Business Manager

Necsu; North East; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Generous holidays

NHS pension scheme

Job summary

NHS North Of England Commissioning Support Unit is seeking a proactive Business Manager to support Clinical Services and Operations. You will drive performance, lead projects, and coordinate workforce planning while delivering high-quality service and customer experience.

The role requires strong analytical skills, stakeholder engagement and the ability to lead improvements within a hybrid work environment across home and office locations.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership and people management experience.
• Experience delivering service improvement projects and benefits realisation.
• Strong data literacy with ability to interpret MI and produce reports.

Responsibilities

• Manage performance targets and KPI delivery across the service.
• Lead operational projects and drive continuous improvement in quality and efficiency.
• Coordinate resources and workforce planning across teams; support management information reporting.

Skills

Leadership

Performance management

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Data reporting

Education

Master's degree

Relevant professional registration

Tools

Microsoft Office

Data analysis

IT systems knowledge

Job description

Go back NHS North Of England Commissioning Support Unit

Business Manager

The closing date is 18 November 2026

Are you an organised, proactive and customer-focused Business Manager looking for an opportunity to work in a varied and influential role?

We are looking for a Business Manager to support the BSA function. The Business Manager is a key role supporting the effective operational management and delivery of services. Working collaboratively with teams across the service, the postholder will support performance management, service and operational planning, project delivery, management information and resource coordination, while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, quality and customer experience.

This is a hybrid working role, with the successful candidate working across a mixture of home and office locations.

This vacancy is restricted to employees currently working within a Commissioning Support Unit (CSU). The role is being recruited to support services moving to NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). The successful applicant may therefore potentially transfer to NHSBSA as part of the relevant service transfer arrangements. Further information will be provided as part of the recruitment and transfer process.

This role will close Wednesday 18th November and interviews/selection are expected to take place during the week commencing 23rd November.

Main duties of the job

This role will be responsible for:

• Manage and monitor service performance against agreed KPIs and quality standards.
• Lead and support operational projects and improvement activity.
• Support service and operational planning, including management information and reporting.
• Coordinate service resources and support effective workforce planning.
• Analyse qualitative and quantitative information and make recommendations for improvement.
• Support senior managers with complex operational issues, stakeholder engagement and decision-making.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, training and workforce development activity.
• Drive continuous improvement in quality, efficiency and customer experience.

About us

At NECS we are very proud to be part of the NHS England family. We are one of the very few truly customer-owned entities within the NHS. We have grown from our roots in the North East to be an NHS business with customers the length and breadth of the UK and further abroad. Our customer base has diversified significantly over this period, and we are now very pleased to be serving NHS providers as well as commissioners, NHSE regions, Local Authorities, General Practices and national NHSE Directorates.

NECS combines specialist skills and expertise with scale and resilience to achieve required results. We combine core NHS values with a sharp focus on customer care and a relentless pursuit of continuous improvement. We very much see ourselves as a key partner in the future success of the healthcare system and we take our share of the responsibility for shaping effective delivery.

Our people are the heart of our organisation. We strive to ensure they feel trusted, valued and empowered. Were passionate about nurturing and developing people. When you join us, we want you to grow, and we offer many opportunities for you to do that as well as an excellent benefits package including generous holidays and pension plus free car parking and access to NHS discounts.

Job responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE

• As a Business Manager within our Clinical Services and Operations, you will play a pivotal role in collaborating with various teams within the Directorate. Your responsibilities will include managing performance targets, providing highly specialist advice and valuable support for project delivery, and working alongside teams to identify and solve complex problems.
• Responsibilities will include managing operational and clinical projects, supporting service and operational planning including monthly MI reporting, coordinating service resources including people, maximising efficiency in processes and deputising for senior management as required.
• This is a key role ensuring the Clinical and Operational services deliver to the high standards set internally and within customer SLAs. Duties will vary day by day as required in a proactive and reactive manner.

