Clinical Development Specialist - ATC Woodlands

UT MD Anderson Cancer Center • The Woodlands, TX

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Development Specialist (CDS) serves as a clinical expert, professional development leader, educator, consultant, change agent, and champion for evidence-based practice within ambulatory oncology services. The role advances nursing practice, supports workforce development, promotes clinical competency, improves patient outcomes, and facilitates quality and safety initiatives. The CDS partners with nursing leadership, providers, educators, and interdisciplinary teams to support high-quality, patient-centered care and organizational goals through education, innovation, regulatory readiness, and continuous improvement. The position is part of the ambulatory nursing leadership team and leads through collaboration, expertise, and influence rather than direct supervisory authority.

Working with area management and the nursing education department, the CDS designs and implements tools, methodologies, and educational opportunities that build clinical knowledge, technical skills, professional growth, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. The role integrates infusion and oncology nursing standards and institutional policies into daily practice; identifies, validates, and maintains annual competencies; and supports staff through competency assessment, coaching, mentorship, onboarding, orientation, residency, and continuing education. The CDS also evaluates educational, clinical, quality, and operational outcomes and supports initiatives addressing patient safety, regulatory readiness, evidence-based practice, research utilization, and practice improvement.

This is an eight-hour, 100% onsite position based primarily at the Woodlands Campus, supporting unit staffing hours between 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The CDS may float to the West Houston, Northwest, and TMC campuses for educational events. Nursing staff are expected to report during ride-out and recovery phases of catastrophic events and to support continuity and restoration of patient care operations.

The position requires graduation from an accredited school of professional nursing, an active Texas RN license, BLS, and five years of registered nursing experience. The posting describes an ideal candidate with at least five years of progressive supervisory or leadership experience, including three years of clinical nursing experience involving staff development, education, or competency management. A Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, ACLS, and OCN certification are preferred; advanced expertise in IV chemotherapy administration is also given additional consideration.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited school of professional nursing.
• Five years of registered nursing experience.
• Active State of Texas Professional Nursing license (RN) upon hire.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) upon hire.
• The ideal candidate will have at least five years of progressive supervisory or leadership experience, including three years of clinical nursing experience involving staff development, education, or competency management.
• Ability to support educational events at other campuses as needed.
• Ability to report for assigned emergency ride-out or recovery duties and support continuity of patient care.
• Ability to satisfy and maintain applicable security and screening requirements if responsible for maintaining critical infrastructure security and integrity.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing.
• Advanced expertise in IV chemotherapy administration, including serving as a clinical resource, identifying and assessing infusion-related complications, and implementing timely, appropriate interventions.
• Oncology Nurse Certification (OCN) from the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation.
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), as required by the patient care area.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a clinical expert and trusted advisor to nursing leadership and a resource for complex clinical issues.
• Promote evidence-based practice, identify clinical improvement opportunities, support practice changes, and lead initiatives that advance nursing practice and patient outcomes.
• Assess learning needs and develop educational plans and opportunities for nursing staff.
• Coordinate onboarding, orientation, residency, and continuing education programs; facilitate classroom and clinical learning experiences.
• Coach and mentor staff, promote certification, and support career development and succession planning.
• Lead annual competency assessment and validation programs; develop competency tools, skills checklists, simulation activities, and remediation plans.
• Evaluate competency outcomes and collaborate with leaders to address performance gaps.
• Participate in and lead quality improvement, patient safety, regulatory readiness, accreditation, policy compliance, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Use clinical, educational, quality, and operational data to identify trends, evaluate outcomes, measure intervention effectiveness, and monitor sustained improvement.
• Promote research utilization, evidence-based practice, and innovation; assist with literature reviews, practice change implementation, project evaluation, poster development, and dissemination of best practices.
• Build collaborative relationships with nursing leaders, physicians, advanced practice providers, educators, pharmacists, patient access teams, and interdisciplinary departments.
• Support shared governance, professional practice councils, clinical advancement programs, specialty certification, and leadership development.
• Maintain effective communication, listen to team needs, and facilitate communication to achieve organizational goals.
• Uphold institutional values and emergency preparedness responsibilities, including reporting for assigned ride-out or recovery duties during catastrophic events.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Paid employee medical benefits with zero premium starting on the first day for employees working 30 or more hours per week.
• Group dental, vision, life, AD&D, and disability coverage.
• Paid time off (PTO) and Extended Illness Bank (EIB) paid leave accruals.
• Paid institutional holidays, wellness leave, childcare leave, and other paid leave programs.
• Tuition Assistance Program after six months of service.
• Teachers Retirement System defined-benefit pension plan and two voluntary retirement plans.
• Employer-paid life and AD&D coverage and an illness-related reduced salary pay program.
• Health Savings Account and Dependent Care Reimbursement flexible spending accounts.
• Fertility benefits.
• State of Texas longevity pay.
• Wellness, recognition, fitness, employee health programs, and employee resource groups.
• Up to $10,000 in relocation assistance for clinical nurses relocating from 100 or more miles from MD Anderson.
• Educational opportunities and individual and team recognition.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed