Salary: $159,036.80 - $193,273.60 Annually
Location : County of San Diego, CA
Job Type: Regular - Full time
Job Number:
Department: Behavioral Health Services
Division: Inpatient Health Services
Opening Date: 08/28/2026
Closing Date: 9/7/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Job Summary
The County of San Diego is currently accepting applications for:

Director of Nursing

San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital
Interviews will take place week of September 28, 2026.

Job offers for selected candidates will be made week of October 5, 2026.

The starting salary for this position will be based on the candidates qualifications at time of appointment.

Future Salary Increases

** July 2027 - 4.49% increase to base pay (3.0% Across-the-Board + 1.49% Market Increase)

In addition to base salary, candidates may be compensated at an additional 5% at the San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital as a Work Location Premium.

The Director of Nursing will lead the nursing administration and management at the San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital.
The Director of Nursing in Behavioral Health Services will oversee clinical nurse management and daily nursing operations of the San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital. As a leader of clinical nursing within the enterprise, the Director of Nursing serves as a member of the Office of Nursing Excellence Executive Team and will work with nurse leaders in other Behavioral Health Services (BHS) and the Public Health Services (PHS) departments.
Read a complete job description of Director of Nursing with job duties and responsibilities, including working conditions.

San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital

The San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital (SDCPH) is a publicly funded, free-standing psychiatric hospital. It is a locked facility and a component of the San Diego County Behavioral Health Services' continuum of care. The mission of the Hospital is to provide psychiatric evaluation and crisis intervention-oriented acute treatment for adult residents of San Diego County. The goal of the Hospital is to help stabilize patients' behavioral health crisis, and move ahead to a less restrictive level of care.

Read more about the
Current vacancies are at the San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital, 3853 Rosecrans Street, San Diego, CA 92110, however the eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies in other locations.
Ideal Candidate

A strong candidate would bring proven nursing leadership experience in an acute psychiatric or behavioral health hospital setting, with the ability to oversee clinical operations for a 100+ bed facility. They should demonstrate strategic management skills, including guiding and developing two Assistant Directors of Nursing, ensuring regulatory compliance, maintaining high standards of patient care, and contributing effectively as part of the hospital's executive leadership team. Strong communication, decision-making, and collaboration abilities are essential for leading nursing services and aligning clinical priorities with organizational goals.
Hiring Process and Timeline

The timeline for this recruitment is outlined below.

• Job Offer and Background Process: After interviews week of October 5, 2026. Note: Current County employees may be excluded from additional background screening.
• Pre-employment Medical Screening: Approximately 3 days following successful background investigation results.
• Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon date.

If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.
Minimum Qualifications

1. A valid California Registered Nurse license is required at the time of application and must be maintained throughout employment in this position; AND,
2. Hospitals Option: Five (5) years of recent registered nursing experience which includes at least two (2) years of experience providing direct nursing care to psychiatric or long term care patients, and two (2) years of experience in an administrative or full supervisory position in a healthcare facility.

Notes: A master's or bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university, or a certified foreign studies equivalency in nursing is highly desirable.
A valid CPR card and National Provider Identification Number (NPI) is required at time of appointment.

Blind Applicant Screening

The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, hides a candidate's personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process helps contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application Work History and/or supplemental questionnaire.
Condition of Employment
As part of the County of San Diego's pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.
Evaluation

The names of qualified applicants will be placed on asix (6) month employment list based upon scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment application and supplemental application questionnaire. Please ensure all information is complete and accurate, as the responses you provide on the supplemental application questionnaire will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in the initial screening process, your application will be reviewed individually to confirm that the information you provided is accurate and qualifying.

Accommodation

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case-by-case basis.

Click here to see the Management Benefits Summary (MGT)
01

With regard to the questions below, please include details regarding your duties and your assigned roles in the work history section of the application. Note: that if you are invited to a selection interview by a department, your responses to the following questions will be subject to verification.

Do you understand this information?

• Yes
• No

02

Do you possess a current and valid Registered Nurse (RN) license issued by the State of California?

• Yes
• No

03

Please indicate how many years of recent, increasingly responsible experience you have in the nursing field? Note: Please ensure that you have included a description of your duties in the work history section of your application.

• Less than 2 years of recent experience
• 2 years to less than 5 years of recent experience
• 5 or more years of recent experience
• I do not have this experience

04

If you indicated that you have experience in the previous question, did this include at least two (2) years of experience providing direct nursing care to psychiatric or long term care patients, and two (2) years of experience in an administrative or full supervisory position in a healthcare facility.

• Yes
• No

05

Where did you first hear about this job opportunity?

• San Diego County website
• Governmentjobs.com
• Veteran Outreach / FFSC
• Job Fair/Career Event
• Community Organization/Associations
• Family, Neighbors, Friends
• County Employee Resources Group
• College/University Career Site
• County Social Media
• Voice and Viewpoint
• LinkedIn
• Professional Nursing Association
• Other

06

If you selected "Job Fair/Career Event" or "Other" in the question above, please tell us how you first heard about this job opportunity. Please indicate "N/A" if not applicable.
Required Question