Job summary
- Main area
- Cancer
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 290-CR-2078
- Employer
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Trustwide
- Town
- london
- Salary
- £66,274 - £73,496 pa inclusive
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 15/10/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 20/10/2026
Employer heading
Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Fulfil your potential in hospitals that make history:
Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Mary’s, Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea and Western Eye.
With five world-renowned hospitals, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is full of opportunity if you are looking to develop your healthcare career.
We are an NHS Trust of approximately 16,000 people, providing care for over a million and a half patients from north west London and beyond every year.
We have a rich heritage and an ambitious vision for the future of our patients and local communities.
With our partners, Imperial College London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, we form Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, one of 6 academic health science centres in the UK, working to ensure the rapid translation of research for better patient care and excellence in education.
We are proud of our heritage in innovation and we are early adopters of new insights in technologies, techniques and treatments for improving health.
Job overview
We are expanding our Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist teams here at Imperial, and this is an exciting opportunity to take on 3 new Lead CNS roles, for the H&N, Brain & Breast Cancer CNS teams. You will lead a team of band 6 & 7 CNSs and band 4 Cancer Support Workers within the speciality.
We are seeking experienced Cancer CNSs with relevant clinical experience, excellent leadership, management and communication skills. You should be enthusiastic, forward thinking and motivated to join these busy services. You will have an excellent understanding of patient experience and support and developing staff to deliver high-quality care.
You will have the opportunity to gain expert experience leading a team alongside managing your own clinical caseload. You will be expected to establish the role of the lead CNS within the team. You will need to be a leader, work autonomously as well as being part of a team and working with your peer lead CNSs & MDT to improve cancer patient care and experience.
This is a great opportunity to develop your experience as both a leader and a cancer CNS, enhancing your leadership and clinical skills in a leading specialist cancer unit.
Our services work across 3 hospital sites, some roles may require cross site travel.
Main duties of the job
The Lead/Team Lead CNS will provide clinical leadership, service management and line management to the CNS team/ service.
· The Lead/ Team Lead CNS will deliver expert clinical care at an enhanced level and use their experience to support the band 6 and 7 CNSs within their practice and role.
· A clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is a registered nurse with relevant experience and post-registration education for working at an enhanced level within a specific area of practice. They assess, manage, deliver care, advise on, and support patients.
· CNSs have the autonomy to act and accept responsibility and accountability for their actions, acting as a skilled advisor for patients, or a resource for others.
· CNSs perform specialist holistic assessment and treatment using a personalised approach. This is characterised by a level of decision making based on detailed knowledge and understanding of their area of practice.
· As part of the multidisciplinary team CNSs can work in or across many settings, depending on their area of expertise and scope of practice.
Working for our organisation
At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.
Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You’ll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career. Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.
We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.
Environmental sustainability
Climate change and poor air quality is a health emergency that harms people’s health and wellbeing and widens health inequalities. The Trust is also committed to reducing its impact on the environment by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to Net Zero by 2045. All our employees have a role to play, and we have an active green network that supports staff to act in ways that ensures that our services are efficient, sustainable and reduce our impact on the environment www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/our-strategy/green-plan.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.
For both overviews please view the Job Description attachment with the job advert.
Person specification
Education/ qualifications
Essential criteria
- NMC registration and a degree in related subject.
- Post registration qualification(s) in speciality or relevant subject at level 7 (Cancer or site specific
- Recognised teaching qualification and Advanced Communication Skills
- Leadership and Management course(s)
Desirable criteria
- MSc or MA in related speciality
- Advanced physical assessment and clinical reasoning qualification
- Leadership qualification
- Quality improvement training
Experience
Essential criteria
- Substantial post registration experience at band 7 or above, including relevant CNS experience.
- Experience of leadership
- Experience of teaching and assessing others
- Experience of audit and service development
Desirable criteria
- Research experience and publication
- Experience of line managing others
Skills/knowledge/ abilities
Essential criteria
- Ability to lead and manage a team
Desirable criteria
- Ability to design and deliver education programmes.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
- katie bedborough
- Job title
- Macmillan Deputy Trust Lead Cancer Nurse
- Email address
- [email protected]
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