Senior Business Manager

The postholder will provide management functions to support the Public Health Microbiology Reference Laboratories deliver key clinical and public health services and interventions.

The Senior Business Manager will provide general management functions to support the Public Health Microbiology (PHM) Reference Laboratories Division. The post holder will support PHM Reference Laboratories to ensure the effective business and financial management of PHM laboratories primarily in the Southeast but also in the Southwest and Northwest.

The post holder will work with colleagues who are based across the country at different sites and/or who work remotely and a key role for the postholder is influencing the purchasing and financial management of products and services throughout reference services to deliver a quality, value for money as well as supporting contract management.

Working for your organisation

Policy Development and Business Planning

• Contribute to UKHSA PHM policy development, implementation and review.
• Advise senior leaders on resource planning, organisational development and change management.
• Identify risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Develop business cases to support decision-making
• Maintain and review business continuity plans
• Support delivery and monitoring of business plan objectives

Operational Management and Governance

• Lead team delivery and engage with key stakeholders
• Support operational activities, business initiatives and projects
• Promote employee engagement and best practice
• Operate effectively within a politically sensitive environment
• Support value-for-money programmes through benefits tracking
• Monitor agreements with the NHS and other partners, ensuring corrective action where required
• Contribute to capital investment planning for PHM laboratories

Project Management

• Support budget setting, financial analysis and budget monitoring
• Address budget and resource issues through appropriate remedial action
• Support operational performance and service delivery
• Work with programme teams to deliver plans, manage risks, issues and dependencies
• Maintain project plans aligned to strategic objectives while minimising stakeholder disruption
• Build effective stakeholder relationships and resolve conflicts
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, to quality standards and within budget
• Maintain project documentation, monitor progress and oversee resources through regular reviews

Main Duties

• Operate effectively in a flexible and demanding environment and proactively engage with UKHSA staff, consultants and contractors working on a variety of PHM topics
• Work effectively with colleague strategic partners working on other UKHSA PHM related projects and programmes within
• Government, with Local Authorities, local partners and the NHS
• Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information, presenting information, to a wide range of stakeholders in a formal setting
• Work and engage constructively with internal and external stakeholders on a range of business sensitive issues for UKHSA PHMs
• Nurture key relationships and maintain networks internally and externally, including national networks
• Ensure close liaison with Communications and Marketing teams on public relations and marketing activities
• Link with managers and members of other functions, to address inter-dependencies and ensure alignment
• Apply a structured change management approach and methodology for the impact of any change
• Deputise for senior colleagues as required, expanding on knowledge, skills and experience within their own personal professional development

Please note this list is not exhaustive.

Essential role criteria:

• Educated to undergraduate degree level in Science, Finance, Business or equivalent level qualification
• Post-graduate diploma, Masters or PHD degree in Management Studies or Leadership, or equivalent experience i.e proven track record in service delivery and management
• Extensive knowledge of specialist areas in finance, workforce, or science acquired through post graduate diploma in management, business, leadership, or finance or equivalent experience (proven track record in service delivery and management or training) or training in management, business, leadership, or finance plus further specialist knowledge in management, business, leadership, or finance or experience to masters level equivalent in management, business, leadership or finance
• Must be able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups
• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
• Ability to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options
• Takes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action
• Strategic thinking ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise
• Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements accordingly
• Must be able to prioritise own work effectively and be able to direct activities of others. Experience of managing and motivating a team and reviewing performance of the individuals
• Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues, working to tight and often changing timescales
• Previously responsible for a budget, involved in budget setting and working knowledge of financial processes

Desirable role criteria:

• Comprehensive experience of project principles techniques and tools aligning to Prince 2 and Managing Successful Projects