Associate Chief Nursing Officer

About the role

The Associate Chief Nursing Officer (ACNO) is a key leader and strategic partner to the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), accountable for driving clinical excellence, operational performance, workforce stability, and the overall patient and family experience.

Responsibilities

• Serves as a strategic partner to the CNO in the development and execution of organizational and nursing priorities.
• Represents the CNO in organizational, medical staff, and operational leadership forums.
• Provides leadership continuity and decision-making support in the absence of the CNO.
• Translates system strategy into operational execution across inpatient services.
• Holds enterprise accountability for inpatient operations, patient flow, throughput, and capacity management.
• Establishes standards and accountability for bed placement, patient assignment, and patient progression processes.
• Led hospital-wide initiatives to eliminate delays, optimize throughput, and maximize capacity utilization.
• Drives performance improvement in key metrics, including length of stay, discharge efficiency, and patient access.
• Oversees interdisciplinary coordination to ensure seamless patient movement across the continuum of care.
• Provides oversight for inpatient nursing operations and designated clinical and ancillary support services, including Pharmacy, Respiratory Therapy, and other assigned departments.
• Ensures alignment, integration, and performance of clinical and ancillary services to support organizational goals.
• Promotes coordinated, efficient, and high-quality care delivery across disciplines.
• Leads interdisciplinary collaboration to improve operational effectiveness, care standardization, and patient outcomes.
• Holds accountability for quality, patient safety, and patient experience outcomes across inpatient nursing and designated ancillary services.
• Owes enterprise performance metrics, ensuring transparency, monitoring, and execution of improvement plans.
• Ensures regulatory compliance and continuous survey readiness across inpatient services.
• Advances nursing excellence through professional governance, evidence-based practice, and Magnet readiness.
• Partners with physicians, case management, finance, and operational leaders to improve outcomes and patient experience.
• Strengthens coordination across inpatient, outpatient, and community-based services.
• Leads initiatives to improve transitions of care, access, and continuity.
• Recruits, develops, and retains high-performing nursing and clinical leaders across inpatient and ancillary services.
• Provides coaching, performance oversight, and succession planning.
• Promotes a culture of accountability, engagement, and high performance.
• Builds leadership alignment and organizational capability.
• Accountable for labor management, cost of care, and resource utilization across inpatient and designated ancillary services.
• Drives operational efficiency aligned with organizational quality, access, and financial goals.
• Ensures responsible stewardship of organizational resources while maintaining safety and care standards.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive nursing leadership experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of Director-level (or equivalent senior leadership) experience in acute care.
• Demonstrated experience in inpatient operations, throughput, capacity management, and staffing strategy.
• Experience leading interdisciplinary teams and overseeing clinical support services.
• Strong data analytics, financial acumen, and performance management expertise.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to lead change, manage complexity, and drive organizational results.

Skills

• Advanced certification in nursing leadership (e.g., NEA-BC, NE-BC, or equivalent).

Benefits

This role offers a competitive salary range of $196,992.72 - $313,150.49, subject to individual qualifications and performance. Additional benefits include healthcare/dental/vision and retirement plans.

Pay

Annual salary based on full-time employment.

Schedule

40 scheduled weekly hours.

Age and Diversity Related Criteria

Consistently treats patients, colleagues and visitors with dignity and respect, while being sensitive to the differing needs of all age groups, backgrounds, characteristics, and cultures.

Ability to Fulfill Job Expectations

A successful candidate must have the ability to perform essential functions of the position, including required work hours, locations, and physical demands, without posing a direct threat to the health and safety of themselves or other individuals in the workplace, and without reasonable accommodation.