Full-Time
Chief Nursing Officer
Posted on 9/9/2026
Maricopa County
1,001-5,000 employees
Public county government delivering local services
Compensation Overview
$131k - $194k/yr
No H1B Sponsorship
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Remote
Travel between CHS clinical locations is required within a 5-mile radius.
US Top Secret Clearance Required
Master's, Bachelor of Science (BS)
 Medical, Clinical & Veterinary |
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- Seven years of nursing experience in a hospital, ambulatory, correctional, behavioral health, or similarly complex healthcare environment.
- Two years of nursing leadership experience involving nursing operations, personnel management, clinical quality, regulatory compliance, organizational performance, or resource management, with supervision, management, or clinical oversight of nurses and other healthcare professionals.
- A valid, unrestricted Registered Nurse license issued by the Arizona State Board of Nursing or a multistate license recognized by Arizona through the Nurse Licensure Compact.
- A Bachelor of Science in Nursing from an accredited nursing program.
- A master's degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a closely related field may substitute for up to two years of the required general professional nursing experience.
- Ability to maintain MCSO jail access and successfully complete applicable background requirements.
- Ability to work inside a jail; stand, walk, and bend for extended periods during a shift.
- Ability to respond appropriately to clinical and operational emergencies and practice as a Registered Nurse when needed.
- Ability to perform CPR and chest compressions, push medical equipment, climb stairs, and lift patients on a gurney.
- Active and valid Basic Life Support/CPR certification meeting applicable CHS requirements.
- Ability to obtain Certified Correctional Health Professional certification within 12 months of appointment and maintain it throughout employment.
- Ability to successfully complete and maintain background, security clearance, and other requirements necessary for access to Maricopa County Sheriff's Office secured facilities.
- Ability to pass a pre-employment background and/or fingerprint investigation, including drug and alcohol testing for safety-sensitive positions.
- Provide executive leadership, strategic direction, and oversight for nursing and designated clinical support services across all Correctional Health Services facilities and 24/7 operations.
- Serve as the senior nursing executive and principal nursing advisor to the CHS Director and represent nursing on the CHS Senior Executive Team.
- Lead, supervise, develop, and evaluate Nursing Managers and other assigned nursing leaders; establish expectations, accountability, and performance standards; and build leadership capacity through coaching, mentoring, professional development, succession planning, and performance management.
- Establish, implement, and evaluate standards of nursing practice for safe, evidence-based, medically necessary, patient-centered care consistent with laws, regulations, accreditation standards, and CHS policies.
- Maintain visibility across facilities, clinics, and shifts to understand frontline operations, engage employees, identify barriers, and evaluate nursing service effectiveness.
- Collaborate with CHS Administration, the Chief Medical Officer, and leaders across clinical disciplines to promote integrated care and shared accountability for patient outcomes, and provide executive recommendations on nursing practice, policy, staffing, organizational structure, patient safety, clinical operations, resource allocation, and strategic priorities.
- Partner with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and other public-safety stakeholders on healthcare-delivery matters while maintaining clinical independence, professional nursing standards, and patient advocacy.
- Develop, evaluate, and continuously improve nursing programs, policies, procedures, protocols, workflows, and models of care.
- Develop and regularly evaluate nursing staffing models based on patient population, acuity, workload, scope of practice, service requirements, operational demand, and available resources.
- Ensure nursing leadership and clinical coverage across facilities and shifts, with effective escalation and resolution processes for staffing and operational concerns.
- Provide executive oversight of scheduling and workforce utilization and develop strategies addressing vacancies, overtime, contracted labor, attendance, productivity, and other workforce pressures while maintaining safe patient care.
- Partner with Human Resources and nursing leadership to strengthen recruitment, selection, onboarding, retention, employee engagement, performance management, workforce development, and succession planning.
- Establish and support nursing orientation, education, competency assessment, continuing education, and leadership development programs.
- Promote a nursing culture of accountability, professionalism, teamwork, respectful communication, continuous learning, psychological workplace safety, and patient-centered care.
- Use clinical, operational, workforce, quality, and financial data to establish priorities, performance measures, Performance Based Budgeting measures, and key performance indicators; evaluate trends and variation; drive measurable improvement; and hold nursing leaders accountable for outcomes.
- Provide leadership for nursing participation in Continuous Quality Improvement, patient safety, mortality review, risk management, corrective-action plans, and other performance-improvement activities.
- Maintain continuous nursing readiness for accreditation, regulatory review, audits, licensing requirements, and other external oversight, and ensure deficiencies are corrected and improvements sustained.
- Participate in departmental and interdisciplinary governance and committees, including MCSO/CHS leadership meetings, the Clinical Practice Committee, Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, Quality Improvement Committee, and other assigned committees.
- Collaborate with Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and data and analytics resources to evaluate organizational performance, workforce utilization, resource needs, and improvement opportunities.
- Participate in Electronic Health Record governance, optimization, workflow evaluation, and implementation of technology affecting nursing practice, documentation, patient safety, and operational efficiency.
- Provide executive leadership during significant clinical events, staffing emergencies, critical incidents, business continuity events, and other circumstances requiring senior nursing involvement.
- Identify and promptly communicate significant clinical deficiencies, patient-safety concerns, regulatory or accreditation risks, professional practice concerns, and operational risks to the CHS Director and other appropriate leaders.
- Lead organizational change affecting nursing services and ensure changes are communicated, implemented, evaluated, and sustained across facilities and shifts.
- Participate in clinical care as a qualified Registered Nurse when needed.
- Provide executive nursing leadership outside traditional business hours, including weekends and holidays, when significant clinical, staffing, operational, or emergency circumstances require escalation.
- Senior nursing leadership experience within a large, complex, multi-site, 24/7 healthcare organization.
- Executive or senior management experience within a governmental, public-sector, correctional, public-safety, safety-net, or similarly complex healthcare environment.
- Correctional healthcare experience.
- Certified Correctional Health Professional or other relevant professional certification.
- Experience with healthcare accreditation and regulatory compliance, including continuous survey readiness.
Maricopa County operates as a county government serving residents in one of the fastest-growing areas in the United States. It provides public services and programs to improve people’s lives both now and in the long term, covering areas like public safety, health, housing, transportation, and community development. The “product” is the set of government services and programs delivered to residents, businesses, and visitors, and how they are accessed—through county offices, websites, hotlines, and in-person service centers. These services are funded by taxes and fees and are managed by elected officials and county staff who implement policy and run daily operations. The county works to deliver reliable services efficiently, with emphasis on transparency, accessibility, and responsiveness to community needs. The goal is to create a safe, healthy, and thriving community for current residents and future generations.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Phoenix, Arizona
Founded
1871
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Surprise's 35,000-square-foot resource center opened September 3, expanding integrated community services.
- Heat-relief campaigns reached 220 million impressions and 2025 deaths fell to 430.
- The September 4 election settlement restores operational clarity before the 2026 General Election.
What critics are saying
- The Heap-versus-supervisors fight consumed taxpayer money and threatened 2026 election readiness.
- Chase Field renovation faces $500 million public funding pressure and years of construction risk.
- Extreme heat still kills hundreds; 2023 set 645 deaths, exposing county-service failures.
What makes Maricopa County unique
- Maricopa County serves 4.5 million residents across nearly fifty lines of business.
- It is deploying countywide connected-vehicle infrastructure with USDOT-funded CVAZ through 2028.
