Job summary
- Main area
- Midwifery
- Grade
- Band 8c
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 344-2572WCY
- Employer
- East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- William Harvey Hospital (cross site working included)
- Town
- Ashford
- Salary
- £76,965 - £88,682 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 01/03/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Consultant Midwife
Band 8c
Job overview
We are seeking an experienced and forward thinking Consultant Midwife to lead and deliver expert care for women whose pregnancies in the intrapartum period and with a specialist interest in those families that fall outside standard clinical guidance pathways. This senior clinical leadership role focuses on supporting women with complex medical, social, or obstetric needs, ensuring safe, personalised, and evidence-based care.
The successful candidate will provide advanced clinical expertise, strategic leadership, and professional guidance to multidisciplinary teams. You will act as a key advocate for women requiring individualised care planning, contribute to service development, and promote best practice aligned with national standards.
This role requires strong clinical judgement, excellent communication skills, and a passion for improving outcomes for women with complex or non-standard care needs. You will work collaboratively across obstetric, neonatal, safeguarding, and community services to ensure equitable, compassionate, and high-quality maternity care.
If you are a strategic leader with extensive midwifery experience and a commitment to advancing personalised maternity care, we would welcome your application.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide a pivotal role in leading and evaluating the training strategy across the intrapartum areas, ensuring education and development for the maternity workforce and will be responsible for leading in developing Midwifery Led Care opportunities and support in the preparation of midwives for these roles in all care settings
- - Expert Midwifery Practice and Service Development
- - Professional Leadership and consultancy function
- - Education and Training Function
- - Research, audit and evaluation function
Working for our organisation
We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference’. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.
Please note that if you require a Certificate of Sponsorship to work in the UK you must declare this on your application form, even if you currently have a certificate of sponsorship or a work permit for another role and are already working in the country. Please note we are only able to sponsor candidates for a Skilled Worker Visa for roles that are eligible at the time of application.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- - Demonstrate expert knowledge of contemporary clinical practice align, implement and evaluate service developments and pathways of care to enhance quality and safety across the maternity continuum.
- - Lead, develop and evaluate the research strategy within the maternity division. Working collaboratively with the trust research department to align the local research strategy to the national maternity aims.
- Work across the regional and national research network to identify new research programs which will benefit the local community and wider implementation of knowledge. Drive forward the research agenda within the midwifery workforce and seek out further opportunities to expand midwifery research capacity and capability
- Leads and supports all professionals in co-ordinating intrapartum episodes and ensures high standards of written and verbal advice and education is available to women, relatives and affiliated disciplines.
- - Ensure education programs are evaluated effectively to deliver and reflect the required aims of safe and quality care as those recommended through national enquiry and reports.
- - Communicates complex and highly sensitive midwifery information requiring persuasive skills, tact and empathy to groups of staff and students
- - Play a key role in professional development through the identification of learning needs across the organisation, working with the Director of Midwifery, senior midwives, link lecturers and practice development team.
- See JD for full details
Person specification
Qualifications and training
Essential criteria
- • Registered Midwife
- • Master’s Degree or already commenced Master’s degree
- • Advance Life Support in Obstetrics Course.
- • Management course
- • Health related diploma/degree
- • ENB 997, Mentor preparation or equivalent
Desirable criteria
- PhD/doctoral studies or working towards
- PMA
Experience
Essential criteria
- • Clinical practitioner with a minimum of 6 years post registration experience.
- • Minimum 2 years at Band 8b Consultant Midwife or equivalent in an acute intrapartum setting.
- • Labour ward Co-ordinator experience, Broad range of clinical midwifery experience, Experience of risk management and quality assurance
- • Extensive senior level leadership and managerial experience,
- • Evidence of innovative practice that involves research and audit, Evidence of research participation, Evidence of participation in regional and national networks
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of implementation of innovation, service change and development.
- Experience of working within a variety of models of care delivery
Communication and relationship skills
Essential criteria
- • Persuasive, Influence and Conflict skills
- • Service development and successful change management
- • An understanding of the complexity of service delivery, Wide knowledge of health policy and application to practice.
- • Ability to problem solve, anticipate and forward plan, individually and as part of the management team.
- • Evidence of self-development.
Desirable criteria
- Advanced IT skills
Analytical and Judgement skills
Essential criteria
- • Expert knowledge of midwifery and the complex birth agenda , Able to demonstrate awareness of current changes and research in midwifery and the influence of this on education and practice
- • Commitment to equity and diversity
- • Ability to compile, analyse and disseminate complex information
Planning and organisation skills
Essential criteria
- • Ability to work in a highly demanding and fast paced environment. Ability to work effectively under pressure and to meet deadlines
- • Ability to network across the organisation and externally
- • Ability to compile, analyse and disseminate complex information
- • Innovative, Strategic thinking, Self-motivated, positive, adaptable and flexible approach to work
Desirable criteria
- Experience of public speaking
- Evidence of academic published work or research
Employer certification / accreditation badges
.gif "The Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion is the leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion in the workplace."){kind=logo}
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Michelle Cudjoe
- Job title
- Director of Midwifery
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Hannah Horne - Head of Midwifery at QEQM - [email protected]
Jo Shayler - Head of Midwifery at WHH - [email protected]
Katie Christie - Consultant midwife [email protected]
Zeenath Uddin - Consultant midwife - [email protected]
List jobs with East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust in Nursing and Midwifery