Director Nursing Professional Development

Job Requirements

Under executive leadership, this role provides system-level strategic, operational, and clinical leadership for education and professional development. The role is accountable for setting the vision, design, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive learning and development strategies that advance clinical excellence, workforce capability, patient safety, and overall organizational performance. This role ensures alignment with regulatory standards, evidence-based practice, and strategic priorities while fostering innovation, multidisciplinary collaboration, and a culture of continuous learning. This position leads large-scale, system-wide initiatives and portfolios, ensuring effective governance, resource alignment, and measurable outcomes. The role also establishes standards, policies, and frameworks that enable sustainable talent and professional development across the organization.

This role is funded for an initial one-year period through a grant. Renewal is possible if future funding is secured; however, continuation beyond the grant period cannot be guaranteed.  

Primary Responsibilities

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job responsibilities performed.

• Provides enterprise-wide strategic leadership and governance for education and clinical professional development programs across multiple entities, ensuring alignment, consistency, and scalability.
• Develops and executes a comprehensive, system-level education and workforce development strategy aligned with organizational priorities, regulatory requirements, and long-term talent needs.
• Leads ongoing, system-wide learning needs assessments, leveraging internal and external data to identify gaps, inform strategy, and prioritize investments.
• Oversees the design, implementation, and evaluation of standardized yet adaptable education programs that advance clinical competence, workforce development, and patient care outcomes across diverse settings.
• Establishes system standards by integrating evidence-based practice, research, innovation, and emerging technologies into all learning and professional development initiatives.
• Defines and monitors enterprise performance metrics, key performance indicators, and outcome measures to evaluate program effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensures system-wide compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and professional standards, including oversight of competency validation frameworks and documentation practices.
• Provides executive oversight for onboarding, orientation, competency management, and ongoing development programs, including residency programs and professional advancement frameworks across the system.
• Establishes and sustains strategic academic partnerships, student placement programs, and workforce pipeline initiatives across the system.
• Leads, mentors, and develops a distributed leadership team, fostering strong performance management, engagement, and succession planning across the system.
• Oversees operational and financial performance across the education function, including budgeting, resource allocation, and optimization of shared services.
• Embeds patient safety principles across all education initiatives, proactively identifying system-level risks and driving mitigation strategies to enhance safe care delivery.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience - Required

• Master’s degree in nursing, education, healthcare administration, or related field required. 
• Bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) from an accredited school of nursing required, if master’s degree is not in nursing. 
• Current licensure as a Registered Nurse in the State of Maryland (or eligibility via compact state agreement) required.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive leadership experience in clinical education, staff development, or related healthcare field required. 
• Minimum of three (3) years of management or leadership experience required. 
• Demonstrated experience in adult education, curriculum design, and competency-based training required.

Education & Experience - Preferred

• Certification in nursing professional development, education, or leadership (e.g., ANPD, NE-BC). 
• Active participation in professional organizations.