Senior Business Operations Manager

Job summary

This role is a senior role within the structure and is responsible for managing the delivery of a full range of business operation services to support the effective working of all staff in the Directorate. He/she will lead a business support team across the Division to ensure it is able to operate efficiently and effectively working within Civil Service and UKHSA corporate guidelines and governance processes.

As delegated by the Director, he/she will lead identified workstreams that may include finance, business planning, risk management, corporate governance, workforce, learning and development, health and safety,accommodation, business continuity and other appropriate areas to ensure that the resources across the Directorate are used effectively. 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.

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

Job description

• Lead the day-to-day operational delivery of the Directorate business support function, responsibilities and resources, planning and managing the physical resources that ensure the business support function is fully equipped and fit for purpose
• Oversee the monitoring process of business plans to ensure delivery against the plan, highlighting any risks to delivery and feeding into the regional ornational relevant assurance processes where appropriate;
• Financial and resource management
• Deliver the directorate budgeting, resourcing, planning and business management,
• Work with the local Finance Business Partner to monitor all expenditure and income against the budget, highlighting any potential under or overspends
• Oversee the risk management process for the Directorate, ensuring that an up to date risk register is in place
• Ensure that robust business continuity plans are in place across the Directorate and that appropriate testing exercises take place.
• Manage the delivery and implementation of estates, IT and facilities projects across the geographical area covered by the Directorate in liaison withEstates, Facilities and ICT colleagues.
• Manage Health and Safety requirements for the Directorate in liaison with Estates and Facilities colleagues, ensuring implementation of legislation and UKHSA’s Health and Safety policies and that managers are aware of their statutory responsibilities in this area.
• Ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of a comprehensive, cross-site and cross-functional business management service, to meet the needs of the Directorate;
• To be a visible, positive and competent leader and role model ensuring high professional standards and behaviours across the business support team;
• Lead the day-to-day operational delivery of the Directorate business support function, responsibilities and resources, planning and managing the physical resources that ensure the business support function is fully equipped and fit for purpose
• Effective line management of administrative and business management staff (if applicable) and management of administrative functions to ensure flexibility and capacity to meet the needs of the Directorate.
• Routinely monitor and report to the Senior Team on staffing levels against the budgeted establishment and provide practical advice and support to managers on resourcing options, liaising with Finance and HR business partners as appropriate;
• Ensure the Directorate establishment requests (ECFs, RRFs, SAFs) are processed in line with strategic direction, national guidance, the Directorate or budget and appropriate recruitment and HR processes. Working with HR and Finance business partners where appropriate.
• Work closely with professional HR colleagues in the delivery and implementation of workforce matters e.g. training, policy briefings, change programmes etc.
• Where appropriate, provide advice and support to managers within the Directorate on related workforce matters, through effective liaison with national experts e.g. HR, recruitment, learning and development etc.
• Manage end to end business support and administrative processes to ensure adherence to governance requirements and flexibility and capacity to meet the needs of the Directorate;
• Lead the Integrated Business Planning process and production of business plans for the Director in conjunction with the Senior Management Team;
• Oversee the monitoring process of the Directorate business plans to ensure delivery against the plan, highlighting any risks to delivery and feeding into the regional or national relevant assurance processes where appropriate;
• Produce robust business cases and option appraisals to support decision making, incorporating appropriate information, costings, analysis and risks.
• Deliver the directorate budgeting, resourcing, planning and business management, working with other directorates and corporate leads in UKHSA to ensure the directorate meets its corporate requirements and liaises effectively with other directorates.

This is not an exhaustive list.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• Postgraduate level of education e.g. NVQ7, MBA with management experience, or equivalent level of experience which includes management experience
• Significant experience of working in a business management role
• Proven experience of managing others in a managerial or supervisory role including performance management, carrying out appraisals and development
• Experience setting, monitoring, and managing budgets
• Experience of working in the public sector in a similar role
• Understanding of procurement and/or business development
• Understanding of H&S Policy and procedures
• Understanding of digital tools and how to apply them to maximise efficiency
• Ability to confidently engage with and participate in a range of forums and networks (internal and external) sharing best practice and knowledge in collaborative way
• Highly effective delegation and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage competing demands (self and others).
• Positive and inspirational in leading and supporting others through change
• Proactively create and maintain positive, professional, and trusting working relationships with a wide range of people

Desirable criteria:

• Experience of working in the public sector or a similar large organisation in a similar role
• Experience of planning and delivering projects or organisational change

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,185, UK Health Security Agency contributes £16,276 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

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

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

• an application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• a 1500 word supporting statement

This should outline how 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.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

Only those meeting all essential criteria will be taken through to shortlisting.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

• Significant experience of working in a business management role
• Proven experience of managing others in a managerial or supervisory role including performance management, carrying out appraisals and development
• Experience setting, monitoring, and managing budgets.

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 and assessment.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a remote interview.

Knowledge, experience, skills and abilities will be tested at interview.

You will be required to prepare a 15 minute presentation as part of the interview. The details of this will be: You are joining as Senior Business Operations Manager during an organisational change process to merge two regional teams. Your role spans leadership, financial management, risk management and business planning. What would be your approach during the first 6 months to establishing an effective, integrated operational function across the new region while maintaining service delivery and managing risk effectively?

Interviews will be held week commencing 13th April 2026. Please note, these dates are subject to change.

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 Core HQ in Leeds.

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 (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, averaged over a month) on site.

Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Eligibility Criteria

This vacancy is open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules. Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard clearance.

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/

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.

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.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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

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 : Jon Payne
• Email : jonathan.payne@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 UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: 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: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk