Business Support Manager

Job summary

Lead on a number of business support functions for the Directorate and be responsible for the implementation and management of relevant systems and processes. The post holder may work with colleagues who are based across the country at different sites and/or who work remotely.

Working for your organisation

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

The post holder will lead on a number of business support functions for the Directorate and be responsible for the implementation and management of relevant systems and processes. The post holder may work with colleagues who are based across the country at different sites and/or who work remotely.

Job description

Key duties:

• Identify opportunities to improve business processes within functions and across the Directorate.
• Provide secretariat and managerial support for senior management meetings and external networks.
• Deputise for colleagues during absence or holidays (where applicable).
• Support delivery of the Directorate business plan and strategic priorities.
• Provide executive assistance to Director/SLT, including oversight of diary/email management, preparing briefings and presentations, commissioning work, managing correspondence in the Director’s absence, and undertaking research or ad hoc projects.

Specific duties of the role may vary depending on the site and teams/functions.

• Operational Support
• Project Support
• Financial and Resource Management
• Leadership and Management
• Quality and Governance
• Communication and Key Working Relationships
• Personal and Professional Development

Other Responsibilities

• Adhere to all UKHSA policies and procedures.
• Contribute to corporate goals and participate in corporate service activities as required.
• Support preparedness and response to major incidents and emergencies under UKHSA’s Category 1 responder duties.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as required

Please note the above is not exhaustive

Operational Support

Provide comprehensive operational support across corporate functions such as finance, accommodation, HR, governance, business continuity, risk
management, staff engagement, and internal communications, including Executive Assistant support to a Director when required.

Project Support

Support corporate projects and service reviews, offering recommendations to improve ways of working across the Directorate.

Provide project support in the absence of a dedicated project officer, responding to information requests and meeting tight deadlines.

Work closely with project teams to provide information (including statistical data), assist with planning, and manage assigned project elements.

Maintain project plans, support management information needs, and participate in working groups when a project officer is unavailable.

Financial and Resource Management

Support effective financial management across the team and Directorate, including:

Ensuring UKHSA financial governance is followed and supporting colleagues to engage with finance processes.

Monitoring project expenditure and producing financial reports for management.

Undertaking procurement activities in line with policy.

Responding to internal and external audit requirements.

Leadership and Management

Act as a visible, positive role model and contribute to staff induction.

Take responsibility for problem-solving, decision-making, and personal accountability.

Support managers in maintaining professional standards, including coordinating training, development, recruitment, staff survey input, and appraisal compliance.

Provide effective line management (where applicable), including appraisals, objective-setting, training access, recruitment, induction, and managing performance or capability issues.

Quality and Governance

Support adherence to governance and quality standards, including:
Contributing to the Directorate business plan and delivering relevant activities.

Supporting development, testing, and exercising of the business continuity plan.

Producing written guidance and SOPs for administrative procedures.

Contributing to governance working groups.

Promoting continuous improvement.

Communication and Relationships

Develop strong working relationships and communicate regularly with a broad range of clinical, non-clinical, corporate, scientific, academic, and external stakeholders (e.g., NHS, Civil Service departments, members of the public). Communication methods include face‑to‑face, email, phone, and written correspondence.

Personal and Professional Development

Participate in ongoing professional development and the annual appraisal process to maintain skills and meet competency requirements.

Undertake all mandatory training (e.g., fire safety, information governance).

Person specification

Essential role criteria

• Educated to degree level/NVQ 6 in relevant subject or equivalent experience in a similar area of work, eg buisness administration
• Experience of undertaking secretariat functions / administering meetings, events.
• Experience of writing and preparing reports for senior colleagues and / or meetings.
• Experience or understanding of budget management, business planning and business continuity processes.
• Experienced of use of systems to order goods and services and an understanding of relevant policies and procedures.
• Ability to work without supervision working to tight and often changing timescales.
• Ability to organise one’s own work and that of the team
• Ability to work in a continuously changing environment.
• Ability to lead a team and effectively manage team dynamics to drive forward a shared goal.
• Experienced in IT skills, advanced Microsoft Office skills, including Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint
• You are detail-focussed, you ensure everything is accurate and error free.
• You take a positive approach to tackling problems and find ways to identify suitable solutions.
• Work with others to identify areas for improvement and simplify processes to use fewer resources. Use technology where possible to increase efficiency.
• Make it clear to all team members that bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable.
• Reflect on own work, continuously seek, and act on feedback to improve own and team’s performance
• Communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. Take time to consider the best communication channel to use for the audience, including making the best of digital resources and considering value for money.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

Desirable role criteria

• Experience of project management.
• Understanding of project principles, techniques, and tools.
• Ability to use digital tools e.g., Jira

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,587, UK Health Security Agency contributes £10,309 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Competency based

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and abilities outlined in the essential criteria.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Competency Based

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 17 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)

• 1000 word supporting statement.

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1000 words. We will not consider any words over 1000 words

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of

• Educated to degree level/NVQ 6 in relevant subject or equivalent experience in a similar area of work, eg buisness administration
• Ability to lead a team and effectively manage team dynamics to drive forward a shared goal.

Desirable criteria: may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

Competency Based

You will be invited to a face to face interview in either Ashford, Kent or Horsham. As face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview

Interviews dates to be confirmed.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our office in either Ashford Kent or Horsham West Sussex. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours in the office.

Kent (South East)

UKHSA
Suite 2
Kent House
81 Station Road
Ashford
Kent
TN23 1PP

Surrey and Sussex (South East)

UKHSA
County Hall North, Chart Way
Horsham
West Sussex
RH12 1XA

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any
reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability
Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs. You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a standard disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.
Successful candidates must also meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Baseline Personnel Security Standard

International Police check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud Check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub, and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for external candidates to the Civil Service.

Eligibility Criteria

External: Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil
Service (including internal applicants).

Face to Face Interviews

As face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview

Salary Information

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary.
Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

Future location

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Careers website

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Chris Williams
• Email : chris.williams2@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's
Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the UKHSA Complaints team via email at: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can
contact the Civil Service Commission. Visit the Civil Service Commission website for further information: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uK