Neurosurgical Matron

Cambridge University Hospitals; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK healthcare provider in Cambridge seeks an experienced Neurosurgical Matron. This pivotal role focuses on providing leadership in neurosurgical services, ensuring safe, high-quality, and patient-centered care. The successful candidate will lead nursing teams, manage budgets, and oversee compliance with clinical standards. Applicants must possess relevant NMC registration, extensive clinical experience, and strong leadership capabilities. Opportunities for professional development and a supportive work environment are provided.

Benefits

On-site leisure facilities

Support for work-life balance

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in health-related field required.
• Proven leadership experience in a clinical setting.
• Commitment to continuous professional development.

Responsibilities

• Lead nursing care in neurosurgical areas.
• Manage nursing budgets and workforce planning.
• Develop and implement quality improvement initiatives.

Skills

Leadership skills

Communication skills

Budget management

Quality improvement

Clinical governance knowledge

Education

Degree in health-related subject

Current NMC registration

Management/Leadership training

Teaching and assessing qualification

Tools

Basic computer programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Job description

Main area Neurosurgery Grade Band 8a Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week (Full Time or Part Time / Flexible working hours may be considered) Job ref 180-D-257260-RE

Employer Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Addenbrookes Hospital-Division D Town Cambridge Salary £55,690 - £62,682 p.a. pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 21/12/2025 23:59

Job overview

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced and compassionate nursing leader to join our Neurosciences Division as Neurosurgical Matron. This is a pivotal role providing visible, professional leadership across our neurosurgical services, ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality, and patient-centered care.

As Matron you will:

Provide professional and managerial leadership for the nursing teams under your line management, providing a highly visible and authoritative presence ensuring the provision of high quality, responsive services with the needs of the patient at the center of care delivery.

Work in partnership with the Operational and the Divisional Senior Management Team to ensure effective and efficient management of your clinical areas to meet agreed targets within the resources available.

Be accountable for all clinical and non-clinical aspects of quality within the service.

Maintain a visible presence where patients, staff and visitors can turn for assistance and upon whom they can rely to ensure that the fundamental and specialist aspects of care are met.

Support the Senior divisional nurse by leading and developing nurses and nursing practice.

Lead on the development and implementation of the daily operational systems and process for the divisional nursing team, in collaboration with the wider leadership within and external to the division. For example patient flow management senior clinical nurse of the day bleep holder.

Main duties of the job

• Lead the delivery of nursing care across neurosurgical areas, holding senior nurses to account and supporting improvement where needed
• Provide operational management support to ensure standards are monitored, maintained, and enhanced
• Act as a visible clinical leader, promoting psychological safety and embedding Trust values of kindness, safety, and excellence
• Oversee workforce planning, appraisals, and safe staffing, ensuring compliance with professional standards and governance
• Manage nursing budgets and contribute to divisional financial planning
• Support education, audit, and research, fostering a positive learning environment for staff and students
• Lead service improvement initiatives, care pathway development, and modernisation programmes
• Champion equality, diversity, and inclusion across all aspects of care delivery

Working for our organisation

Come Nurse with us…

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the country. It comprises Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Hospital. We provide accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge and regional and national specialist services. It’s a great place to nurse, work and live.

You will work on a vibrant hospital campus with a friendly community feel; we have excellent facilities to practise your skills and abilities to support your career pathway and development. Our values of Together – Safe, Kind, Excellent support the delivery of outstanding care. We have a fully electronic patient record system that is improving health-care quality; this is transforming services, improving patient safety and clinical outcomes.

Why choose Cambridge University Hospitals?

• Our values and reputation for outstanding care
• Opportunities to experience a range of specialities
• Career and development opportunities
• Preceptorship and mentoring programmes delivered by a dedicated clinical education support team
• Research experience and opportunities
• Lovely location and quality of life
• Excellent schools/colleges and transport links (road, rail and air)

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:

• applied for a Graduate visa
• or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment
• or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start

For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.

This vacancy will close at midnight on 21 December 2025

Interviews are due to be held on 7 January 2026

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague‑only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work‑life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part‑time working, job‑share, term‑time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Current and relevant NMC registration
• Teaching and assessing qualification
• Degree in health-related subject
• Evidence of continuous professional development
• Management/Leadership training
• Masters or willingness to undertake
• Patient safety investigator training
• Quality Improvement training

Experience

• Significant experience managing a ward / unit
• Broad senior clinical and managerial experience
• Success in working collaboratively across professions and services
• Demonstrable success in managing change
• Experience with the introduction of evidence-based practice
• Project management
• Quality improvement experience i.e. setting standards, audit cycles and improvement
• Operational management of the day, including patient flow.
• Experience obtained in more than one clinical setting.
• Experience in undertaking or supporting research projects

Knowledge

• Clinical practice and demonstrable knowledge of developments in nursing policy and practice
• Good understanding of risk and clinical governance
• Understanding of wider NHS policy
• The importance of successful partnership working
• Lifelong learning, professional education and training
• Workforce planning, recruitment and retention
• Experience in operationalising strategies.

Skills

• Highly effective leadership skills and ability to motivate
• Excellent communications skills (interpersonal, negotiation, liaison, written and presentation skills)
• Advising and influencing senior managers in relation to risk management and quality improvement
• Budget management
• Developing and implementing policies, guidelines and projects from initiation to completion
• Computer literate in basic programmes, i.e. Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Ability to prioritise, meet tight deadlines and work independently
• Positive and effective team member and leader
• Evidence in understanding exception reporting and report writing.

Additional Requirements

• The ability to understand and behave at all times, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of Safe, Kind, Excellent.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.