Professional Lead for Mental Health
Any RCN office with hybrid working, 1.0 WTE/35 hrs, permanent contract
Salary: £66,909 per annum pro rata*
At the Royal College of Nursing we’re an optimistic organisation. And we’ve got good reason to be. We all share the same voice when it comes to changing the shape of the health policies of the future. And as the largest trade union of nursing staff and students in the UK – with over half a million members – all we can see are the infinite possibilities for a brighter future. Join us and you will too.
We're accredited with Investors in People Silver Standard. Our people are our greatest asset, and we want people who can contribute to our purpose in line with our values.
This is an exciting opportunity to influence nursing practice and harness the voice of nursing by developing and utilising effective professional relationships between the RCN and relevant national-level external networks and stakeholders such as statutory agencies, professional bodies, providers and commissioners, independent and third sector organisations and public / patient groups.
Your role will be central to the development of the RCN as the voice of Nursing by working alongside colleagues in policy and practice and drive the success of the RCN as a business.
You will be required to liaise and communicate with RCN members on all matters relating to Nursing and to be proactive in effective lobbying to ensure the voice of our members and those with lived experience is heard.
Nursing Practice is a high priority of the RCN and as part of our nursing department you’ll lead some national projects so your ability to influence stakeholders and build key external relationships is vital. Through your work and the relationships, you build you will gain a strategic understanding of nursing at a national level within your area.
Alongside involvement in internal and external national networks, you will have the opportunity to work closely with the RCN professional forums and other members to provide professional steer, shape clinical guidance and develop resources to influence a wide spectrum of nursing care for a range of people and populations.
Whilst this role will be focused on a Mental Health portfolio of nursing there will be a need to deliver pieces of work that span the breadth of nursing and midwifery. Collaboration with other specialist leads will be essential.
To join us you’ll need to be an experienced NMC registered nurse with senior clinical experience preferably within advanced practice.
You will have post graduate education at master’s level. A teaching qualification alongside experience of working at a strategic or national level with multi-professional groups is also desirable.
To succeed at the Royal College of Nursing all you need to do is think bigger, better and brighter. And with an attitude like that, anything’s possible.
What we offer you
We expect you to look after our members. And we expect you to be rewarded for it. We offer an impressive range of benefits, a broad range of learning development opportunities and an award-winning health and wellbeing programme. We offer annual leave up to 32 days plus bank holidays and three additional days for the Christmas break plus generous maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave packages.
*We offer a competitive pay structure with annual pay progression until you reach the top of the salary scale. We normally offer new employees the first point of the salary range, although you may be able to negotiate a higher starting salary depending on your skills, experience and current salary.
What we deliver for our members is wide and varied so when it comes to how we work one size doesn’t fit all. We also know that to empower our people to do their best work, they must be able to balance the demands of work and home. We are a diverse organisation and understand everyone has different needs and many of our employees enjoy flexible working enabling them to deliver results whilst having a good work life balance. Departments and directorates have their own hybrid ways of working which put the needs of the service they deliver – whether that’s to members or to colleagues - at their heart, in alignment with our hybrid working core principles. At the RCN it’s unlikely you will work from home for all of your working time. Equally no one is expected to work solely in the office unless your role requires it. You can find out more by having a discussion with the recruiting manager.
Our selection process
Please submit a CV and answer the supporting questions demonstrating how you meet the criteria for this role. You may not be shortlisted if you don’t. Please ensure your CV is in a simple format with minimal tables and sections. Any identifying information in your application will automatically be anonymised for shortlisting purposes.
We may hold our interviews and assessments in person or by video call. If you foresee any problems, please let us know.
As a proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme we actively encourage applications from people with disabilities.
Contact details
For more information or for an informal discussion please contact Stephen Jones, Head of Nursing Practice, on 020 7647 3770.
For more information about the recruitment and selection process please contact recruit@rcn.org.uk
Opening date: 08 May 2024
Closing date: midnight on 19 May 2024
If we receive many applications after a week of advertising, this vacancy may close earlier.
Assessments and interview:
First virtual Microsoft Teams assessment: Tuesday 4 June and Thursday 6 June 2024
Virtual interview date: Friday 21 June and Monday 24 June 2024, plus additional date TBC if required
We ask that you are available for the dates above until your assessment and interview date is confirmed.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to
Disability Confident.