Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer

Reporting to the President - Benioff Children’s Hospitals (BCH), the Vice President, Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) - Benioff Children’s Hospitals provides strategic direction, executive level leadership, planning, organization and general management for all aspects of patient care services at the BCH campuses in San Francisco and Oakland, ensuring integration of services and compliance with long range objectives and strategies, including the provision of excellent quality services and the practice of sound business practices.

As a key member of the Children’s Executive Leadership team within UCSF Health, the CNO contributes to the development and implementation of major strategic goals and direction, and provides vision for all aspects of patient care, quality, and patient safety issues.

The CNO serves as the most senior nursing executive at the children’s hospital, responsible for strategic leadership, operational oversight, and professional practice across all nursing and designated patient care services. This role ensures the delivery of safe, high-quality, family-centered care that is developmentally appropriate and aligned with the organization’s mission, values, and clinical standards.

The CNO partners closely with system nursing leadership, physician executives, and hospital administration to align pediatric nursing practice with enterprise-wide priorities, including quality, safety, workforce strategy, and financial performance. They champion evidence-based practice, nursing research, and innovation, while fostering a culture of accountability, equity, and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities include oversight of nursing operations, staffing models, workforce planning, and labor management; advancement of professional governance and nursing engagement; and ensuring compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and Magnet (or equivalent) standards. The CNO also plays a critical role in developing leadership pipelines, supporting interdisciplinary collaboration, and advancing patient and family experience initiatives tailored to pediatric populations.

In a large system context, the CNO functions as both an advocate for the unique needs of pediatric patients and staff and a collaborator in system-level decision-making, ensuring that children’s services are effectively integrated, resourced, and represented across the continuum of care.

• Ten years of increasingly responsible experience in pediatric nursing management, preferably in an academic medical center or children’s hospital.
• Served in a magnet organization or understands the principles of shared governance and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Ability to comply with all nursing practices and medical center policies and procedures for infection control, safety, administrative and clinical practice.
• Ability to comply with activities mandated by The Joint Commission/Title 22, CLIA, and other regulatory agencies.
• Strong verbal, written, and negotiating skills. Able to demonstrate consensus and inclusive practice in key situations

Preferred: 

• Knowledge of management information systems and its relevance to practice, quality and safety.
• Knowledge of strategic planning and its relevance to nursing operations and impact on future operations.
• Demonstrated understanding of the roles of teaching, research, and patient care in the academic medical center and active participation in improvements relevant to each mission.
• Proven administrative skills, including the ability to organize tasks and provide clear direction and leadership to others. Proven ability to work effectively with other health professionals, including physicians and administrators.
• Expertise in all aspects of assigned functions, as well as development and management of operational and capital budgets.
• Comprehensive and thorough understanding of all elements of health care delivery, including strategy, business planning, operations, and financial conditions.

Budgeted Job Salary Range: $400,000-$534,000 Base annual rate