Deputy Divisional Director of Nursing for Surgery

Job Overview

Hello - I’m Mel, Divisional Director of Nursing for Surgery, and I’m really glad you’re considering joining us.

We’re looking for a Deputy Divisional Director of Nursing for Surgery to join our surgical team - someone who brings not just experience and credibility, but warmth, kindness and the ability to keep a steady head when things get busy.

This is a big, important role but it’s also a very human one. You’ll be visible, approachable and a trusted presence across our wards and departments. The kind of person people are glad to see walking through the door.

If you’re someone who cares deeply about patient safety, supports others to do their very best work, and can balance strategic thinking with a practical “roll your sleeves up” approach, you might just be exactly who we’re looking for.

Main duties of the job

You’ll work closely with me and our wider leadership team to shape and deliver safe, high-quality care across the division. You’ll lead, support and inspire our nursing teams while helping us continuously improve what we do and how we do it.

You’ll be part strategic thinker, part problem-solver, part coach and the calm voice of reason when the day takes an unexpected turn.

Working for our organisation

We are proud to be part of BSW Hospitals Group - a formal partnership between the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. With a combined workforce of over 17, 600 colleagues, and budget of 1.6 billion the Group is united by a common purpose to deliver the best possible care to over 1 million people.

We are creating a health and care system that works with the people we care for, reducing the differences people currently face in access, experience and outcomes, improving the experience of our colleagues and tackling shared challenges like sustainability and finances. Every improvement we make across our Group will be guided by what creates the greatest benefit for our colleagues, our patients, our communities and our partners.

By working together, we make a real difference for our patients, each other, and our community. Every role matters in delivering the exceptional, person‑centred care we’re proud of.

We’re committed to a compassionate, inclusive culture where kindness is championed, differences are valued, and diversity makes us stronger.

We want to support you to thrive, taking your career to its full potential. We prioritise staff wellbeing – and yes, we even have a pool!

Discover what it’s like to live and work in Bath, explore our RUH staff benefits, and learn how we’re building healthcare for the future through the Dyson Cancer Centre and our commitment to research.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Please find attached to the vacancy a detailed person specification and job description for further information about this role.

Person specification

Qualifications & Training

Essential criteria

• Master’s degree in Nursing or health related field or evidence of working at this level.
• Evidence of relevant experience in a senior management role;

Specific skills

Essential criteria

• Ability to negotiate and influence/manage highly complex situations;
• Able to plan divisional workloads and supervise staff at all levels and providing effective feedback on performance;
• Good understanding of financial and budget management;

Please note - Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered unless an alternative right to work solution can be provided. Candidates requiring sponsorship (or will need sponsorship at the end of a current visa e.g. those with graduate visa's) should review the eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying: Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Deputy Divisional Director of Nursing for Surgery JD (PDF, 577.8KB)
• Join the RUH (PDF, 1.3MB)

Further details / informal visits contact

Name Mel Broad Job title Divisional Director of Nursing for Surgery Email address ***email_hidden*** Telephone number 01225 824877 Additional information

Who We’re Hoping To Find

We’re looking for someone who is:

• An experienced senior nurse leader with strong professional credibility
• Calm, approachable and quietly confident
• Passionate about high standards of patient care and continuous improvement
• Able to influence, support and challenge in equal measure
• Comfortable navigating complexity
• Genuinely kind - because that really matters here
• You don’t need to be perfect but you do need to care deeply, think clearly and lead with integrity.

Why you’ll love working with us

You’ll Be Joining a Team That

• Values kindness as much as competence
• Supports each other through busy days and celebrates the good ones
• Is ambitious about improving patient care, but realistic about the challenges
• Believes leadership should feel human, not distant
• You’ll have the opportunity to shape services, develop people, and make a real, visible difference every day.

Informal contact very welcome

If this sounds like your kind of role, we’d love to hear from you. If you’d like a chat before applying - whether that’s to ask questions, get a feel for the team or just check we’re as friendly as we sound - please do get in touch. You’d be very welcome.