Mayo Clinic Health System is seeking a Regional Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) to lead nursing operations across our community-based hospitals and clinics.
The Regional CNO is a member of senior administration reporting to the Mayo Clinic Health System Chief Nursing Officer and serves as a key member of the leadership triad, partnering closely with Physician and Administration leaders. Together, this team advances Mayo Clinic Health System’s Bold. Forward. strategy to establish a Category-of-One community health system, delivering exceptional care close to home.
As a dynamic and forward-thinking leader, the Regional CNO will advance and evolve the Department of Nursing across the state, ensuring alignment with the enterprise Department of Nursing strategy while strengthening nursing practice, quality, safety, and workforce engagement.
Scope & Impact
• Provides strategic and operational leadership for approximately 3,000 nursing professionals across Minnesota.
• Oversees nursing services across a diverse care continuum, including a large regional hub hospital, community hospitals, and rural primary care clinics.
• Leads the development, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of the regional nursing care delivery model, ensuring alignment with organizational vision, strategic priorities, and enterprise nursing strategy.
• Partners collaboratively with Physician and Administrative leaders to steward resources effectively, including budgets and human capital, while supporting workforce planning and operational sustainability.
• Drives excellence in patient outcomes through the establishment, measurement, and continuous improvement of nursing standards of clinical practice and care delivery.
• Brings a system wide perspective to daily operations while balancing regional and local needs.
• Provides leadership, mentorship, and professional development support to nurses, administrators, and emerging healthcare leaders across the region.
• Practices in accordance with nationally recognized nursing leadership standards and professional frameworks.
• Assumes additional leadership responsibilities as needed to support organizational priorities.
The Regional CNO's primary work location will be in Mankato, MN with frequent travel to other sites.
The Minnesota Regional CNO will have operational responsibility for sites in the following communities: Mankato, New Prague, Waseca, St. James, Fairmont, Austin, Albert Lea, Owatonna, Lake City, Plainview, Zumbrota, Cannon Falls, Faribault, and Red Wing with extended reach into Ellsworth, WI and Decorah, IA.
This role is eligible for TN sponsorship. Successful sponsorship will require state licensure and completion of the VisaScreen or equivalent certification.
Graduate of an accredited baccalaureate nursing program and a Master's Degree in Nursing, business, or health-related field. Minimum of five years' experience in nursing administration with line management responsibility.
• Previous experience in Nursing clinical practice role. Doctoral Degree – DNP or PhD in Nursing preferred.
• Demonstrates leadership attributes of people skills, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotional intelligence.
• Worked in more than one clinical setting. Demonstrated ability to establish a vision, set strategy, execute and deliver results.
• Demonstrated external exposure (through clinical experience, Board, professional organization).
• Demonstrated performance in complex situations with multi-dimensional factors.
• Demonstrated consistent high level of performance, including stretch roles.
• Experience in leading Nursing Department initiatives.
• Experience in a complex multi-site health system is preferred.
Current RN license or current license deemed acceptable by the applicable State Board of Nursing.
About Us
Mayo Clinic is top-ranked in more specialties than any other care provider according to U.S. News & World Report. As we work together to put the needs of the patient first, we are also dedicated to our employees, investing in competitive compensation and comprehensive benefit plans – to take care of you and your family, now and in the future. And with continuing education and advancement opportunities at every turn, you can build a long, successful career with Mayo Clinic.
- Medical: Multiple plan options.
- Dental: Delta Dental or reimbursement account for flexible coverage.
- Vision: Affordable plan with national network.
- Pre-Tax Savings: HSA and FSAs for eligible expenses.
- Retirement: Competitive retirement package to secure your future.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status or disability status. Learn more about the "EOE is the Law". Mayo Clinic participates in E-Verify and may provide the Social Security Administration and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.
Skills Required
- Graduate of an accredited baccalaureate nursing program
- Master's degree in Nursing, business, or health-related field
- Minimum of five years' experience in nursing administration with line management responsibility
- Previous experience in a nursing clinical practice role
- Experience in leading Nursing Department initiatives
- Current RN license or current license deemed acceptable by the applicable State Board of Nursing
- Demonstrated leadership attributes (people skills, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional intelligence)
- Worked in more than one clinical setting
- Demonstrated external exposure (clinical experience, board, professional organization)
- Demonstrated performance in complex situations with multi-dimensional factors
- Doctoral degree (DNP or PhD in Nursing)
- Experience in a complex multi-site health system
Mayo Clinic Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Mayo Clinic and has not been reviewed or approved by Mayo Clinic.
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Retirement Support — A no-cost pension plus an employer-matched 403(b)/401(k) is positioned as a standout differentiator, offering strong long-term financial security. Feedback suggests this retirement combination elevates overall total rewards even when base pay is moderate.
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Healthcare Strength — Expanded medical networks, enhanced fertility coverage, and employer absorption of a plan year’s premium increases point to robust healthcare offerings. Feedback suggests annual updates maintain breadth and competitiveness of coverage.
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Parental & Family Support — Adoption assistance, dependent scholarships, child and elder-care resources, and EAP services provide meaningful family-oriented support. Feedback suggests these programs add tangible value beyond salary alone.
Mayo Clinic Insights
What We Do
Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit medical group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first." More than 3,800 physicians and scientists and 50,900 allied health staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has sites in Rochester, Minn., Jacksonville, Fla., and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Mayo Clinic also serves over 70 communities through Mayo Clinic Health System with locations in MN, IA, and WI. Collectively, these locations care for more than 1 million people each year.
