SVP, System Chief Nursing Executive

Position Summary:

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive (SVP, CNE) provides visionary leadership and strategic oversight for Nursing across Atlantic Health, including owned and affiliated entities. The SVP, CNE is accountable for advancing excellence in nursing practice, nursing operations, and clinical outcomes through evidence-based care and a culture of continuous improvement. Direct reports include hospital CNOs, medical group CNO, Nursing Training and Education, Nursing Resource Center, and Nursing Research.

This executive will drive national leadership in nursing quality, patient experience, and team member engagement, positioning the system as an employer and provider of choice. The SVP, CNE ensures compliance with all Joint Commission, CMS, and New Jersey State standards, while aligning nursing operations with the system’s strategic objectives and performance targets.

As a core member of the Executive Leadership Team, the SVP, CNE plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing enterprise-wide strategies that advance the mission and strategy of Atlantic Health.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Governance

• Serve as the senior executive leader for Nursing across all hospitals, ambulatory, and post-acute settings.
• Partner with system executives to develop and implement strategies that achieve systemwide performance targets in quality, safety, patient experience, workforce engagement, and financial performance.
• Participate actively on key system committees, councils, and decision-making bodies that guide strategic and operational priorities.
• Ensure that Nursing strategy and goals are fully aligned with the system’s strategic plan and enterprise performance objectives.
• Chair Atlantic Health Shared Governance Nurse Executive Council – supporting framework of shared governance.
  
  
  

Nursing Practice and Clinical Excellence

• Lead the development and systemwide standardization of nursing practice, policies and care models to ensure consistency, reliability, and top-decile performance.
• Ensure full compliance with The Joint Commission, CMS Conditions of Participation, New Jersey state regulatory requirements, and ANCC Magnet standards.
• Advance evidence-based practices, clinical innovation, and use of data analytics to drive superior clinical outcomes and eliminate preventable harm.
• Align with IT to ensure advancement of innovation and improve Nursing experience.
• Promote interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure safe, seamless, and coordinated care across the continuum.
• Champion research initiatives that elevate system performance and advance the field of nursing and the delivery of patient care.
  
  
  

Workforce Engagement and Professional Development

• Lead efforts to achieve national leadership in nursing team member engagement, creating an empowered and high-performing nursing workforce.
• Oversee nursing education and professional development programs that foster clinical excellence, leadership capability, and career advancement.
• Strengthen shared governance and professional accountability to ensure nurses are active participants in clinical decision-making and quality improvement.
• Maintain relationships with Board of Nursing and schools of nursing; explore opportunities to increase alignment.
• Ensure ANCC PTAP standards are met for ongoing accreditation.
• Design and implement workforce strategies to attract, retain, and develop exceptional nursing talent at all levels of the organization.
  
  
  

Operational Transformation and Effectiveness

• Drive continuous improvement and operational transformation initiatives that enhance care quality, reduce care variation, improve efficiency, and elevate patient and team member experience.
• Establish and monitor Nursing performance metrics and dashboards tied to system strategic goals and national benchmarks.
• Collaborate with operational and clinical leaders to optimize staffing models, resource utilization, and cost-effective care delivery.
  
  
  

Quality, Safety, And Patient Experience

• Align with system CMO to optimize care delivery.
• Partner with system leaders in Quality, Safety, and Patient Experience to achieve top-decile performance in clinical and service excellence measures.
• Foster a culture of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement in nursing quality and safety.
• Advance patients' experience initiatives that ensure compassionate, respectful, and responsive care delivery
  
  
  

Salary range: $442,396 - $827,307 base only; excludes all incentives.

Qualifications:

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing required.
• Master’s degree in nursing required.
• Ph.D. in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) strongly preferred.
  
  
  

Licensure:

• Current Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of New Jersey or eligibility for licensure.
  
  
  

Experience:

• Minimum of 15 years of progressive Nursing leadership experience in complex, multi-hospital health systems with ANCC Magnet designation.
• Demonstrated success achieving top-tier performance in nursing quality, safety, patient experience, and team member engagement.
• Proven track record of leading large-scale operational transformation, workforce development, and standardization initiatives.
  
  
  

Skills And Attributes:

• Exceptional leadership, communication, and change management skills.
• Deep knowledge of evidence-based nursing practice, regulatory compliance, and clinical operations.
• Strong commitment to innovation, collaboration, continuous improvement, and professional excellence.
• Demonstrated ability to inspire teams, foster engagement, and achieve measurable systemwide results.
• Demonstrated strength in resource management and financial management.
• Experience with ANCC Magnet nurse standards.
  
  
  

Performance Expectations

• Achieve and sustain top-decile national performance in nursing quality, safety, patient experience and team member engagement.
• Maintain full compliance with all accreditation and regulatory standards.
• Demonstrate measurable progress toward the system’s strategic objectives and performance targets.
• Contribute as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team to advance the health system’s mission and strategic plan.
  
  
  

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing required.
• Master’s degree in nursing required.
• Ph.D. in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) strongly preferred.
  
  
  

Skills And Attributes:

• Exceptional leadership, communication, and change management skills.
• Deep knowledge of evidence-based nursing practice, regulatory compliance, and clinical operations.
• Strong commitment to innovation, collaboration, continuous improvement, and professional excellence.
• Demonstrated ability to inspire teams, foster engagement, and achieve measurable systemwide results.
• Demonstrated strength in resource management and financial management.
• Experience with ANCC Magnet nurse standards.
  
  
  

Performance Expectations

• Achieve and sustain top-decile national performance in nursing quality, safety, patient experience and team member engagement.
• Maintain full compliance with all accreditation and regulatory standards.
• Demonstrate measurable progress toward the system’s strategic objectives and performance targets.
• Contribute as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team to advance the health system’s mission and strategic plan.