Director of Nursing - Mental Health Facility

UHS

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Saint Simons By-the-Sea is a 101-bed psychiatric and addictive disease hospital for adults and adolescents. We strive to provide quality mental health treatment and addiction treatment services in the area. Located on Saint Simons Island, Ga., Saint Simons By-The-Sea's serene island setting ensures privacy and anonymity, enabling the patient to concentrate on recovery. Our hospital is conveniently located within driving distance of Jacksonville, FL, Savannah, GA, and other surrounding cities in the South Georgia and Northern Florida region. Visit the site virtually and much more online at: ssbythesea.com We are seeking an exceptional, battle-tested leader to serve as Director of Nursing. This executive role requires a decisive, forward-thinking leader capable of navigating complexity, driving transformation, and building high-performing teams in a fast-paced behavioral health environment. The Director of Nursing is a key member of the executive leadership team and is responsible for establishing nursing strategy, ensuring clinical excellence, and aligning operations with the mission, vision, and values of Universal Health Services (UHS). This leader will shape culture, elevate performance, and position the hospital for sustained growth and operational strength. What Makes this Role Challenging This position carries significant organizational influence and requires a leader who can balance strategic vision with operational demands. Success requires: Leading in a dynamic behavioral health setting with evolving regulatory expectations Driving transformation while maintaining workforce stability and consistent patient care outcomes Managing high-visibility initiatives that directly impact clinical quality, financial performance, and organizational culture Balancing long-term strategic initiatives with immediate operational and patient care needs Despite our large company design, each facility is run independently, so our nurse executives have the autonomy to manage their teams with clinical and educational support from Corporate. You are never alone, as you are part of a large network of peer nurse leaders that routinely exchange ideas and review current topics within the industry. We have an active Nursing Council based on shared governance and evidence-based practice, and we offer internal leadership and clinical education, including a generous annual tuition assistance and continuing education allowance designed to keep you at the top of your practice. UHS offers and supports real career advancement opportunity, including our COO-in-Training program and a variety of regional and national corporate roles designed to support the field and share advanced experience. Also, we offer a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package that reflects the work/life needs of our senior leaders.

Requirements

Current license to practice nursing in the state of Georgia
Bachelor of Science in Nursing required; Master of Science in Nursing is strongly preferred
Three or more years of progressive nursing management experience in behavioral health setting
Proven executive nursing leadership experience with responsibility for large teams or multi-unit clinical operations, including demonstrated success leading growth, turnaround, cultural transformation, or significant operational improvement initiatives.
Exceptional strategic thinking and operational rigor, with the ability to translate vision into measurable results, manage budgets and labor performance, oversee quality and patient safety metrics, and drive disciplined execution.
Executive presence with highly developed communication skills, sound judgment under pressure, and the emotional intelligence and integrity necessary to influence across all levels of the organization and lead through change in a high-stakes environment

Nice To Haves

Master of Science in Nursing is strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership – Developing and executing nursing strategies aligned with organizational priorities, quality standards, and long-term growth objectives
Clinical and Operational Oversight – Ensuring safe staffing, regulatory compliance, accreditation readiness, and adherence to evidence-based practice while maintaining day-to-day operational stability
Team Development – Recruiting, mentoring, and retaining strong nursing leaders and staff; cultivating a culture of accountability, engagement, and professional excellence
Performance & Quality Management – Establishing and monitoring key performance indicators related to patient safety, quality outcomes, employee engagement, and operational efficiency; leading performance improvement initiatives with disciplined execution
Decision-Making & Risk Management – Assessing complex clinical and operational challenges, managing risk appropriately, and making sound decisions in time-sensitive, high-impact situations