Band 8c Head of Midwifery

Go back University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

Band 8c Head of Midwifery

The closing date is 15 February 2026

This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward thinking leadership team. The service covers 3 sites and is the largest maternity unit in Birmingham. There is an engaging MNVP, proactive consultant midwives and exciting new consultant. We are looking for a postholder who wants an exciting opportunity to lead a large site that delivers 6000 births and has a level 3 neonatal unit.

The Head of Midwifery role is a key position within the Clinical Delivery Group (CDG), responsible to the Director of Midwifery with a prime focus on the day to day delivery of high standards of patient care across integrated care pathways and services.

The purpose of the role is to provide operational midwifery leadership across the women's services to ensure and consistently develop high quality efficient service provision for all women accessing maternity care.

Reporting to the Director of Midwifery, the post holder will develop, maintain, and provide assurance on clinical and operational governance systems and processes, specifically clinical risk management, CQC standards, clinical policy and procedure, clinical quality, health and safety, patient experience, complaint systems and resolution, incident reporting and resolution, contractual quality measures, safeguarding.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will assist the Director of Midwifery and the Clinical Directors - Obstetrics and the CDG to ensure that the delivery group and corporate objectives in relation to the workforce, service delivery, quality improvement, clinical quality, safety and leadership elements of the service are carried out. The responsibility includes covering for board assurance and Quality committee reports and presenting them in the absence of the Director of Midwifery.

About us

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust strives to have an inclusive culture where everyone feels like they belong, can thrive, knows that they add value and feels valued. We do this by developing compassionate and culturally competent leaders, being values driven in all that we do and by creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace that thrives on the diversity of our people. As such we want to attract and recruit talented individuals from all backgrounds, and for each of you to feel supported for the diversity you bring, to achieve your full potential. For those staff with a disability, including physical disability, long term health condition, mental health or neurodiverse condition, this also means being committed to making reasonable adjustments needed for you to carry out your role.

Job responsibilities

Please note: For a detailed job description for this vacancy, please see the attached Job Description.

Qualifications

• Current registration as a registered
• Midwife on the NMC register.
• First Degree in Midwifery.
• Masters in a Health Related Subject.
• Experience supplemented by specialist training, experience or short courses to doctorate level or equivalent.
• Evidence of recent post registration development/qualification.
• Evidence of accredited management/leadership training or evidence of practical application of expertise at this level.
• Teaching and assessing qualification or equivalent.
• Project management/service.

Experience

• Extensive experience post registration to include Senior midwifery posts at Band 8a or equivalent in an acute NHS provider or equivalent complex health care provider managing a number of services/departments as part of an MDT.
• Experienced operational service manager familiar with managing capacity and demand for service users within acute services (scheduled and unscheduled).
• Experience in setting and achieving objectives/KPI's.
• Experience in leading and implementing safety/quality application form and experience initiatives and sustainable service improvement.
• Experience in writing reports/presenting information internally/externally in a timely manner to a range of Senior Manager's including Directors/Executive Directors.
• Experience resource manager with experience in staff/performance & management and financial control mechanisms.
• Demonstrable experience of leading change & problem solving in clinical settings, patient care and experience.
• Evidence and experience in delivering midwifery operational and strategic performance including strategic safe staffing and skill mix management, complaints and adverse incidents across range of services.
• Experience of working on own initiative and as part of a team working with local and external teams, acting as an ambassador of a speciality.
• Proven experience of leading engagement that drives behavioural and or practice change.
• Experienced of managing a large complex professional workforce and associated budgets.
• Proven experience of quality and risk management including experience in analysing and resolving complex complaints/ incidents, human resource and professional issues.
• Ability to lead and or support the management of change within a complex operational environment in involvement to ensure sustainability.
• Can demonstrate knowledge of the national health agenda as it relates to the CDG.
• Demonstrable appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health, NHS England and individual provider and commissioning organisations - demonstrates breadth and depth of understanding of current NHS policy and ability to interpret and implement in practice.
• Clear understanding of the concept and working arrangements of diverse clinical areas, health and social care partners and local councils, including those within Primary, Secondary and Tertiary care, or charitable/voluntary services & community leaders knowledge of Health & Safety legislation, the concept of Clinical Governance, Quality Improvement and evidence-based practice associate with the portfolio of relevant statute, intercollegiate guidance, literature, research and legislation relating to quality and safety of patient care with a clear understanding and knowledge of National Policy directives/changes associated with midwifery practice.
• Able to think strategically and translate vision for local service into delivery by collaboration and partnership.
• Track record of success in the management of significant changes and innovation with demonstrable results.
• Demonstrate experience of the NHS strategic agenda together with an understanding of the current issues in maternity policy and practice and how this impacts on the CDG.
• Understanding of the regulatory and statutory frameworks associated with NHS operating environment.
• Understanding of the business planning process.

Additional Criteria

• Ability to work flexibly and where necessary outside of core working hours.
• Ability to work at any site premises and travel within the UK on Trust business.
• Ability to participate in the on call rota.

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.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust