Business Manager to the Chief Executive

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board; Preston; On-site; GBP 67,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board is seeking a Business Manager to the Chief Executive. The post is the senior operational lead for the Chief Executive’s Office and corporate administration, responsible for developing and implementing policies, frameworks, systems and standards.

You will deputise for the Chief Executive as required, oversee budgets, governance, performance assurance and risk management, and lead the executive office to ensure timely decisions, clear

Qualifications

• Masters level degree or equivalent senior leadership experience.
• Leadership, coaching or project management qualification.
• Extensive senior experience leading an executive office or governance function.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational management for the Chief Executive’s Office and corporate business administration function, ensuring standards and effective governance.
• Provide strategic advice and executive briefings to the Chief Executive and senior leaders.
• Manage budgets, forecasting, and financial assurance for the Chief Executive’s Office and corporate function.

Skills

Executive leadership

Governance & compliance

Education

Masters degree or equivalent

Job description

Employer NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board Employer type NHS Site County Hall Town Preston Salary £66,582 - £77,368 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 16/11/2026 23:59

Business Manager to the Chief Executive

NHS AfC: Band 8b

Job overview

The Business Manager to the Chief Executive is the senior operational lead for the Chief Executive’s Office and corporate business administration function. The postholder is responsible for ensuring the development and implementation of effective operating policies, frameworks, systems and standards governing executive business management and business administration across the ICB.

Main duties of the job

Working with the Chief Executive, Executive Directors and the Director of Corporate Governance / Company Secretary, the postholder ensures that organisational priorities, executive decisions, statutory responsibilities and system commitments are translated into coherent programmes of work supported by effective governance, performance management and assurance.

The postholder exercises a high degree of autonomy and professional judgement, leading the Chief Executive’s private office and the executive business management arrangements, determining priorities, resolving complex and sensitive matters and providing authoritative advice on the management and progression of executive business.

Working for our organisation

Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB is a complex organisation serving a

population of over 1.8 million people. Its role is to improve population

health and healthcare by planning and commissioning services, managing

budgets, and working with local providers to achieve better health

outcomes, reduce inequalities, and ensure value for money.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key responsibilities

The role will be varied and will adapt over time as the ICB develops. However, the postholder is expected to fulfil the following key functions:

• Hold strategic and operational responsibility for the Chief Executive’s private office and executive business management arrangements, the executive business management function, executive briefing and correspondence arrangements, Executive Management Team business planning and action tracking, and the associated policies, systems, workforce and budgets.
• Deputise as required, including representing the service at executive, system and governance meetings.
• Provide operational leadership for the Chief Executive’s Office and corporate business management function, establishing consistent service standards, priorities, operating arrangements and performance expectations.
• Lead complex improvement, redesign and change initiatives across the portfolio.
• Oversee performance management, reporting and assurance activities.
• Hold and manage the delegated budgets for the Chief Executive’s Office and corporate business administration function, including responsibility for annual budget setting, forecasting, expenditure control and management of variances.
• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements, governance frameworks and national policy.
• Build strong partnerships across health, care and system organisations.
• Provide strategic and operational support to the Chief Executive and Executive Management Team, ensuring effective and efficient discharge of statutory and organisational responsibilities.
• Act as a strategic partner and key interface with Executive Directors, senior leaders and system partners, building trusted and effective relationships across the organisation and the wider Integrated Care System.
• Lead the delivery of business management, executive administration and governance support to the Chief Executive, ensuring key meetings, priorities and decisions are effectively planned, recorded and progressed.
• Ensure effective agenda management, horizon scanning and briefing for Executive Committee and other key forums, ensuring outcomes and actions are clear, communicated and tracked.
• Manage the Chief Executive’s private office function, including shared responsibility for the associated budget, maintaining high standards of professionalism, confidentiality and customer service.

Key working relationships

The post holder may have regular contact with a wide range of staff at all levels within the ICB, with senior and other representatives of local stakeholders, as well as with patients and their representatives. Some of the key direct relationships include:

• Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB Board and Non‑Executive Members
• Chief Executive and Executive Management Team
• Senior leaders across Lancashire and South Cumbria, including NHS organisations, Local Authorities and third‑sector partners
• NHS England and other national bodies
• Directors of Communications, Corporate Services and Governance
• Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive and wider business administration function

Main duties and responsibilities

Operational & Strategic Leadership

• Lead the operational management of a senior leadership team, ensuring delivery of outcomes, targets and standards.
• Support the development and implementation of long-term strategic service plans aligned to organisational goals.
• Develop and maintain the medium- and long-term business plan for the Chief Executive’s Office and executive business management function, aligning resources, workforce, service standards and improvement priorities with the ICB’s strategic objectives and operating model.
• Lead the integrated planning and coordination of the Chief Executive’s organisational and system-wide priorities, managing complex interdependencies, uncertainty and changing national requirements and adjusting plans where organisational priorities or external circumstances change.
• Establish an annual forward programme for executive business, ensuring statutory obligations, strategic decisions, system commitments, regulatory requirements and corporate milestones are identified, sequenced and delivered.
• Lead key meetings, working groups and committees as required.
• Communicate highly complex and sensitive information to staff and senior stakeholders.
• Communicate highly complex, sensitive and contentious information to the Chief Executive, Board members, Executive Directors, senior system leaders, national bodies and other stakeholders where there may be conflicting priorities, resistance to the proposed course of action or significant reputational and organisational sensitivity.
• Negotiate agreement between executive portfolios and partner organisations on the prioritisation, ownership and delivery of actions where accountability is disputed, capacity is constrained or senior stakeholders hold competing positions.
• Prepare and present complex briefings and recommendations to executive and system forums, adapting content and approach to overcome barriers to understanding and secure agreement or action.
• Provide day to day strategic support to the Chief Executive, including complex briefings, advice papers, presentations and research.
• Maintain an in-depth and current understanding of the statutory, regulatory and policy environment affecting the ICB and wider NHS, including national, regional and local developments.
• Ensure the Chief Executive is fully and appropriately briefed for all meetings, decisions and external engagements.
• Exercise judgement, initiative and autonomy in prioritising issues, escalating risks and resolving problems independently where appropriate.
• Operate autonomously within broad organisational and national policy parameters, determining priorities and the appropriate route for progressing executive business without routine supervision. Interpret national requirements, establishing operating standards and resolving matters independently within delegated authority. Escalate only matters that exceed delegated authority, present significant corporate or reputational risk, or require a formal decision by the Chief Executive, Executive Management Team or Board.
• Analyse and interpret highly complex, sensitive and sometimes conflicting information drawn from national policy, regulatory requirements, executive portfolios, organisational performance, risk and system partners. Assess the implications for the Chief Executive and the ICB, identify a range of possible responses and recommend an appropriate course of action where evidence is incomplete, priorities conflict or expert views differ.
• Determine which matters require immediate Chief Executive attention, which may be resolved through delegated executive or corporate routes, and which require escalation through formal governance arrangements.

Performance, Governance & Assurance

• Monitor service performance and provide robust assurance to senior leaders.
• Identify risks, underperformance or gaps in delivery; develop and implement recovery plans.
• Ensure accurate reporting, data quality and timely submission of performance information.
• Ensure the development and effective operation of executive business management information systems, including systems for correspondence, briefings, decisions, commitments, actions, risks and escalation.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of executive management information, and develop reports that enable the Chief Executive and Executive Management Team to monitor delivery and intervene where necessary.
• Lead policy and service development for the Chief Executive’s Office and corporate business administration function, ensuring that approved policies, procedures and operating standards are implemented, monitored, evaluated and improved.
• Oversee the effective handling of correspondence, enquiries and complaints directed to the Chief Executive, ensuring timely, high-quality responses and appropriate follow-up.
• Act as a key link between the Chief Executive, Executive Directors and Company Secretary on governance, risk and decision-making matters.
• Hold responsibility for the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies, operating frameworks and service standards for the Chief Executive’s Office and corporate business administration function.
• Ensure the development and implementation of the ICB-wide executive business management framework, setting standards for the preparation, coordination, quality assurance, progression and tracking of business requiring Chief Executive or Executive Management Team consideration.
• Ensure consistent implementation of these policies and standards across the relevant functions, monitoring compliance, evaluating effectiveness and determining corrective or improvement action where standards are not met.
• Evaluate the organisational impact of proposed policy and service changes, consulting affected teams and stakeholders and ensuring implementation plans address governance, workforce, financial, equality and operational implications.
• Hold accountability for the delegated budgets for the Chief Executive’s Office and corporate business administration function, ensuring value for money, effective forecasting, monitoring and financial assurance.
• Exercise delegated financial authority and approve expenditure in accordance with the Operational Scheme of, and take corrective action to ensure delivery within the approved financial envelope.
• Develop and deliver agreed productivity, efficiency or cost-improvement requirements for the portfolio while maintaining appropriate service quality and executive support.
• Manage competing priorities, workloads and resources within a fast-paced, highly visible executive environment.
• Lead highly complex change and improvement programmes across several teams or service areas.
• Use data, evidence and engagement to shape service redesign and transformation.
• Evaluate impact and sustainability of improvement initiatives.
• Undertake regular research, benchmarking and evaluation to identify good practice in executive office and corporate business administration arrangements.
• Lead periodic effectiveness reviews, service evaluations, audits and stakeholder surveys relating to the Chief Executive’s Office and business administration function.
• Analyse findings, evaluate the effect of service or policy changes and use the evidence to recommend and implement improvements.
• Maintain effective governance mechanisms for the Chief Executive’s Office and corporate business administration function and advise on changes required to strengthen accountability, assurance and executive decision-making.
• Lead risk assessments, audit actions and compliance with regulatory standards.
• Ensure adherence to data protection, information governance and statutory obligations.
• Lead annual financial, workforce and non-pay planning for the portfolio and manage expenditure, forecasts, financial risks and variances across the relevant services.
• Identify and oversee cost-improvement, workforce optimisation and productivity opportunities.
• Ensure effective use of staffing, technology and other resources.

People Leadership

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Chief Executive’s Office and the executive business management function, s
• Support workforce planning, staff development, supervision and wellbeing.
• Promote a culture of engagement, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Lead and develop the business administration function, promoting a positive organisational culture aligned to ICB values.
• Provide direction, support and development to staff through effective leadership, appraisal, objective setting and performance management.
• Directly line manage the Administration / Senior Professional Lead and the Corporate Business Managers, with accountability for workforce planning, recruitment, appraisal, objective setting, performance management, attendance, development and succession planning across the function.
• Set service standards and professional expectations for the wider business administration workforce and ensure staff capability and capacity remain aligned with organisational requirements.
• Ensure all management processes comply with organisational policies including Health & Safety, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and financial regulations.

The main duties and responsibilities described above are not exhaustive and the post holder expected to take on other responsibilities or specific tasks as required as requested.

Further, over time it is likely the remit and requirements of the role will evolve, and the post holder will be required to adjust their working approach and style to accommodate this with the full support of line managers.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Educated to masters level or equivalent level of experience of working at a senior level.
• Leadership, coaching or project management qualification.

Experience

• Extensive senior experience leading an executive office, corporate business management, governance, administration, performance or comparable organisation-wide function.
• Experience working at system level (ICS/ICB/ICP).

Knowledge and skills

• Highly developed specialist knowledge of executive business management. Ability to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate policies and service standards across a major organisational function.
• Knowledge of national policy drivers relevant to the service.

As we do not hold a Home office sponsorship license for visas, we are unable to process applications that would require a visa to work in the UK.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Name Debra Atkinson Job title Director of Corporate Governance/Company Secretary Email address [e-mail]