Business Support Manager

Core HQs - London, Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool or Scientific Campuses- Colindale or Porton.

Job Summary This post is under the line management of the Public Health Microbiology (PHM) Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response Delivery Lead, providing support to business operations working across UKHSA PHM laboratories. The Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response team is responsible for strategic coordination of pandemic preparedness activities and leading the Directorate’s response to public health incidents and outbreaks. UKHSA Public Health Laboratories deliver end to end microbiology diagnostic services with specialist clinical advice. This network provides the national surveillance information and evidence for controlling outbreaks, effective public health interventions and for the prevention of a wide range of infectious disease affecting the population.

Public Health Microbiology (PHM) plays a key role in delivering elements of the UK’s national pandemic preparedness strategy, strengthening the country’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to emerging health threats. This post will support the delivery of PHM’s commitments across a diverse portfolio of pandemic preparedness and incident response workstreams, contributing to effective coordination, governance and operational readiness across the Directorate

Job Description

• The primary responsibility of the post holder will be to support the Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response Delivery Lead, by providing administrative and business support across a broad portfolio of pandemic preparedness and incident response strategic workstreams.
• Support the team with preparation of reports and presentations for UKHSA and cross-government governance boards.
• Provide diary support to the Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response team and organise meetings.
• Actively seek to identify, recommend and implement improvements.
• Assist in the co-ordination and completion of various submissions for monthly and quarterly business returns and internal audits.
• Assist in the co-ordination and maintaining of up-to-date tactical team risk registers for PHM Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response functions.
• Support for response to internal and external stakeholder inquiries regarding PHM Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response function.
• Support the establishment and operation of incident response cells in the event of future outbreaks, incidents or exercises, and contribute to a programme of continuous improvement for the Directorate’s EPRR functions.

Financial and Resource Management

• Support with the budget setting and spending review activities.
• Support regular budget monitoring, capital expenditure applications, business cases and undertaking any necessary analysis of financial and management information in accordance with corporate policies and procedures.
• Assist with relevant procurement activity for PHM Pandemic Preparedness workstreams in liaison with Procurement Professionals and subject matter experts.

Human Resources Management

• Support the PHM Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response Team to plan, implement and coordinate delivery of effective training and development programmes working in liaison with L&​D, Workforce colleagues and Emergency Preparedness teams where appropriate.
• Support the PHM Pandemic Preparedness workstreams with the process of recruitment across all workstreams working with recruitment, HR and Finance teams where appropriate.

Planning and Organisation

• Contribute to the planning and provide administrative support for Boards and Committees for PHM Pandemic Preparedness workstreams.
• Contribute administrative support for monitoring quality outcomes for short, medium and long-term business plans.
• Work with and support the team to ensure adequate planning for key cross-Directorate meetings, to include preparing schedules for agendas, to reflect business and programmatic priorities.
• Providing administrative support and working with project and programme professionals to create and maintain effective project management plans and processes.
• Contribute to maintenance of effective records management processes relevant to business needs.
• Maintain office and operational systems for effective working
• Contribute to the monitoring of key performance indicators for the successful assessment of individual and work area’s success

Leadership and Management

• To work under the line management of the PHM Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Management Lead and with other administrative staff (if applicable) to manage administrative functions to ensure flexibility and capacity to meet the needs of the function.
• To support the team in the coordination of training, development and resourcing activity across the PHM Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response workstreams.

This list is not exhaustive.

• The primary responsibility of the post holder will be to support the Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response Delivery Lead, by providing administrative and business support across a broad portfolio of pandemic preparedness and incident response strategic workstreams.
• Support the team with preparation of reports and presentations for UKHSA and cross-government governance boards.
• Provide diary support to the Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response team and organise meetings.
• Actively seek to identify, recommend and implement improvements.
• Assist in the co-ordination and completion of various submissions for monthly and quarterly business returns and internal audits.
• Assist in the co-ordination and maintaining of up-to-date tactical team risk registers for PHM Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response functions.
• Support for response to internal and external stakeholder inquiries regarding PHM Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response function.
• Support the establishment and operation of incident response cells in the event of future outbreaks, incidents or exercises, and contribute to a programme of continuous improvement for the Directorate’s EPRR functions.

Financial and Resource Management

• Support with the budget setting and spending review activities.
• Support regular budget monitoring, capital expenditure applications, business cases and undertaking any necessary analysis of financial and management information in accordance with corporate policies and procedures.
• Assist with relevant procurement activity for PHM Pandemic Preparedness workstreams in liaison with Procurement Professionals and subject matter experts.

Human Resources Management

• Support the PHM Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response Team to plan, implement and coordinate delivery of effective training and development programmes working in liaison with L&​D, Workforce colleagues and Emergency Preparedness teams where appropriate.
• Support the PHM Pandemic Preparedness workstreams with the process of recruitment across all workstreams working with recruitment, HR and Finance teams where appropriate.

Planning and Organisation

• Contribute to the planning and provide administrative support for Boards and Committees for PHM Pandemic Preparedness workstreams.
• Contribute administrative support for monitoring quality outcomes for short, medium and long-term business plans.
• Work with and support the team to ensure adequate planning for key cross-Directorate meetings, to include preparing schedules for agendas, to reflect business and programmatic priorities.
• Providing administrative support and working with project and programme professionals to create and maintain effective project management plans and processes.
• Contribute to maintenance of effective records management processes relevant to business needs.
• Maintain office and operational systems for effective working
• Contribute to the monitoring of key performance indicators for the successful assessment of individual and work area’s success

Leadership and Management

• To work under the line management of the PHM Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Management Lead and with other administrative staff (if applicable) to manage administrative functions to ensure flexibility and capacity to meet the needs of the function.
• To support the team in the coordination of training, development and resourcing activity across the PHM Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Response workstreams.

This list is not exhaustive.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject (e.g. Business, Finance, Economics, HR, Marketing) or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working in a business support role
• Experience of working in a team and positively contributing to a team
• Strong computer literacy including the development and use of power-point, spreadsheet applications, databases and word-processing
• Good written communication skills e.g. ability to draft policy/procedure documents, write reports/presentations and business cases
• Good communication skills to people at all levels either on a one-to-one basis or to groups
• Sound analytical skills and good judgment when providing opinion or advice to others.
• Good organisational skills and systematic approach to working
• Strategic thinking – ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise
• Ability to work flexibly to support multiple workstreams and contribute to emergency response functions when required.

Desirable criteria

• Experience in the public sector or a similar large organisation
• Project management/support experience
• Experience in emergency preparedness and incident response
• Experience supporting governance and secretariat functions

Alongside your salary of £33,422, UK Health Security Agency contributes £9,682 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.