.

The Ward Manager will lead on governance, risk management, audit and quality initiatives while supporting the implementation of evidence-based practice and family-centred care. They will collaborate across neonatal services and sites to promote consistency, shared learning and best practice. The ideal candidate will be a compassionate, resilient and highly motivated neonatal nurse with excellent leadership, communication, organisational and people management skills.

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17million tests. Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivalled career opportunities and a forward-thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top. For more information please follow link https://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/

Essential: - Registered Children's Nurse / RGN NMC Registration Neonatal Qualification in Specialty (QIS); - Degree in Nursing or equivalent evidence of academic achievement; evidence of ongoing professional development relevant to neonatal care and leadership; - Current neonatal clinical competence, including Neonatal Advanced Life Support or equivalent relevant training.; - Mentorship, practice assessor/supervisor or equivalent educational qualification

Desirable: - Master's qualification or equivalent or working towards qualification

Essential: - Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate sensitively and effectively in complex situations; - Highly organised, able to prioritise competing demands, manage deadlines and work effectively under pressure; - Demonstrates analytical and problem-solving skills; - Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire, develop, support and motivate staff and articulate a clear vision for high-quality neonatal care; - Confident use of Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel, with accurate documentation and datahandling skills.; - Able to use initiative, make sound decisions and work with appropriate autonomy while recognising when escalation is required

Essential: - Experience of working in neonates, some of which is at a junior managerial level.; - Experience managing competing priorities, changing workloads, staffing pressures and operational demands within a complex clinical environment; - Experience of managing staff performance, appraisal, attendance and wellbeing in line with Trust policies; - Experience of working within a team and of developing good working relationships with internal and external staff at all levels; - Experience of managing safeguarding concerns and referrals and applying safeguarding children policies and procedures.; - Experience collecting, interpreting and presenting data, with strong analytical and problem-solving skills; - Experience leading or contributing to change management, quality improvement, audit, service development or improvement initiatives; - Experience of workforce planning, roster management, sickness absence management and safe staffing escalation.; - Experience supporting staff development, supervision and appraisal processes; - Experience of managing safety events and knowledge of patient safety systems including PSIRF and escalation processes.

Desirable: - Experience of managing resources, budgets or delegated financial responsibilities

Essential: - Demonstrates commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.; - Compassionate, approachable and family-centred; - Excellent interpersonal, communication and influencing skills.; - Resilient and able to work effectively under pressure.; - Positive role model with professional credibility and integrity; - Flexible, adaptable and able to lead change effectively; - Committed to quality improvement, patient safety and service excellence