- It launched IBM-powered Mari in July 2026 for 24/7 resident service.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Parental Leave
401(k) Company Match
401(k) Retirement Plan
Wellness Program
Professional Development Budget
Company News
Maricopa County opens new community and resource center in Surprise. Maricopa County and the City of Surprise celebrated the grand opening of the new Surprise Community & Resource Center, a 35,000-square-foot facility designed to bring critical services together for residents, on Sep. 3. Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Debbie Lesko said, "It's been exciting to see Surprise develop into one of the fastest-growing communities in Maricopa County. With this growth comes the responsibility to ensure public services are expanding at an equal pace. The Board's investment in this new resource center is about giving families, seniors, veterans, and other residents of this vibrant community the support they need to thrive." The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved $18 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for construction in 2022. The project was completed through an Intergovernmental Agreement between Maricopa County and the City of Surprise that allocated a combined $27 million toward the facility. Surprise Mayor Kevin Sartor said, "The vision of creating a Surprise Community & Resource Center like this could only become a reality through strong partnerships and a shared commitment to serving our community. By bringing together businesses, nonprofits, and volunteers who share our passion for people, we are ensuring that everyone who walks through the doors of this new center will find the high-quality services, resources, and support they need. When we can all come together like this, it provides a stronger community for everyone." The new center consolidates programs previously offered at several aging city facilities such as the Surprise Resource Center, Hollyhock Library, and Surprise Senior Center. It offers library services; workforce development; health and wellness programs; housing assistance; benefit assistance; veteran and senior services; after-school youth programs; summer youth programs; and three Head Start classrooms - the first such classrooms established within the City of Surprise. Education outcomes remain an ongoing concern locally: In Maricopa County during recent school years 62.9% of students in grades 3 through 8 failed mathematics sections while 57.2% failed English sections on standardized tests such as AASA; among high schoolers during similar periods 65% failed mathematics sections while 57% failed English sections on ACT exams, according to the Arizona Department of Education. More recently, there have been improvements with approximately one-third or more students passing these subjects. The facility is part of continued efforts using federal funding to expand local resources directly into communities.
Ettifos V2X-AIR to support major Connected Vehicle deployment in Arizona. PHOENIX, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Ettifos, a V2X communications technology provider, has been selected through a competitive procurement process to support the Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) in the delivery of the Connected Vehicle Acceleration Zone (CVAZ), a major U.S. deployment designed to accelerate interoperable vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology across key corridors in Maricopa County, Arizona. Supported through a $20 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), CVAZ forms part of the Federal Highway Administration's national effort to accelerate real-world V2X deployment and establish scalable models for connected transportation infrastructure. Running from 2024 to 2028, CVAZ will use primarily 5.9 GHz communications, connecting up to 650 roadside units with approximately 400 on-board units. Ettifos will supply its V2X-AIR aftermarket on-board unit (OBU) to support CVAZ V2X applications. V2X-AIR is a compact, BABA-compliant aftermarket OBU designed to bring existing vehicles into the connected transportation ecosystem without requiring factory-integrated V2X hardware. It supports C-V2X direct communications, enabling vehicles to receive and exchange safety and mobility information with connected roadside infrastructure and other connected road users. The multi-vendor deployment is bringing together V2X solutions from various suppliers to create an interoperable environment that supports deployment scalability and sustainability. CVAZ V2X applications include Emergency Vehicle Preemption, Vulnerable Road User safety, Transit Signal Priority and Freight Signal Priority. These applications are designed to improve situational awareness and safety while supporting the efficient movement of emergency, transit and freight vehicles. The deployment covers key corridors and communities across Maricopa County, including Phoenix, Tolleson, Avondale and unincorporated areas, as well as Arizona Department of Transportation corridors such as US 60. Ettifos' participation in CVAZ demonstrates its focus on moving V2X from technology development into practical, large-scale deployment. Hojun Kim, CEO of Ettifos, commented: "CVAZ represents an important step toward real-world, scalable V2X deployments in the U.S. The AI Journal Ltd. is proud to support the project with V2X-AIR and demonstrate how Ettifos' technology can connect existing vehicles to safer, smarter transportation networks across Maricopa County. "Deployments like CVAZ are essential to proving the value of V2X technology at scale and accelerating its adoption across the U.S." SOURCE Ettifos Co. 15 minutes ago 19 minutes ago 20 minutes ago
