Business Support Officer

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Radlett; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Radlett is looking for a Business Support Officer to provide comprehensive administrative and project management support. Responsibilities include managing governance meetings, coordinating projects, and assisting with procurement processes. Ideal candidates will have strong administrative skills, experience in governance, and the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders. This role offers a competitive salary and opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

Opportunities for professional development

Qualifications

• Experience in business administration and governance support.
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information.
• Proven ability to build effective working relationships.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive business, governance, and project support.
• Administer governance and project-related meetings.
• Coordinate project plans and track progress.

Skills

Administrative knowledge

Organisational skills

Communication

Financial tracking

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Degree level or equivalent

Vocational Level 3 in secretarial procedures

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

Job description

The Business Support Officer delivers professional, efficient and comprehensive business, governance and project support to the Estates & Facilities Directorate across Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) and Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust (HCT).

Responsibilities

• Provide high‑level administrative, governance and operational support across Estates & Facilities.
• Support delivery of projects and programmes in Capital Works, Hard & Soft FM, Compliance, Property, Sustainability and Transformation.
• Act as a key link between project leads, operational teams and senior leadership, ensuring accurate reporting, action tracking and risk management.
• Support procurement, financial tracking, Freedom of Information requests and departmental HR administration.
• Act as first point of contact for Estates, ensuring effective communication with internal teams, contractors and external stakeholders.

Governance & Meetings

• Full administration of governance and project‑related meetings including HPFT Estates Steering Group, Sustainability Steering Group, Capital Works & Operations, EMED Contract Review, Soft FM Tender, Green Travel Plan and Eastern Hub.
• Prepare agendas, briefing packs, reports and accurate minutes; maintain action trackers to monitor delivery of project and operational objectives.
• Provide executive‑level reporting for the Associate Director, Head of Operations and Project Leads.

Project Management Support

• Coordinating project plans, timelines and milestones.
• Tracking risks, issues, actions and dependencies, escalating where required.
• Preparing progress reports, dashboards and exception reports for senior management and committees.
• Supporting stakeholder engagement, consultations and workshops.
• Providing secretariat and documentation support for project boards and working groups.
• Monitoring project deliverables, ensuring alignment with Trust objectives and reporting frameworks.
• Supporting post‑project evaluation, lessons learned and continuous improvement activities.

Business Administration & Executive Support

• Provide proactive diary and inbox management for the Associate Director and Head of Operations.
• Prepare and coordinate high‑quality executive reports, business cases and presentations for Trust Boards and Committees.
• Coordinate departmental team meetings and induction of new staff.
• Maintain up‑to‑date directories, site lists, organograms and intranet content.

Operational & People Administration

• Manage records of annual leave, sickness, mandatory training and appraisals, ensuring compliance with Trust policies.
• Support recruitment processes including vacancy submissions, adverts and interview coordination.
• Maintain personnel records and support HR/Payroll compliance.

Procurement & Financial Administration

• Raise and track purchase requisitions (PRs), purchase orders (POs) and invoices, maintaining a PO register via SharePoint.
• Support project budget monitoring, expenditure reporting and forecasting.
• Liaise with Finance and suppliers to ensure accurate financial administration.

Freedom of Information (FOI)

• Act as lead contact for Estates FOI requests across HPFT & HCT.
• Log, allocate and track requests ensuring statutory deadlines are met.
• Maintain FOI database and liaise with stakeholders for accurate responses.

Communication & Stakeholder Management

• Act as first point of contact for Estates enquiries, dealing with queries from staff, contractors and external partners.
• Build strong working relationships with senior stakeholders, project leads and external suppliers.
• Communicate diplomatically, providing accurate information and updates on Estates & Facilities projects and operations.

Service Development & Improvement

• Contribute to continuous improvement of administrative and project management systems, including implementation of digital filing, SharePoint and paperless processes.
• Suggest and implement improvements to governance, reporting and project tracking systems.

Health, Safety & Equality

• Support departmental Health & Safety compliance, ensuring policies are up‑to‑date and accessible.
• Act as Fire Warden for the department, ensuring induction and training for new staff on fire procedures.
• Uphold Trust values on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in all aspects of work.

Requirements

• Knowledge of administrative and organisational policies and procedures, acquired through training and relevant experience to degree level or equivalent.
• Knowledge of secretarial and administrative procedures and systems, acquired through training and experience to Vocational Level 3 or equivalent.

Desirable Criteria

• Membership of relevant professional body.
• Additional training in project management or governance.
• Expertise within own specialism, underpinned by practical experience.
• Proven experience in business administration, governance and project management support within a large and complex organisation.
• Knowledge and experience to deal with non‑routine issues such as problem solving for an area of work or developing alternative procedures.
• Experience in delivering training or mentoring staff.
• Excellent IT skills, including advanced use of Microsoft Office, SharePoint and digital systems.
• Knowledge of specialist functional/medical/legal/estates terms, organisational policies and procedures.
• Range of work procedures and practices, the majority non‑routine; intermediate theoretical knowledge.
• Providing and receiving complex, sensitive information requiring persuasive, motivational and negotiating skills.
• Ability to communicate complex information with staff internally and externally across the organisation.
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement at a regional or national level.
• Ability to solve non‑routine problems and develop alternative or additional procedures.
• Experience in data analysis and reporting to support decision‑making.
• Proficient computer and keyboard skills to manipulate spreadsheets, reports and digital systems.
• Car driver (unless prevented by disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
• Regular requirement for concentration with frequent interruptions.
• Requirement to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Requirement to deal with sensitive, confidential and potentially distressing information.

Candidates who require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the United Kingdom can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for this position by assessing their circumstances against the criteria specified on the "Check if you need a UK visa" - GOV.UK website. We would encourage all applicants to review the criteria carefully to understand their eligibility for sponsorship.