Nursing Director-Inpatient Operations
Northwestern Medicine
Lake Forest, IL · Posted November 11, 2026
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Where Lake Forest, IL ranks
Where Lake Forest, IL placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Best cities for director and executive jobs in the Midwest33% · of 69
- #1Best cities for director and executive jobs in the Great Lakes33% · of 53
- #16Best cities for AI-skill jobs in the Great Lakes6% · of 53
- #17Best cities for junior jobs in Illinois16% · of 17
- #19Best cities for AI-skill jobs in the Midwest6% · of 69
Rankings about operations jobs
- Best cities for operations jobs #1 New York (1,429 openings)
- Best cities for operations pay after cost of living #1 Reston ($177k)
- Most requested AI skills in operations jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (2.5%)
- AI tools named most often in operations jobs #1 Claude (0.28%)
- Employers with the most operations jobs #1 Amazon (1,480 roles)
Skills this job asks for
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About the job
Description
The Nursing Director, Operations reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards. The Nursing Director, Operations is accountable for planning, direction, management and supervision of a team or teams.
Responsibilities:
Responsible for meeting operational, financial and strategic goals for designated departments, divisions, programs, services and/or locations. Target quality improvement by reducing process variation, eliminating redundancy or implementing new technology. 24/7 accountability
Accountable for the development, implementation and evaluation of staff/human resource information and processes to support clinical practice of nursing and care delivery, including utilization of current practice guidelines and standards.
With manager input, recommend department goals to NM leaders. Communicate agreed upon goals and context to teams. Lead teams to outcomes that support the advancement of NM Strategic Plan.
Evaluate the feasibility, coordination and implementation of new or revised systems, processes and procedures, to ensure compliance with established standards. Develop and implement, and/or work through managers to develop and implement policies and procedures, facilitate inter-departmental processes and clarify and/or correct procedural questions/issues.
Stay informed of current and emerging issues and trends for areas of accountability. Communicate and educate staff on requirements, changes, advances, opportunities, directions and projections for the future.
Other duties as assigned.
Additional Responsibilities:
Business expertise
Knowledge of Joint Commission standards and all federal, state, and regulatory requirements.
Ability to analyze data for decision making purposes and make data-driven recommendations.
Ability to create budgets in accordance with guidelines and balanced to targets.
Ability to effectively apply the principles of change management while leading.
Strong computing skills, including Microsoft Office applications and Outlook.
Attentive to detail and reviews own and others’ work for accuracy.
Problem solving
Encourages diverse perspectives and solutions, drawing from staff, peers, physicians, patients and other stakeholders.
Establishes and maintains constructive lines of communication between the physicians and administration. This includes assessing physicians' needs, collecting feedback on issues/problems and effectively communicating appropriately
Demonstrates the ability to consistently establish appropriate departmental priorities.
Serves as a role model and coach to others; builds partnerships and teams.
Serves as an internal consultant to all levels of leadership in solving problems and planning interventions.
Interactions/interpersonal skills
NMHC Performance Leadership Competencies (from performance management system)
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills and the ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with patients, physicians, management, staff and other customers, internal and external to NM.
Exudes confidence, professionalism, interest and optimism when leading others in the workplace; guided by the servant leadership philosophy.
Ability to maintain confidentiality for patients and their families, as outlined in the Northwestern Memorial HealthCare Patient Confidentiality policy.
Qualifications
Required:
Master’s degree in a health care related field or bachelor's degree in nursing
Five to ten years of clinical experience
Current RN License or clinical license in the state in which the hospital resides (hospital setting)
Preferred:
Master’s degree in business, healthcare administration, Nursing or related field
Three to five years of supervisory or management experience
Three to five years of operational experience exhibiting increasing leadership responsibilities and capabilities
Specialty certification preferred
Equal Opportunity
Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.
Background Check
Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check. Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act.
Artificial Intelligence Disclosure
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.
Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events.
Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information https://jobs.nm.org/benefits
Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings.
If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign-on bonus. Exception: New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.