Assistant Director, Nursing Clinical Quality & Safety

Assistant Director, Nursing Clinical Quality & Safety

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Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Nursing Clinical Quality and Safety serves under the guidance of the Chief Executive Nurse, and reports to the Executive Director for Strategic Planning and Implementation, acting as a vital nursing partner to the Quality, Patient Safety, and Performance Improvement departments. Representing the Nursing Centers of Excellence, the candidate will champion the voice and viewpoint of nursing in organizational quality and safety initiatives.

The role is dedicated to empowering, mobilizing, and co‑designing sustainable quality and safety improvements, fostering conditions for meaningful change, and supporting the execution and sustainability of improvements.

• Co‑design and execute quality improvement and patient safety initiatives that address evolving healthcare trends and regulatory changes.
• Lead cross‑functional teams in the design, implementation, and evaluation of innovative solutions to patient safety challenges.
• Integrate informatics and advanced analytics into quality and safety performance measurement.
• Champion a culture of safety and reliability throughout the organization, advocating for the highest standards of patient care and clinical excellence.
• Monitor industry trends and best practices, proactively recommending strategic shifts to enhance patient safety and quality.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to align quality and safety initiatives with the organization’s mission and goals.
• Coordinate and collaborate with internal partners, serving as a nursing representative and trusted advisor to ensure initiatives align with both nursing priorities and organizational quality goals.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement and organizational learning.
• Ensure that quality and safety processes are embedded into nursing daily management systems.
• Support the peer review process, promoting timely, accurate, and focused professional reviews that identify trends and foster a collaborative learning environment.

• RN with state licensure.
• Master’s in nursing or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in quality improvement, patient safety, or healthcare transformation.
• Proven track record in leading complex, cross‑functional projects.
• Track record of coaching, educating, and empowering nursing teams at all levels.
• 3‑5 years of proven leadership and management abilities, with exceptional group facilitation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• One of the following certifications: PMP, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent (preferred at hire, required within one year of hire).

Background in high‑acuity clinical environments.

ECU Health is a mission‑driven, 1,708‑bed academic health‑care system serving more than 1.4 million people in 29 eastern North Carolina counties. The not‑for‑profit system is comprised of 13,000 team members, nine hospitals and a physician group that encompasses over 1,100 academic and community providers practicing in over 180 primary and specialty clinics located in more than 130 locations. The flagship ECU Health Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center, and ECU Health Maynard Children’s Hospital serve as the primary teaching hospitals for the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.

ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine share a combined academic mission to improve the health and well‑being of eastern North Carolina through patient care, education and research.

General Statement

It is the goal of ECU Health and its entities to employ the most qualified individual who best matches the requirements for the vacant position. Offers of employment are subject to successful completion of all pre‑employment screenings, which may include an occupational health screening, criminal record check, education, reference, and licensure verification.

We value diversity and are proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer. Decisions of employment are made based on business needs, job requirements and applicant’s qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, genetic information and testing, family and medical leave, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other status protected by law. We prohibit retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint.