Head of Midwifery

About the Trust

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust delivers compassionate, expert care to the local community. The organisation is recognised for strong research performance and for integrating education and training throughout its services. Its main centre, Queen Alexandra Hospital, is among the largest hospitals on the south coast and employs more than 8,700 staff.

The Trust values a diverse workforce and actively welcomes people from different backgrounds, believing this strengthens care for patients, colleagues, and the wider community.

Role Overview

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced Registered Midwife who can combine strategic thinking with a strong commitment to safe, high-quality maternity care. The postholder will lead service delivery and transformation, supporting care that is personalised, evidence-based, responsive, and shaped by the needs of women and families.

You will also help build and support a capable, inclusive workforce and work closely with colleagues across the Trust and with external system partners, including collaborative working with the Isle of Wight through established arrangements.

What You Will Do

• Take overall responsibility for delivering safe, high-quality maternity services, with attention to staffing, patient flow, clinical outcomes, and visible leadership in service areas.
• Lead clinical governance activities, including risk management, quality improvement, and the promotion of a Just Culture that supports openness, learning, and psychological safety.
• Work with the Director of Midwifery and senior leaders on strategic and annual planning, transformation, financial sustainability, performance monitoring, and improvement actions informed by data.
• Drive workforce planning and development, including recruitment, retention, education, staff wellbeing, and the effective use of HR policies.
• Collaborate with system partners to co-design maternity services with women and families so that their views actively shape service delivery.
• Take part in the senior midwifery on-call rota and provide expert leadership when required.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential qualifications include registration as a Midwife, a Master’s degree or equivalent experience, a management qualification or equivalent leadership experience, a postgraduate qualification in a health-related field, and evidence of ongoing professional development.

Desirable qualifications include teaching experience or a teaching qualification, published work in a clinical or healthcare setting, and a mentoring or coaching qualification.

The role also calls for substantial post-registration experience, experience across varied settings, leadership of staff and clinical services, delivery of complex projects, contribution to midwifery strategy, quality improvement, clinical governance, commissioning or contracting, cost improvement work, workforce planning, budget management, and the ability to work independently under pressure.

Skills and Knowledge

The post requires strong leadership and team-working capability, excellent verbal and written communication, relationship-building skills, strategic thinking, analytical ability, and confidence working in a complex multidisciplinary environment. You should understand national maternity priorities and the changing NHS agenda, be comfortable using maternity systems and data tools such as Datix and Excel, and be able to manage capability and disciplinary matters as needed.

Additional Information

The Trust places a strong emphasis on staff wellbeing and offers a range of benefits, including an on-site nursery, access to a free beach hut, an on-site wellness centre with a gym and swimming pool, staff network groups such as LGBTQ, Race Equality and Disability networks, and awards events recognising achievement.

The organisation is committed to inclusivity and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, cultures, beliefs, and lived experiences.

Further information is available in the People and OD Strategy 2026.

Terms and Conditions

Salary is listed under NHS Band 8c at £79,504 to £91,609 per year. The working pattern is full time, 37.5 hours per week. The contract is permanent.