Operational

• Performance manage the service, ensuring internal KPIs are consistently met or exceeded whilst attaining high levels of quality and accuracy.
• Provide highly specialist advice and guidance to the organisation on data, digital and technology matters.
• Foster a culture of high standards within the team, ensuring excellent customer service.
• Lead on specific projects, ensuring relevant projects plans are in place, and appropriately project managing to achieve deadlines.
• Maintain a focus on continuous improvement; always working to achieve a better customer experience, improved efficiency, and better quality.
• Support in the development of bids and service specifications for new business opportunities.
• Oversee the recruitment, selection and onboarding process so that it is consistent across the teams, working with internal NECS teams including HR/OD as well as line managers.
• Support the Head of Service to understand the training needs and requirements across the service, managing the implementation of training plans using project management techniques.
• Working with operational managers, identify and recommend areas of improvement to support with team morale including the generation of new ideas for example in relation to health and wellbeing initiatives.
• Contribute to the development, enhancement and guidance for processes.

Communications

• Lead internal and external service communications on behalf of the entire service.
• Utilise excellent communication skills, to provide highly complex, sensitive and / or contentious information successfully, supporting the recipient in understanding the issues and next steps required.
• Influence managers and stakeholders to an appropriate course of action considering alternate options that may not be an obvious choice.
• Write and deliver presentations and training to large groups of staff, customers and stakeholders.

Analytical

• Using strong analytical skills, review a range of qualitative and quantitative data from different sources, some of which may be conflicting, drawing conclusions and offering recommendations.
• Able to make sound and well-reasoned decisions, sometimes in time sensitive and pressured environments.

Planning

• Plan the practical implementation of the service strategies supporting Heads of Service and operational leads and managers.
• Use a combination of form project and agile methodologies, stakeholder mapping and engagement activities to ensure services remain current and meet client requirements.
• Review the resource allocation within the team, and adjusting focus as necessary to achieve KPIs, improve quality or address risk.
• Plan specific elements of significant organisational change, ensuring key deadlines are met.
• Track third party contracts and suppliers to ensure sub-contracted services align with the service strategy.

Information Technology, Systems and Resources

• Efficiently operate Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, to support the production of plans and reports containing statistical information.
• Maintain accurate service management data, and ensure processes are place to monitor this and assure its accuracy.

Policy and Service Development

• Propose amendments to policies and processes which will impact across NECS or customer organisations, and may be required to draft new policies and procedures

Financial and Physical Resources

• As a line manager the post holder will be responsible for authorising expenses, likely to be under £500 per month in total.
• Management of supplier contracts, escalating system / service issues to them, and ensuring the contract manager is kept appraised.
• Track and manage NECS and customer capital spend updating finance colleagues and the NECS executive of progress.
• Validate and approve timesheets for off payroll workers.

Staff Management

• Undertake all line management duties in respect of their direct reports, including recruitment, appraisal and performance management.
• Act as a role model within the team.
• Support colleagues in their development and career ambitions.
• Work with multi-disciplinary teams and managers providing advice, guidance and mentoring of individuals across the services.
• May also be required to matrix manage other team members in relation to specific projects.

Person Specification

Knowledge & Experience

• Experience of providing effective specialist advice and support to managers
• Experience of managing a team, including supporting the team to develop and improve, adjusting working methods to reflect changing demands and fostering a high performance culture
• Demonstratable experience in service planning in an IT/digital discipline
• Strong understanding of IT/digital/dataservice delivery and technology and how that underpins wider NECS delivery
• Experience of managing projects, and knowledge of project management methodology.
• Experience of writing reports including both quantitative and qualitative data.
• Experience of operating specialist systems as a system administrator.
• Demonstrated capability to act upon incomplete information, using experience to make inferences and support effective decision making.
• Recent experience of working within the NHS.
• An understanding of the NHS or public sector.

Qualifications

• Highly developed relevant specialist knowledge at both a theoretical and practical level, to a Master degree level.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Relevant professional registration.

Skills & Abilities

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written; able to translate highly complex issues into easy to understand information for staff, managers and customers.
• Strong negotiating and influencing skills.
• Able to build excellent relationships with a wide range of customers and stakeholders.
• Excellent IT skills, with experience of using the full range of Microsoft Office.
• Comfortable working with a range of specialist IT systems and software used to support team processes.
• Able to maintain focus in a pressured environment, with constantly changing and competing demands.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and trust.

Other

• Able to travel to NECS and customer sites around the country.

Employer name

NHS North Of England Commissioning Support Unit