Chief Nursing Officer (Buffalo)

About the Role
At Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, nursing is at the heart of the patient experience. We are seeking a strategic, compassionate, and visionary leader to serve as our Senior Vice President, Nursing and Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer (CNO).
In this influential executive role, you will help shape the future of patient care across one of the nation's premier cancer centers. As a key member of the senior leadership team, you will lead efforts to ensure exceptional clinical quality, patient safety, nursing excellence, and outstanding patient experiences.
This position is more than a leadership role—it is an opportunity to inspire and support nurses, advance evidence-based practice, strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, and help ensure that every patient receives the highest level of care throughout their cancer journey.
The ideal candidate is a respected healthcare leader who is passionate about nursing excellence, committed to developing high-performing teams, and energized by the opportunity to drive meaningful change within a nationally recognized organization.
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What You'll Do

What You'll Do

• Provide strategic leadership for nursing and patient care services across the organization.
• Champion a culture of safety, quality, compassion, and patient-centered care.
• Establish and advance professional nursing practice standards that support exceptional clinical outcomes.
• Lead and support Roswell Park's Magnet® designation and ongoing nursing excellence initiatives.
• Partner with physicians, clinical leaders, researchers, and operational teams to develop innovative approaches to patient care.
• Foster a culture of evidence-based practice, continuous learning, and professional development.
• Develop and mentor nursing leaders while building strong, engaged, and high-performing teams.
• Guide initiatives that improve patient experience, clinical quality, operational efficiency, and care delivery.
• Support nursing research and promote collaboration between clinical practice and scientific discovery.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and professional practice standards.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to advance organizational priorities, growth strategies, and long-term planning.
• Oversee key patient care and support service areas, including nursing administration, perioperative services, case management, social work, patient education, nutrition services, employee health, and other patient care programs.

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What You'll Bring

What You'll Bring

• A transformational leader who inspires trust, collaboration, and accountability.
• Passionate about advancing nursing practice and delivering exceptional patient care.
• Skilled at bringing people together around a shared vision and achieving results through teamwork.
• Committed to developing future leaders and creating opportunities for professional growth.
• Comfortable navigating complex healthcare environments while maintaining a focus on patients and caregivers.
• An effective communicator who builds strong relationships across all levels of an organization.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

• Current licensure as a Registered Nurse in New York State.
• Master's degree in Nursing, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field.
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or PhD preferred.
• Significant leadership experience within a cancer center or complex healthcare organization.
• Demonstrated success leading nursing operations, quality initiatives, and patient care programs.
• Deep understanding of oncology nursing practice and patient care delivery.
• Experience supporting nursing excellence programs, professional practice models, and accreditation initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of healthcare regulations, patient safety standards, quality improvement, and nursing management.
• Experience with staffing, workforce development, budgeting, strategic planning, and operational leadership.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, coaching, and team development skills.

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Who Will Be Successful in This Role

Who Will Be Successful in This Role

• The most successful candidate will be someone who can balance strategy with compassion.
• You understand that outstanding patient care begins with empowered caregivers. You are able to think broadly about the future of healthcare while remaining deeply connected to the experiences of patients, families, nurses, and care teams.
• You value collaboration, embrace innovation, and know how to lead through influence, partnership, and trust.
• Most importantly, you believe that great nursing leadership has the power to transform lives.

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Why You'll Love Working Here

Why You'll Love Working Here

• At Roswell Park, every role contributes to a larger purpose: helping to create a future free from the fear, pain, and loss caused by cancer. Roswell Park's mission is to eliminate cancer's grip on humanity through personalized approaches, groundbreaking discoveries, and the healing power of hope.
• What makes Roswell Park special?
• • Purpose-Driven Work – Every day, your leadership will help improve the lives of patients and families facing cancer.
• • Nationally Recognized Excellence – Join one of the nation's leading cancer centers and the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Upstate New York.
• • Culture of Innovation – Work alongside world-class clinicians, researchers, and leaders committed to advancing cancer care.
• • Leadership Impact – Shape the future of nursing practice, patient care delivery, and healthcare excellence.
• • Collaborative Environment – Be part of an organization that values teamwork, respect, inclusion, and shared success.
• • Professional Growth – Lead talented teams while influencing organizational strategy and advancing your own leadership journey.
• • Commitment to People – At Roswell Park, employees are valued, supported, and empowered to make a meaningful difference every day.

If you are a visionary nursing leader ready to make a lasting impact on patients, caregivers, and the future of cancer care, we invite you to join Roswell Park and help lead the next chapter of nursing excellence.

Qualifications:

Required Education and Experience
License Requirement
Recognized licensure, if required, to perform the functions of the position.
Education and Experience
1. Doctoral degree and the equivalent of six (6) years of progressively responsible senior-level experience including eighteen (18) months experience in a supervisory, administrative, consultative, managerial or executive capacity; or
2. Master’s degree and the equivalent of eight (8) years of progressively responsible senior-level experience including eighteen (18) months experience in a supervisory, administrative, consultative, managerial or executive capacity; or
3. Bachelor’s degree and the equivalent of ten (10) years of progressively responsible senior-level experience including eighteen (18) months experience in a supervisory, administrative, consultative, managerial or executive capacity; or
4. Any combination of education/experience/training that demonstrates the ability of the individual to perform executive-level duties and fulfill the responsibilities of the Vice President. However, all candidates must have the equivalent of at least eighteen (18) months’ experience in a supervisory, administrative, consultative, managerial or executive capacity; stated in 1, 2, or 3 above.