Regional Director of Nursing Professional Practice, Research, and Innovation

About the Role

The Regional Director of Nursing Professional Practice, Research, and Innovation is a clinical nurse specialist who provides strategic leadership for nursing professional practice, professional governance, research, evidence-based practice, clinical inquiry, and innovation across Kaiser Permanente Northwest - Oregon and SW Washington (2 Hospitals, Ambulatory, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Care Continuum, Regional Advice Nurse Services, and Dentistry).

This role partners with nursing and patient care services, operational, and interdisciplinary leaders to advance nursing excellence, improve patient and workforce outcomes, and foster a culture of inquiry, innovation, and continuous improvement. The Regional Director oversees initiatives that strengthen professional practice, support scholarly activity, drive innovation in care delivery, and advance Magnet standards, designation, and re-designation across the continuum of care.

This position is responsible for building the structure, process, and people (future Clinical Nurse Specialist Team) for the Professional Practice of Nursing in partnership with Nursing Professional Development. Responsibilities include defining the scope and standards of practice for RNs, LVNs, and other health professionals; leveraging data insights to drive quality improvement programs; implementing clinical best practices and evidence-based practices; developing long-term policy and procedure based on research; mitigating regulatory risks; advising leaders on regulatory requirements; and overseeing multidisciplinary teams in clinical education, patient safety, and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Builds organizational capacity and prepares high potentials for growth opportunities; fosters collaborative networks inside and outside the organization.
• Provides framework for performance feedback and drives collaboration to set goals and improve performance.
• Models continuous learning and oversees recruitment, selection, and development of talent; ensures performance management aligns with business needs.
• Acts as a thought leader on industry trends, benchmarks, and best practices; shares insights to drive improvement.
• Motivates and empowers teams; aligns cross-functional resource plans with business objectives.
• Oversees multiple units/departments by identifying operational needs, translating strategy into actionable requirements, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Engages cross-functional teams to champion business plans and priorities; sets standards and resolves escalated issues.
• Sets and communicates goals; analyzes resources, costs, and forecasts; distributes resources and removes obstacles to performance.
• Directs ambulatory operations to support patient care, including aligning workflows, optimizing initiatives, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
• Ensures standardized care delivery by leveraging enterprise interdependencies, building relationships with key leaders, and overseeing multidisciplinary teams.
• Oversees emergency preparedness programs and ensures shared services plans are current and staff are trained.
• Provides strategic direction for projects, ensuring equitable resource distribution and delivery on objectives.
• Oversees improvements to patient-centered operations and technology processes, including strategic projects to improve quality, service, and efficiency.
• Consults with executive management to integrate performance metrics for monitoring success and sustainability of improvement projects.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN).
• Minimum ten (10) years of experience in business operations, health care operations, clinical health care, or a related field.
• Minimum four (4) years of experience managing operational or project budgets.
• Minimum four (4) years of experience in a leadership role with direct reports.
• Minimum seven (7) years of customer or patient service experience.
• Basic Life Support certification required at hire.
• Registered Nurse License (Washington) within 6 months of hire or Compact License: Registered Nurse within 6 months of hire.
• Registered Nurse License (Oregon) within 6 months of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Seven (7) years of project/program management and/or implementation-related experience.
• Seven (7) years of experience in process improvement.

Schedule

• Full-time.
• Day shift: Monday–Friday, 08:00 AM–04:00 PM.
• Scheduled weekly hours: 40.

Pay

The posted pay range is $209,500–$271,040 per year. Actual base pay is determined at offer based on labor market data, internal alignment, and a candidate’s years of relevant work experience, education, certifications, skills, and geographic location.

Work Setting

• Onsite at Kaiser Permanente Building, Portland, Oregon.
• Worker location must align with Kaiser Permanente’s Authorized States policy.
• No travel required.