Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Clinical Center
Chief Nurse Officer, Nursing Department
Are you interested in a truly unique opportunity in nursing executive leadership?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) invites outstanding nurse executives with demonstrated
experience leading a clinical research program, proven academic excellence, to apply for the position
of Chief Nurse Officer at the NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD. The NIH Clinical Center (CC) is the
largest hospital in the world totally dedicated to clinical and translational research. The hospital
maintains a 200‐bed capacity that supports the intramural research programs of Institutes and
Centers across the NIH. The hospital provides care to an extensive range of patients who are research
participants with long‐standing relationships with their research teams. As a senior executive and
advisor to the Clinical Center’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO), the
incumbent will lead a department of about 600 full‐time equivalent employees and contract staff,
providing direct patient care and patient support services on 14 inpatient units, including behavioral
health, plus 20 outpatient clinics, and 3 day‐hospitals units within the CC.
The CC is the epicenter for intramural research and collaboration at the NIH. An individual selected for
this position will have an opportunity to foster a research practice environment that supports
innovation, including scholarly activities that lead to increased patient safety, optimal clinical
outcomes, and the achievement of both clinical research goals and principles of high reliability in
healthcare at the CC. The incumbent will have opportunities to integrate scientific goals and objectives
into the practice of clinical research nursing and participate in the clinical care and implementation of
clinical research protocols of the CC.
The ideal candidate will possess a high level of comfort in leading, consulting, and advising a diverse
clinical research nursing workforce and overseeing nursing and patient care operations in a complex
hospital setting. The ability to partner and provide sound guidance at all levels within a complex clinical
research setting is key in the performance of routine duties associated with this position. The
incumbent must have exceptional communication skills and be capable of interdisciplinary leadership.
The ideal candidate should possess a Ph.D. degree in Nursing, a doctoral degree in another relevant
scientific area, or a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Qualified candidates must have demonstrated
experience in establishing and implementing nursing practice standards, policies, and development
experience in establishing nursing practicing standards, policy, and, developing nurses in both medical
treatment and research settings.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is a core competency for the CC. Please include in
your Resume/CV a description of recruitment and mentoring activities in which you have been
involved, especially those involving women and persons from racial/ethnic or other groups that are
underrepresented in healthcare. Please include a brief cover letter, a personal statement, and your
resume. The personal statement should include a description of your experience in the management
of operations of a nursing department in an academic medical center, documented executive
leadership, the reflection of your communication and interdisciplinary collaboration efforts, and a
description of your recruitment and mentoring activities to CC_Recruits@cc.nih.gov. Review of
applications will begin on or about December 19, 2022.
Salary is commensurate with experience and accomplishments. A full Civil Service package of benefits
(including retirement, health, life, and long‐term care insurance, Thrift Savings Plan, etc.) is available.
If you have questions about the position, please contact Ms. Chigasa Odor, Senior Administrative
Officer, Office of Administrative Management at odorcs@mail.nih.gov or 301‐641‐1009.
To ensure compliance with an applicable nationwide preliminary injunction, which may be
supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal
Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID‐19 vaccination requirement
pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal
Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that
applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID‐19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that
requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the
vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety
protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
Employees providing healthcare or services in support of healthcare (Healthcare Workforce) may be
required to receive a COVID‐19 vaccine because they are expected to perform duties that put them in
contact or potential contact with patients. We may request COVID‐19 vaccination, and other
vaccination documentation from Healthcare Workforce personnel at any point during the onboarding
process or at any time during your employment with NIH.
HHS and NIH are Equal Opportunity Employers. Selection for this position will be based solely on
merit, without discrimination for non‐merit reasons such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin,
politics, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental handicap, age or membership, or nonmembership
in an employee organization. All applicants will be subject to a background investigation.