Who We Are
UCI Health is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, and the only academic health system based in Orange County. UCI Health is comprised of its main campus, UCI Medical Center—a 459‑bed acute‑care hospital in Orange, Calif.—four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties, and ambulatory care centers across the region. Listed among America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 23 consecutive years, UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute‑designated comprehensive cancer center, high‑risk perinatal/neonatal program, and American College of Surgeons‑verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold‑level 1 geriatric emergency department, and regional burn center. UCI Health serves a region of nearly 4 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County, and southeast Los Angeles County.
To learn more about UCI Health, visit .
Your Role on the Team
Position Summary
The Executive Director of Nursing Quality, Research & Education (NQRE) serves as a senior system leader responsible for advancing nursing practice excellence, clinical education, professional development, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement of nurse‑sensitive outcomes across UCI Health. Reporting to the System Chief Nursing Executive, the Executive Director provides strategic direction, leadership, and oversight for systemwide programs supporting professional nursing excellence—including Magnet, nursing research partnerships, practice standards, accreditation, and evidence‑based care.
This role oversees nursing education for inpatient and outpatient services; systemwide patient education; specialty/advanced practice teams such as PICC, Wound Care, Ostomy, Diabetes Education, and ALERT; and coordination of student clinical placements and academic partnerships. The Executive Director ensures alignment of educational, quality, and research initiatives with organizational goals, regulatory requirements, and emerging trends.
What It Takes to be Successful
Required Qualifications
- Strong leadership, communication and change management skills
- Proficiency in program management, budgeting, and accreditation processes
- Master of Science Degree in Nursing
- Expertise in nursing education, clinical operations, quality improvement and regulatory compliance
- Experience in curriculum development, program evaluation, and adult learning principles
- Effective verbal and written communication, essential for teaching, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement
- Comprehensive knowledge of health care delivery, including strategy, operations, regulatory standards and nursing quality
- A minimum of 7 years of progressive nursing leadership experience, preferably in an integrated system
Preferred Qualifications
- Leadership experience in an academic medical center environment
- Doctorate degree in Nursing
- Certification in nursing education, professional development, or quality (CNE, NPD‑BC, NEA‑BC, CPPS)
Licenses and Certifications
- CA Registered Nurse
Total Rewards
We offer a wealth of benefits to make working at UCI even more rewarding. These benefits may include medical insurance, sick and vacation time, retirement savings plans, and access to a number of discounts and perks. Please utilize the links listed here to learn more about our compensation practices and benefits.
Conditions of Employment
- Background Check and Live Scan
- Employment Misconduct*
- Legal Right to Work in the United States
- Vaccination Policies
- Smoking and Tobacco Policy
- Drug Free Environment
- California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act
- E‑Verify
- Pre‑Placement Health Evaluation
All applicants who accept an offer of employment must comply with the following conditions of employment. They exercise the utmost discretion in managing sensitive information learned in the course of performing their duties. Sensitive information includes but is not limited to employee and student records, health and patient records, financial data, strategic plans, proprietary information, and any other sensitive or non‑public information learned during the course and scope of employment. Employees understand that sensitive information should be shared on a limited basis and actively take steps to limit access to sensitive information to individuals who have a legitimate business need to know. Employees ensure that sensitive information is properly safeguarded and follow all organizational policies and laws on data protection and privacy, including secure handling of physical and digital records and proper usage of IT systems to prevent data leaks.
* Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.
Closing Statement
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti‑Discrimination Policy. We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce while honoring unique experiences, perspectives, and identities. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming. UCI provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities upon request. For more information, please contact UCI’s Employee Experience Center (EEC) at or at (949) 824‑0500, Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Consideration for Work Authorization Sponsorship
Must be able to provide proof of work authorization.
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