Chief Nursing Officer

About the role

Nazareth Care Ireland, a not‑for‑profit charity delivering person‑centred residential care for older people across the island, is seeking a Chief Nursing Officer to join the executive team. Reporting to the CEO, the CNO will have group‑wide accountability for clinical care, regulatory compliance, quality and workforce performance across all homes in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Key responsibilities

• Lead clinical governance and quality across all centres, ensuring the highest standards of resident care and safety.
• Maintain full regulatory compliance and continuous inspection‑readiness with HIQA (Republic of Ireland) and RQIA (Northern Ireland) regimes.
• Oversee workforce planning, staffing and rostering to deliver safe, efficient and financially sustainable staffing models.
• Manage employee relations, engaging constructively with staff and unions to provide stability during periods of change.
• Provide operational leadership to Persons in Charge and clinical teams across multiple sites.
• Report clinical governance performance to the CEO, sub‑committees and the Board.

Required profile

• Registered Nurse with active NMBI registration.
• Significant senior leadership experience in residential care for older people.
• Proven multi‑site or group‑level leadership with a track record of achieving and sustaining regulatory compliance.
• In‑depth knowledge of HIQA (and ideally RQIA) regulatory frameworks.
• Strong financial, budgetary and workforce‑planning acumen.
• Experience of industrial relations and union engagement.
• Credible, values‑led leadership and excellent communication skills.

Required skills

• Regulatory compliance (HIQA, RQIA) knowledge.
• Workforce planning and rostering.
• Budget management and financial oversight.
• Industrial relations and union negotiation.