Chief Nursing Officer - San Mateo Medical Center (Open & Promotional)

The Position

The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) provides oversight and strategic direction for nursing practice across the organization’s continuum of care. This role ensures a unified nursing vision and consistent standards of practice in all clinical areas where patients receive nursing services. The CNO establishes nursing policies, procedures, standards of practice, and care models that meet the needs of the patient populations served by the organization. They assess, plan, and monitor the resources necessary to support safe, high-quality patient care and foster an environment that promotes staff recruitment, retention, and professional growth.

The Chief Nursing Officer reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and serves as a member of the Senior Leadership Team. The incumbent exercises direct and indirect supervision over skilled nursing, acute psychiatry, emergency services, acute medical/surgical services, perioperative services, ambulatory nursing practice, case management, social services, and other managerial, clinical, technical, and clerical staff. The CNO also collaborates with the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Quality & Experience Officer, and Chief Financial Officer to ensure the optimal delivery of medical services at San Mateo Medical Center.

Ideal Candidate

• Holds or is currently pursuing an advanced degree in Nursing Science
• Brings at least four years of progressive leadership experience overseeing nursing services in a complex healthcare setting
• Understands healthcare administration, including trends in policy, treatment, research, education, licensing, and accreditation
• Recognizes the need for public health systems to operate in innovative, integrated, and efficient ways that ensure continuity of care and align with broader County programs
• Thrives in a collaborative leadership environment focused on serving underserved communities
• Applies Lean/LEAP leadership philosophy and continuous improvement practices in healthcare settings
• Demonstrates a commitment to learning and growing within a principle-based leadership culture
• Has working knowledge of budgeting, finance, and reimbursement models in a public hospital context
• Brings experience navigating organized labor and civil service environments (preferred)

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

License/Certification

• Current Licensure as a Registered Nurse in California
• Certification in Nursing Administration issued by the American Nurses Credential Center (ANCC) upon hire or within two years of hire

Experience

Four years of increasingly responsible experience in a healthcare organization performing a variety of administrative and management duties.

In addition, successful candidates will possess a minimum of two years of experience within the past five years in a senior-level administrative or executive leadership position.

Education

Possession of, or current enrollment in, an advanced degree program in Nursing Science.

How to Apply

To apply for this exciting career opportunity, the following required materials must be electronically submitted online at jobs.smcgov.org.

• Employment Application Form
• Responses to the supplemental questions
• Resumes are not accepted in place of required materials
• Applications are due by midnight on the final filing date

Tentative Recruitment Schedule

• Deadline to Apply: September 2, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. PST
• Application Screening: September 4, 2025
• Combined Panel/Department Interviews: September 16, 2025