The Nursing Director is a Registered Nurse (RN) accountable for advancing excellence in nursing 
care and leadership at the departmental or service line level. The Director provides strategic, 
operational, financial, and human resource leadership while ensuring alignment with organizational 
priorities and the Professional Practice Model. Through collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, 
the Director fosters a care environment that supports safe, high-quality, patient- and family-centered 
care, staff engagement, and continuous professional development. The Director drives quality, 
safety, and performance improvement, manages resources responsibly, and ensures compliance with 
regulatory and accreditation standards.

The Nursing Director role is distinguished from Nurse Managers by its expanded scope, scale, and 
strategic impact. Directors typically oversee multiple units, programs, or service lines and are 
responsible for larger budgets, higher complexity of operations, and broader organizational 
integration. While Nurse Managers focus on unit-level leadership and performance, the Nursing 
Director establishes long-term vision and strategies, mentors nursing leaders, and influences system wide priorities. Directors work in partnership with executive nursing and medical leadership, 
aligning departmental goals with health system strategies, and represent nursing at senior leadership 
and cross-organizational forums.

 

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Strategic & Program Planning — Develops and implements department or service line 
strategic plans aligned with organizational and nursing priorities; sets short- and long-term 
goals; establishes performance metrics and communicates progress to stakeholders; partners 
with executive and physician leadership to execute system-level strategies and initiatives.
2. Operational Leadership — Oversees daily operations and long-term program development 
across multiple units or service lines; applies systems thinking to integrate patient care 
services across settings; ensures consistent delivery of safe, efficient, high-quality care; 
maintains visibility with staff and promotes collaboration, shared governance, and 
accountability.
3. Financial Management — Develops, monitors, and manages complex departmental or 
service line operating and capital budgets; forecasts and allocates resources; analyzes 
productivity, cost, and utilization trends; ensures financial stewardship while supporting 
high-quality care delivery; mentors nurse leaders in fiscal responsibility and business 
planning.
4. Human Resources & Leadership Development — Provides vision and direction for 
recruitment, retention, and workforce planning; develops and mentors nurse managers and 
assistant nurse managers, building leadership capacity and succession pipelines; ensures staff 
performance management, engagement, and professional development; fosters a culture of 
equity, safety, recognition, and continuous learning.
5. Quality, Safety & Performance Improvement — Leads development and execution of 
quality and safety plans at the department or service line level; uses data and evidence-based 
practices to identify risks and improvement opportunities; oversees regulatory readiness and 
accreditation compliance; drives cross-unit or system-level performance improvement 
projects that advance outcomes and patient experience.
6. Professional Practice & Organizational Engagement — Advances professional nursing 
practice consistent with ANA standards, the Nurse Practice Act, and organizational values; 
promotes a culture of ethical, evidence-based, and patient-centered care; represents nursing at 
executive, organizational, and system-level committees; partners with medical and 
administrative leaders to shape policy, innovation, and strategic priorities.

 

• BSN required AND
• Master’s degree in nursing or related field required. 
• Seven (7) years of relevant clinical experience AND
• Five (5) years of progressive nursing management experience, including oversight of 
   multiple units or complex clinical programs.
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a large, matrixed health systems
• Current unencumbered Oregon RN license.
• Professional certification in nursing leadership (e.g., Nurse Executive/Administrator) 
   required within 3 years of hire.

 

• Doctoral preparation preferred.

This position also comes with great benefits! Some highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care plans that cover 100% for a full-time employee and 88% for dependents for .75 FTE and higher.
• $50K of term life insurance provided at no cost to the employee
• Two separate above market pension plans to choose from
• Paid time off- 208 hours per year (full-time), prorated for part-time
• Extended illness bank- 64 hours per year, prorated for part-time
• 9 paid holidays per year
• Three weeks of paid parental leave
• Adoption assistance program (up to 5k)
• Substantial Tri-met and C-Tran discounts
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Innovative Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

We are Oregon's only public academic health center.

In addition to caring for patients, we lead groundbreaking research. We also train the next generation of health care professionals. As Portland's largest employer, we give you opportunities to learn and advance in a system of hospitals and clinics across Oregon and Southwest Washington.

All are welcome.

OHSU welcomes people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, national origins, religions and sexual orientations. We are striving to build an anti-racist, multicultural institution and encourage people with diverse backgrounds to apply.

To request reasonable accommodation, contact askhr@ohsu.edu