Valley businessman named to lead $500M Chase Field renovation project. By: Brandon Brown, Phoenix Business Journal Posted 10:10 AM, Aug 20, 2026 PHOENIX - The board of directors of the Maricopa County Stadium District, which is overseeing the renovation of Chase Field, has hired Valley businessman Mark Winkleman as its executive director. While the Maricopa County Stadium District has been around since 1991, the board was given new life last year after the state legislature approved a law to redirect some tax dollars generated at the Major League Baseball stadium to the renovation of the 28-year-old professional sports facility. Winkleman will serve as the Stadium District's chief executive officer and administrative lead. He will work with the board to oversee the district's financial and operational performance, implement its policies and strategic priorities, and represent the district with public officials, community stakeholders, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Want more news in your community? Add ABC15 as a preferred source on Google below:
Maricopa County launches AI-powered virtual assistant for county website users. Maricopa County has introduced an artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant to its official website, providing residents with round-the-clock access to information about county programs and services, according to a July 13 announcement. The tool, developed in collaboration with IBM technology, is designed to help users quickly find relevant information by interpreting natural language questions and guiding them directly to trusted county sources. "With this enhancement to Maricopa.gov, we are giving residents a way to find information about county services faster, anytime they want, with fewer steps," said Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chair Kate Brophy McGee. "If you like the traditional search bar or clicking through menus, you can continue to do so. But if you prefer the AI chat experience, now we have that available too. It's part of a broader county initiative to meet residents where they are with enhanced and personalized service." The virtual assistant - nicknamed "Mari" - appears as an orange circle on the bottom-right corner of the site and is designed for more than just keyword searches. Residents can ask questions in everyday language and include personal preferences; Mari then directs them across multiple county websites for answers on topics such as pet adoption, property ownership, or public health. Each response includes links back to official sources for those seeking further details. Elliott Aten, General Manager for IBM's U.S. West Region, said: "I'm proud to see Maricopa County exploring new ways to make government services more accessible and responsive... By applying IBM's technology to trusted County information, Mari can help connect people to answers more quickly while supporting the governance, transparency, and human oversight residents expect." Staff review interactions tracked by Mari in order to improve responses over time. To ensure responsible use of artificial intelligence tools like Mari, Maricopa County has implemented technological guardrails using IBM watsonx Orchestrate technology grounded in publicly available data controlled at the department level. Requests that require specialized attention are rerouted appropriately; system controls aim at reducing inappropriate responses; and human oversight remains present throughout most processes. "Today's residents expect government to be as accessible and responsive as the services they use every day," said Richard McHattie, Chief Information Officer for Maricopa County. "Mari is another step in our commitment...by providing trusted information instantly." This launch reflects ongoing efforts by local leadership toward modernizing resident interaction with government agencies, according to Maricopa County. In related education metrics from recent years within Maricopa County: 62.9% of students in grades 3 through 8 failed mathematics on the AASA during the 2022-23 school year; similarly high failure rates were observed among high schoolers taking both mathematics (65%) and English (57%) sections of standardized tests such as ACTs, according to the Arizona Department of Education. Recent improvements saw approximately one-third of students passing these assessments during the subsequent academic year.
Maricopa County receives 78 national awards for government service and efficiency. Maricopa County received 78 National Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties across a variety of services including public health, elections, and criminal justice, according to a July 2 announcement. Board of Supervisors Chair Kate Brophy McGee, District 3, said, "Maricopa County employees are skilled, innovative, and most of all, they care deeply about our residents. I'm grateful to NACo for recognizing that so many of our programs make a measurable, positive impact on the community." The awards are intended to recognize county government programs that provide needed services, improve access to services, enhance citizen participation, and demonstrate measurable results such as cost savings or improved outcomes. This year's recognition included awards given to 20 separate Maricopa County departments, elected offices, and judicial branch agencies. Public Health received the most recognition with 24 awards while Human Services earned 17. "These awards reflect the hard work and commitment of our employees, who show up every day focused on serving Maricopa County residents," said County Manager Jen Pokorski. "They take pride in finding better ways to deliver services and make the most of taxpayer dollars. I'm incredibly proud to work alongside such a dedicated team as we continue looking for ways to improve each year." Among this year's award-winning programs were High School Voter Outreach and Senior Cyber Safety initiatives. In educational achievement measures for Maricopa County students during recent years: in grades three through eight during the 2022-23 school year AASA exam cycle, 62.9% failed mathematics while 57.2% failed English; among high schoolers taking the ACT in that same period, failure rates were at 65% for mathematics and 57% for English; more recently in the 2023-24 academic year assessments saw improvements with approximately one-third passing rates - 33.9% passed high school ACT mathematics while about 36% passed grades three through eight AASA mathematics - according to the Arizona Department of Education. To view all award-winning Maricopa County programs recognized by NACo this year or search by county, details are available on NACO's website.